120. Jacinda Townsend, Novelist, Mom, Professor, Political Activist

Show Notes:

Jacinda Townsend shares her journey of living in 10 different states and two foreign countries, having four careers, including being an elected official, having a couple of kids, and doing various weird things. 

Working in Law, Journalism, and Fiction

When Jacinda graduated at 20, she went to law school, which was part of a straight trajectory she had imagined since childhood, and while she initially believed she would go into politics and return to Kentucky, she realized she did not want to pursue a career in law. After finishing her degree, she worked as a news commentator for the Christian Science Monitor network, which led to her being hired as a professional journalist to cover international and national politics. Jacinda was passionate about the news and TV news. Writing for the sound byte was a challenge for her, but she loved it because it allowed her to express herself politically and learn a lot about the English language. She decided she wanted to pursue writing seriously and is now a novelist. She also teaches at Brown University in the MFA program. Throughout her career, Jacinda explains, it has been random events and circumstances that led her to each position. 

Motivated by Anger and Moving into Politics

Jacinda talks about her career in politics and how it transpired fueled by her anger at issues she could not ignore. She shares her experiences as a sitting school board member in Bloomington, Indiana. She served in a progressive town with a lot of socio-economic segregation and disciplinary disparities by race and ethnicity which she could not ignore. Jacinda ran for re-election and was elected again, and this time, it was a landslide.  She moved to Michigan and was asked to run for the school board there. Jacinda talks about the issues tackled, changes made, and how integration has changed. Jacinda believes that the ideal of integration is not happening. She explains that segregation has increased with 80 percent of white kids going to a school where the percentage of white children is above 75 percent, and minority children and still 90 percent more likely to be in a minority school. She mentions that peak integration happened in 1987 and goes on to explain the driving factors behind the segregation. 

Working as a Writer

The conversation turns to her writing career, which includes the award-winning novel Mother Country and the forthcoming novel Trigger Warning. Jacinda talks about her routine, which includes a 500-word word count daily.  She also shares a story of working with a student who felt unsure about her writing, and how she copes with the uncertainty of working in the arts. She also shares her approach to keeping up with her characters, and uses random texts to remember what was going through the character's head and keeps up with them. This helps her keep up with the story and remember the characters' reactions to things. When writing a novel, Jacinda immerses herself in the character's world, trying to experience it through their eyes. She doesn't take breaks during the writing process, as she believes that the imagination begets the imagination, and when living with her characters every day, it becomes like a muscle memory. When she returns to the story, she can remember every bit of why she did something, making her work more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Living in Foreign Countries

Jacinda was a Fulbright student in Cote d'Ivoire, and she has lived in two foreign countries, including Mali and Morocco. While in Mali, she encountered modern-day slavery. She also went to Morocco and visited Mauritania, where 20% of the population is enslaved. She explains that Mauritania is a remote country where it is like stepping back 500 years. It is difficult to escape slavery, as employment is caste-based, so if they escape slavery, there is no work. She met an escaped slave and her family, who gave birth to her last of eight children while escaping slavery. Jacinda shares that holding this baby was a profound moment in her life, and it was this experience that led to her novel, Mother Country. Jacinda explains that the reason no-one knows about the slavery issues in Mauritania is because it is not often mentioned in the news. The media is state-run, and the slavery system is brutally enforced. It is also difficult to get to due to its remoteness so there are very few Western visitors. People there often believe they should be slaves, that it is divinely ordained.  

Influential Classes and Professors at Harvard

Jacinda mentions Martin Kilson, a brilliant political scholar. She was initially shy in his class, but after her campus activism went viral, he hugged her and said, "You're brilliant." This was a moment that made her feel like she belonged there for the first time. Jacinda appreciates the gift of Martin Kilson's support and tries to make her students feel seen when they are quiet and nervous. She believes that making people feel heard is important and that she will never forget the gift of his presence. Jacinda Townsend shares her campus activism story. At the time she had no idea of the impact this would have. One night, the Boston Police came to her room. She was alone, but before she knew it, seven girls showed up who had come to support her. This experience taught her to speak on television and that even in difficult times, it's important to be there for others, and that others will be there for you, if you share a common belief. 

Timestamps:

01:59: Early Career and Education 

07:51: Public Office and School Board Experience 

22:11: Writing Career and Novels 

30:22: Experiences in Foreign Countries 

36:39: Personal Reflections and Life Philosophy

40:15: Campus Activism and Media Experience 

48:10: Impact of Media and Public Perception 

48:27: Final Thoughts and Future Plans 

Links:

Website:   https://jacindatownsend.com/about-me/

Featured Non-profit

"Hi, I'm Khedrub, Class of 1992.

The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 Report is Kadampa Meditation Center Boston.

I've been privileged to work for this budding organization since I moved back to Cambridge in 2020. In addition to our regular programming, I speak at Lehman Hall in the Yard for GSAS now every month and at HLS once a semester, paying back a bit to Havard."

You can learn more about our work at www.meditationinboston.org