editing

“Jennifer Bowen, is quite literally one of the best readers whom I have ever worked with or encountered.”

— Lesley Nnekah Arimah

“There are a few readers and editors I trust entirely with my work, and Jen is one of them. Her ear is attuned to the music, her eye is exacting and precise, and most importantly, her mind knows how to find, follow and lure out the heart of the work at hand. She asks the right questions, knows how to hone a line, and with a gentle yet sure hand, leads the author and their work towards their very best artistic selves.”

—Robin MacArthur

“Jennifer is an insightful and attentive editor. Her comments are candid and careful, and she has a knack for sharing feedback that will allow meaningful progress on the next lap through. Jen’s editorial guidance helped me significantly on my first major essay effort. With her support, that essay found a great online home and ended up in a prominent anthology.”

— Michael Kleber-Diggs

“Jen Bowen’s editorial eye is one of the smartest and most generous I’ve worked with. Her creative superpowers lie in her ability to see what’s working in an essay, where it shines, and how a writer can build on that. And she’s a genius with structure- knowing when paragraphs and orders should be shifted or cut, and how sometimes simple changes can save an entire piece. My writing is so much stronger, more compassionate, and smarter for having worked with Jen.”

— Angela Pester-Weibe

“Jen has read and commented on much of my nonfiction, from traditional narratives to experimental hybrid lyric essays. Jen’s feedback has been supportive and crucial at all stages of my writing, from early drafts to polished final work. I trust her insights and credit her with helping me complete and publish in such places as Brevity, River Teeth, Superstition Review, including work that has won prizes and been nominated for Pushcarts and Best of the Web, and which resulted in my collection Fluid States and current manuscript My Son’s Brother.”

—Heidi Czerwiec

“Jen embodies the greatest master teacher’s superpower: the ability to see potential in anything or anyone while providing constructive feedback and gentle guidance. She has introduced hundreds of writers to the craft, and under her tutelage, they’ve produced their most dynamic, personal, original work.”

— Mike Alberti

“Jen has a talent for seeing the possibilities in every piece of writing, and most importantly, for making you believe that your voice matters. As an editor, she knows how to shape an essay or CNF project with just the right amount of feedback, questions and practical line edits. Jen also helps you work through the deeper concerns you bring to your work, finding creative possibilities and the next step forward. I can’t recommend her highly enough as a reader and editor.”

—Rachel Moritz

“I don’t usually want her input”

—Jen’s Son