Lori Jakiela - Latest Press/Essays/Excerpts

Advance Praise for They Write Your Name on a Grain of Rice: On Cancer, Love, and Living Even So

"A unique and deeply personal exploration of life, love, and mortality. While cancer is a central theme, the book transcends the typical boundaries of a cancer memoir. Instead, it presents a mosaic of moments, memories, and musings that create a tapestry about the messiness of being human. It's a celebration of the small, quirky moments that define our existence and a reminder that even in the face of adversity, life can be beautifully chaotic. A truly unforgettable read." -- K.C. Finn/Readers' Favorite Reviews

Reviews and Press, How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen?

August Book Club Pick: How Do You Like It Now, Gentlemen? -- Pittsburgh City Paper

A new collection of sad/funny poems by Lori Jakiela--Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Taking Flight with the Ordinary -- Pittsburgh Quarterly

Sample poem: After a Pitcher of Beer at Antler's Pub, I Believed I Was Brave -- Pittsburgh Quarterly

A list of recently-released books by the region's most accomplished writers--Pittsburgh City Paper

Reviews and Press, PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A BINGO WORKER

"The book's backbone is its celebration of labor." -- PGH City Paper

!0 Questions with Lori Jakiela -- Pittsburgh Magazine

Links to Book Reviews for BELIEF IS ITS OWN KIND OF TRUTH, MAYBE

comprehensive list of reviews on the Atticus Books site

"Entertaining and engaging"

Review of The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious from Story Circle Book Reviews

"Lori Jakiela Hits A Nerve"

Review of The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Illuminating and original"

Review of The Bridge to Take When Things Get Serious from New Pages

"A marvel of a memoir"

Review of Miss New York Has Everything from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A funnily sweet eye opener for anyone who flies the friendly skies"

Review of Spot the Terrorist from Pittsburgh City Paper

Latest Press/Essays/Excerpts

Praise for Lori Jakiela's Latest Book: They Write Your Name on a Grain of Rice

Lori Jakiela Reflects on Cancer Bout With a New Memoir and Outlook on Life

Review by Rege Behe in Pittsburgh City Paper.

Pitt-Greensburg Professor's Latest Book Shares Musings During Breast Cancer Battle

Review in The Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Pittsburgh Memoirist Lori Jakiela Explores Living Through Cancer

Conversation with Bill O'Driscoll at WYEP/NPR

This Little Gem of a Memoir is Well Worth Your Time

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette review

Greensburg Professor's Memoir an Assemblage of How Her Mind Works

Feature in The University of Pittsburgh's University Times.

Sunday Stack: First Book of 2024

Literary critic and author Melissa Firman's review.

Excerpts from They Write Your Name on a Grain of Rice

We Write Your Name on a Grain of Rice

First published in The Offing (Feb. 2021)

Jokes About Needles Probably Aren't Funny

First published in Pulse and The Washington Post

Except for the Cancer I'm Fine

Belt Magazine, February 2021

MORE STUFF!

Let Yourself Go! A series of columns for Pittsburgh Magazine about the adventures of one woman in mid-life.

https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/category/let-yourself-go/

Stories of Our Neighbors

https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/category/stories-of-our-neighbors/

This series of columns--designed to tell the stories of so-called ordinary people in extraordinary times and modeled after the work of the great Studs Terkel--ran in Pittsburgh Magazine during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.