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@jen-bryant

Writer, runner, stray cat whisperer. Midwestern transplant with Southern roots. Words in The Sun, Ms., BUST, Cleaver, JMWW, Matter News, & more. 2025 Ucross Fellow. Senior editor @muthamagazine, book reviewer @publisherswkly, & CNF reader @mudseasonreview.

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Latest posts by @jen-bryant

Excited to be a guest reader for Five Minutes this month. Send us your work!

10.03.2026 22:44 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

It wasn't "cancel culture" when women and people of color got used up, silenced, and dismissed before their careers even began. It only became "cancel culture" when powerful abusers started having established careers momentarily inconvenienced by revelations of what they'd done.

05.03.2026 14:00 πŸ‘ 1837 πŸ” 531 πŸ’¬ 9 πŸ“Œ 10

Great reporting - such an important piece.

04.03.2026 16:17 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Honored to have a new nonfiction flash piece in Issue 38 of Door Is A Jar. Timing is a strange thing - I wrote this about the post-9/11 US bombings of Afghanistan, which given the events unfolding, feels relevant again today. Here’s to an end to these forever wars, and thanks for reading. πŸ–€

02.03.2026 22:01 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Calendar – Matter News The Cringe live events calendar at Matter News was updated on Sunday, March 1, and includes listings through Sunday, March 15. Visit Cringe.com here for four full weeks of listings and send your Colum...

A reminder that we've partnered with Cringe to maintain a robust live events calendar, which was updated today with events through March 15.

matternews.org/calendar/

01.03.2026 15:59 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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027. MIRROR IMAGES. rhyme and rhythm.

Happy to have a new flash nonfiction piece in issue #27 of Paloma Magazine. Thanks for reading! πŸ”—

substack.com/home/post/p-...

24.02.2026 17:01 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Abortion and Reproductive Justice: A Conversation with Marlene Gerber Fried & Loretta J. Ross <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href=

β€œReproductive justice is a bridge in a way that choice never could be.”

New at MUTHA: Jen Bryant in conversation with authors, activists, and thought leaders Marlene Gerber Fried and Loretta J. Ross.

#reproductivejustice #interviews #books

13.02.2026 13:32 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

on the lookout for a new labor columnist. feel free to message me or drop a comment if you know of any local writers who might be a good fit.

10.02.2026 14:47 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 8 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

The free press died so capitalism can keep living and growing and consuming itself.

These folks never thought they would make money in journalism, they are dismantling a vital service that threatens their money and power.

04.02.2026 15:14 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

So excited to have a new piece in Issue 38! Can’t wait to see it in print.

01.02.2026 21:46 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Activists call for nationwide general strike to protest ICE, Columbus answers – Matter News In addition to the general strike, a protest will take place at 3 p.m. today (Friday, Jan. 30) at the Ohio Statehouse.

β€œMany of our rights have been won through peaceful disobedience, working-class struggle, and people demanding an end by withholding their labor,” Pham said.

New from Jen Bryant.

matternews.org/community/ac...

30.01.2026 13:27 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Opinion: Get ICE out of the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse – Matter News Allowing federal agents to make arrests at the courthouse without judicial warrants or a court order is an affront to justice.

Related: Allowing federal agents to make arrests at the courthouse without judicial warrants or a court order is an affront to justice.

A new op-ed from Liliana Baiman of 614 ICE Watch and Defend and Recruit.

matternews.org/voices/opini...

30.01.2026 13:37 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Hard same. The mind reels.

29.01.2026 13:22 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

it is a wild sickness to try and find evidence or reason for why someone's life should have value to the state. When lives are ended by cops in the street the defence is always that they were peaceful and law abiding, as if the opposite would mean they somehow deserved what bullets claimed them.

29.01.2026 13:13 πŸ‘ 116 πŸ” 28 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1

they're executing moms and nurses in the street. they're using preschoolers as bait. they're stealing people's dads and grandmas and children. they're tear gassing babies. they're staking out schools. there is no remedy but abolition. any proposal that doesn't start there is an act of violence.

24.01.2026 19:48 πŸ‘ 27631 πŸ” 9951 πŸ’¬ 246 πŸ“Œ 209
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CC - small appeals link CC - small appeals link

ICE increased its numbers in Columbus again. If you can give to CRIS, they are making sure people can stay out of harm’s way with food and resource drop off.

crisohio.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/c...

14.01.2026 14:40 πŸ‘ 17 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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Jen Bryant - Lessons - MER - Mom Egg Review Jen Bryant Lessons Β  My son hunches over a math worksheet, brow furrowed in concentration. He solves an addition problem quickly, then reconsiders, doubling back. I watch as he erases carefully, then ...

β€œAt twenty-four, I’m the youngest parent in my son’s first-grade class and the oldest student in my Sociology 201 lecture…”

Thrilled to have a new piece up at @merliterary.bsky.social today! ⬇️

merliterary.com/2026/01/13/j...

15.01.2026 14:55 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1

writing is so funny because you think wow I hope people read this thing I made but also oh no what if people read it

14.01.2026 16:48 πŸ‘ 112 πŸ” 17 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 2

This is powerful. Please give it a read.

14.01.2026 18:40 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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12.01.2026 17:16 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thank you to all the writers who made the #Bully and #Trouble issues so sparkly, including @jen-bryant.bsky.social, @shivpreet.bsky.social, @moomoocamus.bsky.social, @marjorietesser.bsky.social, @dawnsteffler.bsky.social, @yallaalia.bsky.social, @tomljanovic.bsky.social...

29.12.2025 13:36 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 1
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Issue 80 of Mud Season Review is here! Featuring art by Roger Camp, poetry by Julie Shulman, fiction by Sally Cunningham, and creative nonfiction by Emily Alice Katz.

πŸ“Έ: "Light Music 19" by Roger Camp.

23.12.2025 06:58 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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CC - small appeals link CC - small appeals link

ICE is making its way through Columbus. CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services) is giving gift cards to families to keep them home and fed.

If you want to join in giving, here is the link to the specific area and team handling it: crisohio.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/c...

18.12.2025 13:50 πŸ‘ 59 πŸ” 59 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 4

Thank you, Thomas!

18.12.2025 19:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Thrilled to have a new essay up at JMWW today. Please give it a read if you like stories about love and friendship and growing up. ✨

18.12.2025 17:10 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Great piece! We meant to get tickets for this and totally forgot…womp womp.

17.12.2025 12:59 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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What Happened <!-- wp:image {

β€œDo I research pre-K options? Or places to flee?”

New from KC Councilor.

#comics #graphicmemoir #transfamilies

11.12.2025 15:31 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Submissions Now Open! JMWW is open for creative nonfiction, blended & beyond (hybrid), and fiction submissions through December 15th.

jmwwblog.wordpress.com/2025/12/01/1...

01.12.2025 15:49 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 10 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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ICYMI Enjoy some thoughtful, possibly fist-pumping #creativenonfiction from @jen-bryant.bsky.social and Judith Shapiro in the #Trouble issue, out now.

thewoolfx.com/nonfiction/

04.12.2025 17:16 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Congrats! πŸŽ‰

01.12.2025 15:29 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0