Jessica carney, nonfiction writer
Jessica is a writer based in Iowa. Her work has been published at NBC News, Today.com, HuffPost, Quartz, Shondaland, and more. She writes “Funny Little Stories” on Substack. In addition to writing, she’s worked in the event planning industry for over ten years. She’s currently querying a book about event planning and all the chaos and times plans went awry. You can read her work by following the links below.
Heaven/Iowa
Essays about event planning
A Terrible Interview Taught Me What I Don’t Want in a Job
For Shondaland
My Super Competitive Boss Wanted Us *All in.* I Ran.
Beware of a boss who wants you to be all in.
How to Organize a Holiday Party
An event guru reveals her five methods for hosting a successful soiree.
Lessons Learned About Humanity from Working at Concerts
People don’t like to be confined to arbitrary blocks of color
The coronavirus means new rules for public life.
But crowds are bad at following new rules.
The US worker shortage shouldn’t surprise low-paying employers
For Quartz
A Bucket Full of Knives and Other Tales from Working in the Concert Industry
“He pointed at me, and I know he wanted me to come up on stage,” said a woman at Nelly’s concert.
Humor & Midwest Stories
A Learned Lesson About Sharing Writing Before It’s Ready
I bombed one of my first readings in the strangest place you can bomb—a hospice room.
My Parents Visit the 23rd Century to Enjoy Simpler Times
They aren’t the most technologically inept people on earth; it’s just that they approach technology with caution, phasers out.
It's Caucus Season in Iowa, and My Mom Is a Political Groupie
There is no power like the star power of being an undecided Iowa voter, and my mom is making the most of it.
Dogs are better than people
When my dog was attacked, it brought out the best and worst in me.
Back to the past
When I was seven, my dad sat me down to teach me about John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I repeated the lesson to my classmates obsessively, making me the weirdest 2nd grader in 1993.
I'm Proud of Where I'm From — When I'm Not There
Travel changes what 'home' means to me, in ways that surprise myself and my Uber drivers.
The Art of the Iowa Pickle Wrap
Why we love "Lutheran sushi"
Human-Interest Stories, News, etc.
The Do's and Don'ts of Quitting Your Job
Don’t expect your next job to fix the problems of your current one.
Strangers helping strangers after the storm
Almost immediately after sweeping up the broken glass in her home, Stochl took on the daunting task of getting supplies to derecho victims.
Oncologist helps women feel 'fearless' in fighting breast cancer
Stroh got a tattoo with two of her patients.
What it’s like to Have A Mystery condition
The pandemic has really made me wonder where I fit when it comes to healthy and unhealthy people. And that’s the way-too-simplistic way we’ve all been grouped for the past two-plus years.
I’m Obsessively Organized Thanks to Chronic Pain
Even though it’s against my nature, being obsessively organized is one way I’ve learned to cope with migraines.