American, Ukrainian
First Language(s): Russian
Second Language(s):
English
Jane Yevgenia Muschenetz is a Ukrainian-born, Russian-speaking, Jewish refugee who fled the Soviet regime as a child. Jane's debut, All the Bad Girls Wear Russian Accents (Kelsay, 2023), won the 2024 California Press Women Communications Award and was named the 2024 San Diego Writers Festival Poetry Collection of the Year. Her new collection, Power Point (Sheila-Na-Gig, 2024), combines dark humor, statistical analysis and visual poetics to interrogate societal inequalities. Connect with Jane and her work at www.PalmFrondZoo.com
What was your favorite book as a child?
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?
I wrote my first poem when I was 4, so it really wasn’t a choice I made consciously. Writing felt magical and fun. I’ve always loved words, stories, how language carries beauty, emotions, and ideas, how marks on paper can resolve into meaning.
What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?
Becoming a mom. I haven’t slept soundly since.
Do you listen to music while reading or writing?
I generally don’t listen to music while reading/writing. If music is on, I tune it out. For me, reading transports me and writing requires intense concentration. I get very grumpy if forced to “come up for air” (or conversation) mid-sentence.
Poetry
Observation
Issue Spring '24
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