Jessica and I first met in Miss Inta’s ballet class in downtown Whitby when we were five. We crossed paths again in high school. By then it was becoming apparent that we had more in common than both having dropped out of ballet. Beyond toe shoes and tutus, we shared a passion for words.
Jessica is no stranger to the WCDR, either. Back when we were having in-person breakfast meetings in Ajax, she was a guest speaker—and a great one. Jessica is enthusiastic and encouraging. She identifies strongly as a short story writer, despite having two acclaimed novels under her belt. Most of all, she believes that everyone has a story to tell, and she takes sincere pleasure in helping them to tell it.
The objectives for the June meeting were clear: with it being the AGM, we needed an accomplished speaker who could be flexible with their time. And we wanted someone who would send us off on a high note—enthused and excited to write through the sunny days of summer. Someone who would have us taking pen to paper right there in the meeting, so we could end our 2020-21 season by celebrating ourselves as writers.
Jessica is a writer and a teacher. She’s a friend to the WCDR. And I hope you’ll join us in June for our AGM, as Jessica shares her story and gets you excited about working on yours.