Welcome to Under the Pine Tree!
“Fantasy remains a human right: we make in our measure and in our derivative mode, because we are made: and not only made, but made in the image and likeness of a Maker.”
-J.R.R. Tolkien
Hi. I’m Jess.
And I’m a writer — technically an aspiring writer, but we all start somewhere!
I love the fantastical theology of the Inklings, the expansive drama of Russian literature, the emotive artistry of anime and manga, and any number of other kinds of stories.
I love to read stories. I love to watch stories. I especially love to write stories. And truly are there few things I look forward to more than the day I will get to share those stories with the world! But, for now, those stories are private, very private, and so, for now… we’re here on Substack.
Here, I talk about my writing process and stories I love, which is just a lot of fun! However, in recent years it has become ever more important to me to also make sure that my creative-literary life is balanced well with my more spiritual-social-physical-everyday life. Because, yes, I am a writer, but so too am I a wife and a mother, a sister and a friend, a Catholic and, ya know, a human being who needs to exercise and touch grass sometimes. Reading and writing are great, truly some of life’s greatest joys, but there is more to life than them. At the end of the day, the best writing comes from a life well lived, and I truly hope that both my Substack writing now and my fiction writing someday reflect that truth!
And so, both in terms of form and content, I hope everything here can enrich your life rather than distract you from it, as Internet content oftentimes can. This Substack exists both as a record of my own creative and literary life AND as an encouragement to any of you who may seek something similar!
In any case, if you subscribe, you will receive one post every month with a writing update, art update, and reading update all folded into one.
Regarding Paid Subscriptions
I do have a paid subscription option, and if you find value in my work, I would be most grateful if you were to lend that support. There is no difference between a paid and free subscription at this point in time, as it is more important to me right now for my work to be visible to others, but I’ve put up the option here for paid subscriptions regardless. There is no pressure whatsoever. But I would of course be very grateful for your generosity.
Alternatively, if you want to offer a touch of support on a one-time basis, rather than a subscription one, I do have a ko-fi page here in case you are interested!
