Life of JEM: my life in the inland empire

Visualize and keep dreaming 27.07.2023 10:43 ↓

JEM talks about how & why visualization works in her writing career

Talking while driving 21.07.2023 10:29 ↓

About genre and joy

Talking while driving 29.06.2023 22:59 ↓

On finding your bliss

Talking while driving episode 2 27.06.2023 21:38 ↓

JEM talks about expectations and how to manage them both personally and professionally

Talking while driving 22.06.2023 10:37 ↓

A new podcast episode from the producer of life of jem is all about life and talking while driving

Cocoon 16.04.2020 8:06 ↓

About JEM’s mom and her mom’s love of JEM’s dad, a cowboy!

Meeting David Sedaris and other celebrity interactions 15.04.2020 5:48 ↓

Hear JEM tell her tale of meeting her idols including Mister T!!!

Klutz 13.04.2020 3:56 ↓

JEM details how being a klutz can be cool

Country Girl 12.04.2020 5:24 ↓

An episode about how JEM finally found a fondness for her dad’s music

TV Wasteland 11.04.2020 5:35 ↓

JEM talks about the television shows that she loved as a kid and the way the shows captured blue collar life in the 1970s and 1980s

Breakfast at Benji’s 08.04.2020 8:33 ↓

This episode tells a scary story of waitressing and walking home late at night as only JEM can tell it!

Junior College Daze 07.04.2020 6:54 ↓

JEM tells a story about her first job as a writer working on her junior college newspaper and the feel of a warm freshly pressed newspaper in her hand...

Sing Your Life! 05.04.2020 6:49 ↓

An episode about JEM’s many music obsessions, and of course, it includes a piece on her love for The Smiths!

Sweet and tender hooligans 03.04.2020 5:50 ↓

JEM details her exploits and adventures as a teen growing up in the IE! Named after a Smiths song!

Memory Box 01.04.2020 5:53 ↓

A take about JEM’s father Big John who grew up poor, dirt poor, in Montana and how he met her mom Judy. True stories from JEM!

Here’s to you Melinda T! 30.03.2020 5:49 ↓

A story about JEM’s bestie since elementary school! There’s a prom story in it, kinda like 16 Candles but JEM’s date was no Jake Ryan!!!

Fourth of July 29.03.2020 5:55 ↓

An episode of JEM’s YA years with melancholy memories of backyard barbecues and fireworks in the IE!

A Girl’s Hunger 28.03.2020 8:09 ↓

JEM takes you down nosalgia lane with a chronicle of her favorite food memories!!

Drunkerella: JEM tries to redeem herself at the annual Public Defender Gala! 26.03.2020 8:09 ↓

JEM in true rockstar fashion, doubles down at the Public Defender Gala! Her exploits are truly outrageous and the music at the end, wowza!

Being Belinda and other fantasies of childhood 23.03.2020 5:31 ↓

As a kid, JEM was obsessed with wanting to be Belinda Carlisle (of the all girl band the Go-Go’s). Listen to the sweet memories she has of rocking out to their music in her living room with her sisters.

A Mantz Christmas Story 23.03.2020 6:45 ↓

JEM tells a tale of a Christmas long long ago... and her Barbie dream house. Dedicated to her dad, John W. Mantz, jr., who loved Christmas

Why one should not do the sprinkler dance at the public defender gala 23.03.2020 3:56 ↓

JEM is many drinks in at a work party and makes the mistake of getting on the dance floor

Girl Fight: a trilogy of lil stories about JEM and the theme is “girl fight”. 22.03.2020 7:31 ↓

JEM has a mouth way too big for her britches! Thank goodness she’s a twin!

This is not a love song-inspired by a PIL song...how JEM met her soulmate! 21.03.2020 7:15 ↓

A true love story, as only JEM can tell it!

My fair inland empire girl- JEM leaves Cali for Texas! 20.03.2020 6:35 ↓

JEM leaves her home for large law firm life in Texas, but it’s not all she thought it would be...