Words matter; we surely must know that by now. They inspire us, ignite us, open our hearts, and make us laugh ’til tears stream down our cheeks. We are connected by them, mind to mind, heart to heart. In the end, what we know is that words tell our stories, lighting our way on this bumpy, human path, reminding us, as our shoulders brush against each other’s in the darkness, that we are all in this together, making our way home. Words matter; we surely must know that by now. They inspire us, ignite us, open our hearts, and make us laugh ’til tears stream down our cheeks. We are connected by them, mind to mind, heart to heart. In the end, what we know is that words tell our stories, lighting our way on this bumpy, human path, reminding us, as our shoulders brush against each other’s in the darkness, that we are all in this together, making our way home. -- Jody Seay
I’ve finished my third book, ALMOST A MURDER. It’s a true story, written like a novel (like Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, but we didn’t have to make things up because this story is exciting enough all on its own). It’s a nonfiction novel, or literary realism, or a courtroom drama – call it what you will, we are very proud of it.
“Jody Seay is a wonderful speaker – smart, funny, wise – in that Texas-woman smarty-pants kind of way. Ann Richards and Molly Ivins would be proud. I would recommend Jody Seay as a public speaker for any event.” – Bill Bradbury, Oregon Secretary of State
Jody Seay is an accomplished songwriter. She weaves a deep message with a wry Texas sense of humor into the fabric of this musical play. Home-spun simplicity and heartfelt lyrics typlify Jody Seay’s songwriting style. and she can riff sontaniously, too.
In 2004, I came up with this big idea of a TV program wherein I get to interview Oregon authors - scoop about the author and the motivation behind the story. ‘Lo and behold, it came to pass! I interviewed 100+ of the most interesting people. Even though the show is finished, I cannot stop myself from interviewing folks because people are so darn interesting - not only what they have done, but what they are working on now and, most importantly, why they do what they do at all!
“Well, I can’t wait to Blog on it… Doggone it!” – Jody Seay BLOGGONIT!™ is my place to spout off on whatever is rollin’ around in my brain. From heartfelt messages to an occasional snotty letter, my blog runs the gamut, sometimes from A to B, and sometimes from A to Z, of ideas and issues I hold close. As I say at the close of each BACK PAGE episode: “Remember, we’re all in this together – more the same than different. Do your best.”
The Associated Press just announced that “Mary Oliver, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet whose rapturous ode to nature and animal life bought her critical acclaim and popular affection, has died. She was 83·” (by Bill Reichblum)
So long, Mary. We will miss your brilliant mind and tender heart. JS
We just got back from a pretty drenching walk through some wooded area between the VA, the golf course and the frisbee golf course. We took Toby with us this time, too, so he could have an adventure, but we didn’t want to wear out his knee, so we packed up Jackson’s wagon and a couple of blankets and put Toby in there. He got out to run and pee and sniff a few times. Beyond that, we pulled him in the wagon. The rain was coming down pretty solidly, though, by the time we got to the turnaround spot, so we got quite soaked, and we are home now, drying out.
I did my personal best, however, of 20 second blasts, which was 12 yesterday. Did 14 today, and I lost track of the number of side crunches because there weren’t exactly corners on this route we walked and, besides, when it began to rain so hard, we sort of hot-footed it out of there.
At any rate, I’m glad we did it and I know we both feel better when we get a good walk in. Toby is pretty zonked right now, though, and is asleep on his blanket on the couch, which looks more and more appealing.
Hey want to see something fun? Stef & Toby in a wagon trip Stephanie Neyhart said, “Jody, Toby and I had a wonderful walk with an added accommodation for Toby’s back knees… he walks some, he rides some. Toby then said he wanted to take the hill, so we did. Love his spirit, and Jody’s ability to launch into the moment and catch it on video!!! My first video edit, lol…”
Jody Seay Part Texan, Part Oregonian, 100% Character - she is an award-winning author whose first novel, THE SECOND COMING OF CURLY RED, won First Prize for Fiction at the Mendocino Coast Writer's Conference and then went on to become a Finalist in the prestigious Oregon Book Awards. Her musical play (BUNKIN' WITH YOU IN THE AFTERLIFE) was professionally produced and performed in Portland, Oregon. Her numerous essays and short stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines across the country. Even though Jody swears she loves to write, she also maintains that writing makes her self-absorbed and grumpy for extended periods of time. Sometimes, she also breaks out in a rash, but, usually, that only happens when her computer crashes. Technology is hard for her, which brings her deep shame and makes her mean. She swears she'll get better at it, but, really, she never does. Luckily, she has other strengths, and, thank goodness for that! ALMOST A MURDER is Jody Seay's third book.
Backpage was a popular TV show distributed by OPR and more. This is a show about the story behind the story, the real scoop, the inspiration. It is not designed to make anybody mad, nor to feed an over-exuberant ego. It is simply a way for viewers to get to know Pacific Northwest writers and to be allowed a peek at the back page, to find out what the motivation was for each book written, every story told. It is a way for us to discover our commonalties and appreciate them rather than staring in rage or bewilderment at our differences.
My musical was well-recived at Broadway Arts. It's about one woman's search for joy, self-acceptance, and learning the profound spiritual difference between being "saved" and never having been lost. It is a story rich in lesbian history. My original songs are sung by a lesbian minister, Minnie Rhodes and her Many Roads Ministry, Cowgirls for the Lord.
Jody has been inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame - recognized and celebrated as a broadcasting great in Texas. "I was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame for work I did over 40 years ago. I guess those sweetie-pies didn’t forget me, after all."
In this REAL-LIFE COURTROOM LEGAL DRAMA, co-authors Jody Seay and Jim Lloyd recount how a wealthy "Son of Oklahoma" is slain by his delicate foreign wife. To police, the brutal facts are clear: she cracked his skull with a bat, shot him twice, she strangled him, dumped his body; lied repeatedly and then, when cornered, she confessed. Everyone believes it's going to be a slam-dunk murder trial and a quick trip to lethal injection. But...
I come from a large family. My Mother's biggest fear was that one or all of us would die on her watch when we were babies and then children. As we grew up, her fear shifted a little - not just that we would die, but that we would be found Dead In A Ditch. It was the ditch part that always made it seem so much worse. Mother's children crumpled up and tossed out the window like an old beer can. 'Where have you been?' she would say, 'I was worried sick. I thought you were dead in a ditch.' This was Mother's mantra.
This candid, compelling, compassionate novel could have been torn out of today's newspaper headings. One minute Texan Jimmy Heron is sitting next to his beloved wife of 50 years eating pie, the next minute she is dead in his arms. Shattered by Lou's senseless death, Jimmy Heron hits the road - can't sit still; can hardly breathe. The Second Coming of Curly Red will grab you by the heart and not let go.
Enjoy the showcase of selected reviews and testimonials for author Jody Seay.
Humorous, beautifully written, observant, and heartbreakingly honest ... you will be entertained. Jody Seay handed me this book and said, 'I hope you laugh so hard you bust your spleen.' I'm happy to say that my spleen survived intact - but my pancreas is still in a splint. Jody Seay is ONE FUNNY WRITER.
Dead In A Ditch is the hilarious memoir of a tomboy Texan, a little...hellion who takes every dare. Jody Seay is also a worry-wart. How many ways in Texas can you die if you're not careful? If the snakes don't getcha the atom bomb will, and in the meantime, watch out for lockjaw A smart, funny tough survivor of a goofy family and her own weird antics, Seay (pronounced See) is one helluva writer and a great observer of the absurdities and poignancy of family life in Texas.
Every now and then a monster writing talent rockets into the literary world. Such a writer is Jody Seay. There is something about the way she magically strings words together that makes you just proud to be a member of the human race.
[Jody Seay has] a firm command of vernacular speech and down-home metaphors... a good sense of place.
Jody Seay is a story-teller extraordinaire. Her insightful work has universal appeal. With her page-turning writing, she has that rare gift of touching the hearts and minds of a broad audience.
Seay's characters are originals and well-developed. She has a good ear for how people talk and a gift for layering emotional impact into her chapters with a powerful yet light touch.
