Jennifer Brinkmeyer writes to explore the world–how it is and how it could be. A lifelong resident of the Midwest, she saunters where city meets country, progress meets heritage, and science meets superstition. She uses supernatural metaphors to illuminate themes in contemporary society. As an improvisation performer and coach, she strives for strong dialogue and ensemble work in all her narratives that bring comedy to dramatic situations. Finally, she enjoys juxtaposing characters to challenge social expectations, particularly those held for women.

Jennifer graduated from The University of Iowa in 2006 with a B.A. in English and from Graceland University in 2011 with an M.A. in Collaborative Teaching and Learning. Her thesis was on the value of teachers writing with their students in the classroom. She earned her Ed. S. in Literacy Education Leadership from Drake University in May 2015. She is a certified K-12 reading specialist. This is her thirteenth year teaching English and coaching speech.

In 2014, she received UChicago’s Outstanding Educator Award. In 2013, she was among the first recipients of the Book Love Foundation classroom library grant and is one of the teachers featured on the foundation’s podcasts. She regularly presents at conferences.