Meet a Staff Member: Jill Earl
Yellow Arrow Publishing would like to introduce editorial associate Jill Earl. Jill is a writer based in Maryland. As a past member of the Maryland Writers Association, she served as a proofreader then later editor of the membership publication Pen in Hand. She was a contributor and newsletter editor for WOW! Women on Writing, an online magazine for women writers. She was published in Pen in Hand, Topology (formerly catapult magazine), WOW! Women on Writing, and on the website Your Tango.
Jill says, “I’m looking forward to getting to know the staff as we work together to help women publish and gain recognition for their writing, enhancing and improving my own writing skills as I get back into writing myself, and continuing to learn about the publishing industry.”
Tell us a little something about yourself:
I’m an avid reader continuing the tradition inherited from my mom of having stacks of books and magazines in the living room and bedroom. I’m a major fan of film and the arts, enjoy traveling, cooking, baking through my massive collection of recipes, learning Spanish, and seeing what develops as I continue to learn photography. I’m also learning about the ins and outs of chinchilla sitting. Not all at the same time, of course.
What do you love most about Baltimore?
I like living in Catonsville, which is right outside of Baltimore City. There’s something about the small town/village feel of the area that’s resonated with me.
How did you get involved with Yellow Arrow and what do you do?
I became involved with Yellow Arrow when I was hired for the editorial associate role.
What are you working on currently?
I [was] working on a Christmas-related latch hook rug. Pretty sure it won’t be finished in time.
What genre do you write (or read) the most and why?
I’m noticing it’s a tie between nonfiction and cookbooks. With nonfiction, there have been so many book releases in the last several years regarding historical events and authors that I want to learn about. As for cookbooks, I love learning about different cuisines, culinary traditions, and techniques and the reimagining of them all. On top of that, I love to study the images in those books because I’m interested in food photography. Finally, making recipes helps hone my skills, as well as keep me fed.
What book is on the top of your to-be-read pile?
Right now, it’s Susan Cain’s Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. I’ve followed her since she released Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking a number of years ago. Her extensive research on introversion continues to help me understand how I see and interact with society as an introvert and how embracing sorrow and longing can be healing.
Who is your favorite writer and why?
I’d have to say Kathleen Norris. She’s a poet and memoirist based in Hawai’i but much of her work is about her life in South Dakota. My favorite book of hers is The Cloister Walk, which recounts her two extended residencies at a Benedictine abbey in Minnesota. It was fascinating that I found her experiences, which could be considered outdated by today’s standards, relevant. I was even inspired to do a weekend retreat at a local convent, which I enjoyed a lot.
Who has inspired and/or supported you most in your writing journey?
My first inspiration was my mother who nurtured me for as long as I can remember. She saw that I had a vivid imagination and encouraged me to use it. Our library held numerous books in a range of topics and genres, and I spent hours learning and writing about various topics, authors, and genres. She always supported me, cheering me on as I competed in my first writing contest as a child and that continued into adulthood as I took on a number of writing roles as an adult.
What do you love most about writing?
Being able to lose myself in the process of using thoughts, ideas and imagination to create characters, scenarios and alternate worlds for fiction; or presenting facts, perspective and lived experience for nonfiction. I also appreciate that now writers can veer off to create work that doesn’t fall under established genres.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Regardless of age, we live in a world where there’s a plethora of resources available to explore. Read about that author or genre you’re curious about. Practice your writing. Take that class or workshop. Go to that conference. Have coffee or a meal with that author you’ve been following if you can—not in a stalkerish way, because who wants that? Enter that competition. Then rinse and repeat because it’s a never-ending process.
*****
Yellow Arrow Publishing is a nonprofit supporting women-identifying writers through publication and access to the literary arts. You can support us as we AMPLIFY women-identifying creatives this year by purchasing one of our publications or a workshop from the Yellow Arrow bookstore, for yourself or as a gift, joining our newsletter, following us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, or subscribing to our YouTube channel. Donations are appreciated via PayPal (staff@yellowarrowpublishing.com), Venmo (@yellowarrowpublishing), or US mail (PO Box 65185, Baltimore, Maryland 21209). More than anything, messages of support through any one of our channels are greatly appreciated.