Just gorgeous, Jane and Jeannine. I love the deceptive simplicity of this interview and the telling of your story. The “getting out of the way” within the stark telling of it. It blooms so large in the spaces you both leave, and in the cracks of the bounty of all you have created, learned, and accepted since. Why isn’t there a verb for wisdom? Because you have both really really wisdomed well and we are all better for it.
Oh, gosh, Emily, I love that!! Wisdom as a verb. Yes!! And thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed Jeannine's gorgeous, wise answers! Or perhaps I should say, Jeannine's wising!
I have been learning from Jeannine since I discovered Substack. I tend to lurk in the background of most conversations but I always find value in her words. Thanks for sharing the interview Jane. Also, I just finished Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld (which I received through a giveaway here) and it is phenomenal.
I am also a trauma survivor and I believe that we really have to learn to have grace with ourselves. It is a complex path to navigate and for most of us it takes a lifetime. But books and writing and friends and lots of long walks with the dog can work wonders on the soul. Thanks to you both.
I'm so glad you enjoyed Rene's book! Isn't it beautiful! All of her books are phenomenal! And I'm so glad you've been following Jeannine's work. Another kind, wise, gifted soul. And, yes, I agree with everything you write about healing from trauma. Especially the dog walks! Glad you're here, Matthew!
Gorgeous. You have a way with love, Jeanine. And you have a beautiful creation in this questionnaire, Jane.
My cousin, with whom I shared a Beyond post a while back, got to Love as. Practice before I could. I hadn’t realized she’d continued reading after the post I shared with her. (She’s a chef who’s just opened her own cafe. So, reading time is sparse, and it says much that you’re in her list.) She said, “Have you read Jane Ratcliffe’s latest? It was with this woman named Jeannine. I get why you’re so in love with Substack now.”
Indeed! Thank you both for being a part of my falling in love with this beautiful writing home. 💕❤️
Ooooh, Holly, that story put the BIGGEST SMILE on my face! Thank you for sharing it! And thank you for telling your cousin about Beyond! And, yes, Jeannine most certainly has a way with love. Beautifully put! ❤️
mary g., so glad to find you here! Met you on (my) day one of Story Club, went by another Substack handle back then, and I was in awe of you then and that feeling has only grown. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t been able to follow you much on your site, and not here either, because I’m focused on my own. You and Jeannine are Substack royalty to me! I hope to spend more time with both of you, and also of course with George, my gateway drug. xoxo
Great interview questions as usual Jane and even though I've known Jeannine for years there are several things she revealed I hadn't known about her. So much depth and textured layers to her responses here. And the delightful surprise to learn Mary G is David Guterson's sister! Snow Falling on Cedars saved my life when it first came out.
That's beautiful. Thank you, Jill. I am so (so so so so so) glad I reached out to you in 2020 when I sold a book at the front edge of a life-changing pandemic. You made that journey infinitely less lonely and SO MUCH more successful and, importantly, so much more fun, than it could ever have been on my own. Thank you for being so amazing.
Gorgeous interview. I resonate with so many of Jeannine's words and I particularly love her description of her relationship with Frannie. Learning and being learned by an animal is truly a gift. There is no false self or social mask possible with an animal - it's relationship at its most present and pure ❤ Also love the advice around certainty.... I shall take that into my day and muse on it. Thank you both 🙏
Thank you Jane for this wonderful interview. "Being in the world and attending to the world as a writer makes my life exponentially realer and more loving. For me, writing really is a metaphor for living. It’s all part and parcel." Jeannine, this has become such a reality for me since I committed to writing on Substack. The pausing, reflecting, constructing and revising process is never finished which has given me a more realistic sense of grace for myself and others. And in the end, has made me more loving. Again, thank you Jane and Jeannine for sharing this.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Steve. And I also loved that quote. And I love this line: "which has given me a more realistic sense of grace for myself and others." Beautiful!
This just about says it all for me: "Life is complicated, and I can be forgiving to my younger self, who was doing her best. But sometimes love means getting out of the way entirely. Sometimes love means letting go. Sometimes love means agreeing to disagree and understanding that people can view the truth differently. And, sure, of course, sometimes love means putting up a fight. It’s the power of discernment that’s so crucial. It’s not easy!"
Thanks, Jane, for the interview, and thank you, Jeannine, for sharing your discernment and wisdom gained through your life experiences, and, of course, as you said, "paying attention." I believe when we attend to the details and what we can learn from them, we are better equipped to live life up to the brim. And you're right about it not being easy. It may have been Mae West who said, "I never said it would be easy. I said it would be worthwhile." That sums it up. It has been and continues to be worthwhile even in the midst of continuing struggles and challenges.
What a joyful gift this article was this evening, well worth the bedtime procrastination to read and savour it! And while I may have added a couple of books to my Amazon "want to read" list, I managed to restrain myself and remember that I have bought lots of books I still need to read before I can buy anymore!
Honestly, between all the Substacks I want to read, and the pile of books on my shelves and in my Kindle library, I could spend the rest of this year doing nothing but reading. And that isn't even taking into account the substacks that have yet to be written! Thank goodness I've deactivated my Facebook, at least without that I have a chance at reading some of them, haha!
Just what I needed to read today. There’s something for everyone in these answers, and I found a missing piece, as though a raw nerve was sitting close to the surface I didn’t know was there until it was gently and sweetly poked, and then allowed to heal.
Vivi, congratulations on being about to turn 20. What an incredible time of life you are entering. You, at the threshold of your entire future. Sending you all the love, courage, clarity, and openness you can muster! xo
So grateful I somehow found both of you within my first days here on Substack. This interview, like so many spring flowers, unfolded and revealed so much in such lovely and engaging way.
Having been a single mom to 2 little ones, involved in an ugly separation/divorce, and once homeless, Jeannine's story greatly resonated with me.
This quote truly stuck with me, because it represents the many times I told myself I could live without writing and each time learned it is not true. I can survive without it, but that is not living.
"Sometimes, we tell ourselves we can get by without the thing we most need, because we’re afraid those things are beyond our reach forever. Sometimes, we try to stop wanting things we’re convinced we’re not meant to have. Sometimes, we count ourselves out. And that’s what I suppose I did. I counted myself out."
Thank you both for the spaces you've created and the work you share.
Oooh, Lisa, thank you for your beautiful words. They mean so much! And I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. Jeannine is wise and compassionate. Beautiful combination.
Just gorgeous, Jane and Jeannine. I love the deceptive simplicity of this interview and the telling of your story. The “getting out of the way” within the stark telling of it. It blooms so large in the spaces you both leave, and in the cracks of the bounty of all you have created, learned, and accepted since. Why isn’t there a verb for wisdom? Because you have both really really wisdomed well and we are all better for it.
Oh, gosh, Emily, I love that!! Wisdom as a verb. Yes!! And thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed Jeannine's gorgeous, wise answers! Or perhaps I should say, Jeannine's wising!
It centered my mind and the start of my day. Thank you.
Ooooh I love this, Emily - Jane and Jeannine wisdom beautifully in this piece. So true!
💜
Love you, Emily. As always.
Love you right back!💜
I have been learning from Jeannine since I discovered Substack. I tend to lurk in the background of most conversations but I always find value in her words. Thanks for sharing the interview Jane. Also, I just finished Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld (which I received through a giveaway here) and it is phenomenal.
I am also a trauma survivor and I believe that we really have to learn to have grace with ourselves. It is a complex path to navigate and for most of us it takes a lifetime. But books and writing and friends and lots of long walks with the dog can work wonders on the soul. Thanks to you both.
I'm so glad you enjoyed Rene's book! Isn't it beautiful! All of her books are phenomenal! And I'm so glad you've been following Jeannine's work. Another kind, wise, gifted soul. And, yes, I agree with everything you write about healing from trauma. Especially the dog walks! Glad you're here, Matthew!
Thank you, Matthew, this is such a thoughtful and kind response. I'm glad to be in community with you.
Gorgeous. You have a way with love, Jeanine. And you have a beautiful creation in this questionnaire, Jane.
My cousin, with whom I shared a Beyond post a while back, got to Love as. Practice before I could. I hadn’t realized she’d continued reading after the post I shared with her. (She’s a chef who’s just opened her own cafe. So, reading time is sparse, and it says much that you’re in her list.) She said, “Have you read Jane Ratcliffe’s latest? It was with this woman named Jeannine. I get why you’re so in love with Substack now.”
Indeed! Thank you both for being a part of my falling in love with this beautiful writing home. 💕❤️
Ooooh, Holly, that story put the BIGGEST SMILE on my face! Thank you for sharing it! And thank you for telling your cousin about Beyond! And, yes, Jeannine most certainly has a way with love. Beautifully put! ❤️
Oh, that is really a sweet anecdote, Holly! Thank you so much for sharing this with us! xo
I wondered why i suddenly had a new slew of subscribers this morning... Thank you for saying such nice things about me. xoxoxo
PS and now i have to buy that sweater
mary g., so glad to find you here! Met you on (my) day one of Story Club, went by another Substack handle back then, and I was in awe of you then and that feeling has only grown. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t been able to follow you much on your site, and not here either, because I’m focused on my own. You and Jeannine are Substack royalty to me! I hope to spend more time with both of you, and also of course with George, my gateway drug. xoxo
Hi Mary! The "awe-ness" is mutual! xo
Hahaha let me know if you love it like I do, and yay on the subscribers! Here's to serendipity and writer friends (the best kind)
This is what happens when two great women get together and talk about creativity, love, life and art… what a gift!
Ooooh, thank you, Imola! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! xx
Imola, you are a light in the world, pure and simple. So glad to know you. xo
Aw. The feeling is mutual Jeannine! Love exploring the light and the dark with you. Xx
Great interview questions as usual Jane and even though I've known Jeannine for years there are several things she revealed I hadn't known about her. So much depth and textured layers to her responses here. And the delightful surprise to learn Mary G is David Guterson's sister! Snow Falling on Cedars saved my life when it first came out.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Jill! And I love you discovered new aspects of your friend! 🌸
New facets revealed by seeing things from a different angle. Your interview questions are good at eliciting such revelations.
It was such a delight to be reading Snow Falling on Cedars when I learned of that connection! And thank you, Jill. Grateful for you.
the synchronicity is magical
I know. I feel a lot of it right now, too ... all around me, everything seems to be connecting to everything else!!
let it flow
the fascia is the connective tissue
and your body knows what to write
That's beautiful. Thank you, Jill. I am so (so so so so so) glad I reached out to you in 2020 when I sold a book at the front edge of a life-changing pandemic. You made that journey infinitely less lonely and SO MUCH more successful and, importantly, so much more fun, than it could ever have been on my own. Thank you for being so amazing.
Gorgeous interview. I resonate with so many of Jeannine's words and I particularly love her description of her relationship with Frannie. Learning and being learned by an animal is truly a gift. There is no false self or social mask possible with an animal - it's relationship at its most present and pure ❤ Also love the advice around certainty.... I shall take that into my day and muse on it. Thank you both 🙏
I absolutely loved that line as well. So beautiful and so true! Glad you enjoyed the interview, Vicki! ❤️
Thank you, Vicki. I am glad you resonated with my dear, dear Frannie. xo
That Maria Popova quote was exactly what I needed. Thank you. <3
I’m so glad! ❤️
Thanks, Asha ❤️
Yes, that's such a great quote. Thank you.
Thank you Jane for this wonderful interview. "Being in the world and attending to the world as a writer makes my life exponentially realer and more loving. For me, writing really is a metaphor for living. It’s all part and parcel." Jeannine, this has become such a reality for me since I committed to writing on Substack. The pausing, reflecting, constructing and revising process is never finished which has given me a more realistic sense of grace for myself and others. And in the end, has made me more loving. Again, thank you Jane and Jeannine for sharing this.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Steve. And I also loved that quote. And I love this line: "which has given me a more realistic sense of grace for myself and others." Beautiful!
Thank you Steve. You're so generous, always. Really grateful.
This just about says it all for me: "Life is complicated, and I can be forgiving to my younger self, who was doing her best. But sometimes love means getting out of the way entirely. Sometimes love means letting go. Sometimes love means agreeing to disagree and understanding that people can view the truth differently. And, sure, of course, sometimes love means putting up a fight. It’s the power of discernment that’s so crucial. It’s not easy!"
Thanks, Jane, for the interview, and thank you, Jeannine, for sharing your discernment and wisdom gained through your life experiences, and, of course, as you said, "paying attention." I believe when we attend to the details and what we can learn from them, we are better equipped to live life up to the brim. And you're right about it not being easy. It may have been Mae West who said, "I never said it would be easy. I said it would be worthwhile." That sums it up. It has been and continues to be worthwhile even in the midst of continuing struggles and challenges.
Yes, to all of this, Gary! As always, beautifully put! And I'm glad you enjoyed Jeannine's words!
Thank you so much, Gary!
What a joyful gift this article was this evening, well worth the bedtime procrastination to read and savour it! And while I may have added a couple of books to my Amazon "want to read" list, I managed to restrain myself and remember that I have bought lots of books I still need to read before I can buy anymore!
So glad you enjoyed it, Esther!! And, yes, the stacks of books! Oh my!! 🌸
Honestly, between all the Substacks I want to read, and the pile of books on my shelves and in my Kindle library, I could spend the rest of this year doing nothing but reading. And that isn't even taking into account the substacks that have yet to be written! Thank goodness I've deactivated my Facebook, at least without that I have a chance at reading some of them, haha!
The perennial problem! Thank you, Esther xo
What a beautiful love-bomb to start my day with grace, before jumping on the treadmill of busyness. With coffee and a cat in my lap. Perfect.
Ooooh, I love that, Marge! Glad you enjoyed it!
The cat in the lap makes everything good! xo
Just what I needed to read today. There’s something for everyone in these answers, and I found a missing piece, as though a raw nerve was sitting close to the surface I didn’t know was there until it was gently and sweetly poked, and then allowed to heal.
Yes, I agree! And I'm so glad you had such a beautiful experience, Page!
That's so beautiful, Page. I am glad. Thank you for saying so.
The amount of wisdom this interview provided me with is extremely helpful for a girl like me who's about to turn 20.
I related with the fact that all I can do completely and diligently is to give love to everything and everyone. 💞
Ooooh, that's wonderful, Vivi! I'm so glad! And twenty!! How exciting!! Sending all the good vibes in the world your way! ❤️
Vivi, congratulations on being about to turn 20. What an incredible time of life you are entering. You, at the threshold of your entire future. Sending you all the love, courage, clarity, and openness you can muster! xo
So grateful I somehow found both of you within my first days here on Substack. This interview, like so many spring flowers, unfolded and revealed so much in such lovely and engaging way.
Having been a single mom to 2 little ones, involved in an ugly separation/divorce, and once homeless, Jeannine's story greatly resonated with me.
This quote truly stuck with me, because it represents the many times I told myself I could live without writing and each time learned it is not true. I can survive without it, but that is not living.
"Sometimes, we tell ourselves we can get by without the thing we most need, because we’re afraid those things are beyond our reach forever. Sometimes, we try to stop wanting things we’re convinced we’re not meant to have. Sometimes, we count ourselves out. And that’s what I suppose I did. I counted myself out."
Thank you both for the spaces you've created and the work you share.
Oooh, Lisa, thank you for your beautiful words. They mean so much! And I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. Jeannine is wise and compassionate. Beautiful combination.
A beautiful combination indeed 💕
Lisa, sending you strength and solidarity with your writing. Here's to counting ourselves in! xo
I️ greatly appreciate the strength and solidarity! Writing, and reclaiming writing, can feel like a lonely process.
Really appreciated this! Thank you!
I'm so glad, Kristine!
Thanks, Kristine!