Jen Jakob (she/they), also published under the name j. alden, is a poet and editor based in Ottawa, Ontario. She has recently completed her Master of Arts degree at Queen’s University and holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major English and History from Carleton University. Jen also edits for flo. Literary Magazine as their poetry editor and has been published in QT Literary Magazine, Eavesdrop Literary Magazine and The Lamp. She recently self-published her first poetry chapbook Changing Altars in 2023.
Q: How long have you been in Ottawa, and what first brought you here?
I originally moved to Ottawa in 2020 to study at Carleton University. I was coming back to my studies after taking a hiatus for my health, which included immigrating up to Canada from the United States! At the time, I had ambitions of working somewhere in the archives, hence the choice to move to Ottawa, but I quickly realized that was not for me. Serendipitously, I fell in love with the city, and only moved away temporarily to Kingston to complete my Master’s, after which I quickly came back.
Q: How did you first get involved in writing, and subsequently, the writing community here?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can recall, but I distinctly remember really taking off with it in grade six, when I “wrote my first book.” By which I mean, I filled all one-hundred pages with a very poorly-written fantasy story. Around that time I started to discover poetry and never stopped writing it. My gateway to Ottawa’s writing community was twofold: during the pandemic, I was eager to find outlets for my passion for editing. I reached out to flo. Literary Magazine, which was still a young publication of two issues in 2022, and asked if they were interested in expanding their editorial team. I was brought on as poetry first reader, later promoted to poetry editor. Through editing submissions from contributors in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, I suddenly found myself connecting with so many writers. It was a true honour that so many people trusted our magazine with their writing, and I think it offered a special type of collaborative camaraderie that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I also became very involved with Ottawa’s writing community when I was studying English literature at Carleton. I was involved in several writing circles and societies that brought me out to open mic nights, which was much-needed after the COVID lockdown. During my time at Carleton, I was lucky enough to serve as the English Literature Society’s co-president, and I worked hard to connect Carleton’s undergraduate writers with the broader Ottawa literary scene. I was always researching new magazines for my peers to submit to, new open mics, and so on. And through that, I found the community too.
Q: How did being in such a community of writers shift your thinking about writing, if at all?
The first time I joined a writing community was in middle school, where we had an after school club called “writers’ cafe.” That was my first exposure to reading my creative works aloud to a group of peers to receive constructive criticism. I realized that type of environment was essential to improving my writing, but also that it was pure food for the soul. I’ve made sure to always be in a writing community ever since, whether it be through school, online, at a local cafe, or otherwise.
I think writing should always be collaborative in some way. I joke with my friends and ask them to “rip my poetry to shreds” whenever I feel like I’m getting too in-my-head about whether or not my poetry is “good.” That’s what I love so much about editing, too, is the collaborative aspect of it. I get a lot of fulfillment out of helping someone bring out the best in their writing, and having the satisfaction of looking back on a finished project, having enjoyed the process along the way.
Q: What do you see happening here that you don’t see anywhere else? What does Ottawa provide, or allow?
Ottawa has small-town vibes in so many ways, which I have always loved. The literary community here is comparatively small, but has never felt like a clique. We’re lucky to have such a welcoming and uplifting community, as cheesy as it sounds, that really invites everyone at any stage of their writing journey. It’s accessible, low-key, low-commitment, but endlessly passionate and rich with talent. I always leave events feeling invigorated to write more, never discouraged or intimidated.
Q: Have any of your projects responded directly to your engagements here? How have the city and its community, if at all, changed the way you approached your work?
My biggest contribution to the community has been editing for flo., which is a magazine dedicated to featuring the voices specifically from this region (Ottawa-Gatineau). I don’t think I would know nearly as many local artists and writers without having been involved in this publication. I felt, in a way, like I was weaving stories about this geographic space that we call home by helping create a publication that was built on fostering community. Which was needed especially coming out of the pandemic, when flo. first began. Reading everyone’s poetry and writing about their own lived experiences was healing for me in the sense that I felt less alone in my own experiences. I live alone in Ottawa, with no blood relatives or family here, so it truly felt like I was part of something bigger than just myself.
Q: What are you working on now?
Having just finished my Master’s, I’m recovering from some burnout. But I’m also loosely working on compiling poems for a collection I’d like to publish in the coming years. It’s a strange process, because I feel like I go through seasons with my poetry where I don’t like what I’m putting on the page. It feels almost as if my voice becomes disembodied in a way – unrecognizable. I think it means I’m evolving as a writer, which is a good thing! But it can be frustrating trying to put things together towards a larger project. I just have to be patient and kind, and reach out for advice from my friends in the community, who are my biggest cheerleaders.
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