Writer, Teacher, Human

Writing fiction and nonfiction is how Jessica Handler explores the questions that haunt her, fascinate her, and won’t let her go. Writing is her doorway into empathy, celebration, and wonder. She hopes it’s the same for you.

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Author Photo: Royce Soble

"Depth and emotion..."

Booklist

"Handler’s beautiful storytelling enlightens us…"

The Bitter Southerner

Books by Jessica Handler

Explore Jessica Handler's thought-provoking themes and powerful narratives.

Invisible Sisters

One daughter’s moving account of illness, death, and the dissolution of her family.

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Braving The Fire

"Braving the Fire" is the first book to provide a road map for the journey of writing honestly about grief and loss.

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The Magnetic Girl

Set in a time of emerging electricity and heightened Spiritualism, "The Magnetic Girl" is an inspired novel about women's quest for political, cultural, and sexual presence.

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I am compelled by a single theme in my fiction and nonfiction: women and girls bearing more responsibility than they believe they can carry, and the ways they — we — learn to thrive.

Jessica Handler

Events

Join Jessica Handler for writing workshops, book signings, and engaging conversations with award-winning authors!  

Jun 25, 2025
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Jun 25, 2025

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Writing About Grief, Loss, & Trauma

Writing about grief, loss, or trauma can feel overwhelming. Where do you begin? How much should you reveal? And how do you shape painful experience into something meaningful—for both you and your reader? Robert Frost famously said, “No tears for the writer, no tears for the reader.” But turning raw emotion into compelling narrative requires more than catharsis. It demands reflection, structure, and the willingness to uncover what’s at the heart of the story. In this 90-minute live webinar, we’ll explore how acclaimed memoirists and essayists approach emotionally charged material—and how you can apply their techniques to your own work. We’ll look closely at the roles of conflict, joy, and meaning-making in shaping personal narrative and discuss strategies for writing that is honest without becoming unmoored. You’ll leave with practical tools to deepen your creative nonfiction and move your work forward—with insight, clarity, and connection. We’ll also revisit Frost’s lesser-known companion quote: “No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” Can’t make it live? No worries—a replay will be available to all registrants.

Jun 29, 2025
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Jun 29, 2025

In conversation with Peter McDade

Join me in conversation with acclaimed author & rock drummer Peter McDade as we discuss his new novel, KING CAL. In the course of one ordinary day, Atlanta fast food worker Calvin loses his girlfriend, his band, and his best friend. Suddenly, everything he had planned to spend the rest of his life doing seems to have flown away. Told with insight, sensitivity, and deep respect for what it really takes to make a life in music, “King Cal” is a coming-of-age novel about a determined young man who starts with little, aims to earn a little more, and has to decide whether success—or even clinging to his dream—is worth the sacrifice.

Award Winning!

The Magnetic Girl

Set in a time of emerging electricity and heightened Spiritualism, "The Magnetic Girl" is an inspired novel about women's quest for political, cultural, and sexual presence.

Learn more >

FeatureS

From insightful interviews to engaging essays, see how Jessica's work continues to resonate with readers and critics alike.

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Jan 2025

Making Noise: On Learning to Play Drums The Year I Turned Sixty

Articulate. My husband has a twelve-inch-tall action figure of me — I’m serious — about the size of a Barbie doll. She is “fully articulated,” which in action-figure speak means that her arms and legs and head can swivel. When he had this made, he had one made of himself, too. It was a passing fad, a kind of a joke between us.

Another Chicago Magazine
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Nov 2024

The Little Things

Stop what you’re doing, and pay attention to your senses. How your fingers feel on the keyboard, or your feet on the floor. What about sound? Is your playlist going (and what’s on it?) or is that a trash truck grinding away on the street?

Brevity
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Sep 2024

Excerpt from The World To See

Excerpt from "The World to See" forthcoming from Regal House

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Dec 2023

The Muscle For Escape

This is one of those stories you bring out near last call so you’ll never have to go home.

Short Reads
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About the Author

Get to know Jessica Handler and explore the writing and teaching that defines her work.

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