Department of Personnel:
About the author:
I, Jefferey J. Reese, was born and raised in the Madison, Wisconsin area (which I loved). I have dipped my toes in many cultures... a private Catholic school in the uber-liberal city of Madison from Kindergarten through the middle of sixth grade while living in a tiny suburb in the middle of farm land... a public school in a mostly rural small town from the middle of sixth grade through high school, while living in the suburbs of Madison... college in uber-conservative small town West Lafayette, Indiana (where the college Republican's club had hundreds of members, but the college Democrat's club didn't even exist), plopped in the middle of farm country. While in college I returned to Spain for a second time to study abroad for six weeks. Fresh out of college I moved to Fairfield County, Connecticut for four and a half years of the most painfully lonely existence of my life. Finally I arrived in the Boston, Massachusetts area and found heaven on earth!
I have had my heart broken. I have recovered from that heartbreak and married a strong, independent, highly intelligent woman. Together my wife and I have traveled regularly in Europe. I know plenty of people who have traveled more extensively than I have, but I have visited 15 countries, over 200 cities, and at least 25 U.S. states, all excluding airport layovers and places I've driven through without stopping for anything more than a meal or gas. We hope to discover bits of Asia in the not too distant future too. I'd love to find a way to get more Americans traveling to foreign countries... it breaks down stereotypes and makes us realize that the people in far away places aren't "them".
I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh during my lunch break of my college summer job, and I would get so pissed at him that I'd nearly punch my radio, but I wanted to hear what the other side had to say. I should have tried to find someone more intelligent and less afraid of challenges to their opinion, but unfortunately extremism seems to sell well in our current culture. During the G.W. Bush administration (a.k.a. the Cheney administration) I listened to Air America for the extreme liberal perspective to cope with the insane policy decisions I was witnessing. I loved how Thom Hartmann moved callers who disagreed with him to the top of the list and regularly had guests on who had polar opposite positions... he would aggressively defend his position while maintaining respect and politeness... conservatives take note!
I've been a Catholic, an agnostic or atheist (depending on your definition and when you asked me), a Unitarian, and spiritual but not religious.
I have de-tassled corn, worked fast food, and been a lifeguard. I have graduated college and been a structural engineer for over 20 years and have worked on some amazing buildings (including a small railing around the tower of Independence Hall!). To this day I always treat the Dunkin Donuts employees with nothing but respect. Their job is hard, and they are human beings just like anyone else. I also recognize that I came from a family that was well-off financially... not mega-wealthy like a Hilton or Trump kid, but upper-middle class or lower-upper class, and without that, I wouldn't be where I am today. People helped me along the way, either financially or emotionally. My parents, a high school cross country coach (and Calculus teacher) who patiently pulled me out of my rebel-without-a-clue phase, a Thermodynamics teacher in college who didn't let me give up my 2nd time taking that class (which could have ended my engineering career before it even started, despite Thermodynamics never being used in my particular branch of engineering).
I am liberal. Nothing about getting older has changed that. I want to understand conservatives, but when I read things like the 2012 article "Studies: Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From Venus" in The Atlantic, I can't help but feel like they are a different species, who lacks empathy or consideration for anyone outside their own tribe, especially the extremist brand of conservatives today, which seems to be dominating their group. I have tried to write my novel "Puerto Paz" from the perspective of a middle ground... I have tried to seek that "Goldilocks" place of balance even though my own views skew to the left. I hope I have succeeded, but if I haven't, then I hope at least it is entertaining.
I have had my heart broken. I have recovered from that heartbreak and married a strong, independent, highly intelligent woman. Together my wife and I have traveled regularly in Europe. I know plenty of people who have traveled more extensively than I have, but I have visited 15 countries, over 200 cities, and at least 25 U.S. states, all excluding airport layovers and places I've driven through without stopping for anything more than a meal or gas. We hope to discover bits of Asia in the not too distant future too. I'd love to find a way to get more Americans traveling to foreign countries... it breaks down stereotypes and makes us realize that the people in far away places aren't "them".
I used to listen to Rush Limbaugh during my lunch break of my college summer job, and I would get so pissed at him that I'd nearly punch my radio, but I wanted to hear what the other side had to say. I should have tried to find someone more intelligent and less afraid of challenges to their opinion, but unfortunately extremism seems to sell well in our current culture. During the G.W. Bush administration (a.k.a. the Cheney administration) I listened to Air America for the extreme liberal perspective to cope with the insane policy decisions I was witnessing. I loved how Thom Hartmann moved callers who disagreed with him to the top of the list and regularly had guests on who had polar opposite positions... he would aggressively defend his position while maintaining respect and politeness... conservatives take note!
I've been a Catholic, an agnostic or atheist (depending on your definition and when you asked me), a Unitarian, and spiritual but not religious.
I have de-tassled corn, worked fast food, and been a lifeguard. I have graduated college and been a structural engineer for over 20 years and have worked on some amazing buildings (including a small railing around the tower of Independence Hall!). To this day I always treat the Dunkin Donuts employees with nothing but respect. Their job is hard, and they are human beings just like anyone else. I also recognize that I came from a family that was well-off financially... not mega-wealthy like a Hilton or Trump kid, but upper-middle class or lower-upper class, and without that, I wouldn't be where I am today. People helped me along the way, either financially or emotionally. My parents, a high school cross country coach (and Calculus teacher) who patiently pulled me out of my rebel-without-a-clue phase, a Thermodynamics teacher in college who didn't let me give up my 2nd time taking that class (which could have ended my engineering career before it even started, despite Thermodynamics never being used in my particular branch of engineering).
I am liberal. Nothing about getting older has changed that. I want to understand conservatives, but when I read things like the 2012 article "Studies: Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From Venus" in The Atlantic, I can't help but feel like they are a different species, who lacks empathy or consideration for anyone outside their own tribe, especially the extremist brand of conservatives today, which seems to be dominating their group. I have tried to write my novel "Puerto Paz" from the perspective of a middle ground... I have tried to seek that "Goldilocks" place of balance even though my own views skew to the left. I hope I have succeeded, but if I haven't, then I hope at least it is entertaining.
© 2020 Jefferey J. Reese - All rights reserved.
