“…[T]he only requirement for joining the board is a desire to support other writers, so I was in!“
— Jane Anderson
A member of the Writers’ League since 2020, Jane lives in Round Rock, TX.
Scribe: Welcome, writer! Tell us — what do you write?
Jane Anderson: I am a wildlife biologist and currently work as a professor. Primarily, I write memoir and personal essays about my work. Working with wild animals is fulfilling, but it can also be funny and weird; I aim to reflect all of those things in my writing. I’m married to Jeff, a video game designer, and we have a baby named Gus. We also have two dogs who conveniently clean up after Gus.
Scribe: How did you come to join the WLT?
JA: The cursed year 2020! I was unexpectedly furloughed from work for two months, so I decided to finally sit down and finish the memoir I’d been slowly working on for years. Looking for a writing community during that time, a quick Google search led me to the Writers’ League of Texas, and I’m so grateful it did! I was blown away by the diversity of genres members were writing as well as the kind, accepting, and welcoming community I found.
Scribe: If you could choose one author to blurb your book, who would it be, and what would you want it to say?
JA: David Sedaris, “I did not hate reading this book.”
Scribe: You have one book you’re allowed to push onto all of your friends, and they’re forced to read it to remain your friend — which one would you choose?
JA: The Power by Naomi Alderman. I won’t spoil it by saying too much, other than it’s a rad feminist piece that is captivating while also providing needed commentary on power dynamics. Also reading it made me feel very cool.
Scribe: What made you join the board?
JA: I had been on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Committee for about a year. Mia, chair of the DEIA committee and WLT Board president, inquired whether I’d be interested in joining the board. I initially said no because I didn’t believe I had the writing chops to be among the very accomplished board members! However, I later had a chat with Dreux Carpenter, board vice president, who let me know the only requirement for joining the board is a desire to support other writers, so I was in! The WLT has provided me with community, classes to hone my craft, and, equally importantly, the confidence to own my writing. I joined the board in hopes of helping other writers find these gifts.
Scribe: Here at the WLT, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one book that has come out within the past few years that you couldn’t put down? (Bonus points if the book is Texas related!)
JA: I’m not so great at keeping up with new releases! So, I’ll cheat and skip back a few years to The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. I haven’t read a lot of magical realism, but I loved this book so much it has inspired me to look for others of the genre.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
JA: I’m currently working on a memoir called Of Monkeys and Men about my time studying a feral monkey population in central Florida. Hopefully more news will be coming about that project this year!
Scribe: Where can our readers find more of you?
JA: Twitter @ecojaneanderson Website: www.ecojane.org
