Interview with Jeff Kennedy

Published in Issue No. 3, Pulsus Litterae.

My name is Jeff Kennedy and I'm a lifelong author, living in Columbus, OH. My short fiction has appeared in Bright Flash Literary Review and Everscribe Magazine. People ask me what genre I write, and I don't have a good answer. I write comedy, sci fi, and some serious stuff that confuses my family. My first publication was a haiku when I was fourteen. I'm a produced playwright and member of the Dramatist Guild. I'm a past Thurber House and Erma Bombeck essay contest winner. My current passion is micro and flash fiction.

Interview published in Issue No. 9, Animus Opus, June 3rd, 2025.

What inspired you to write the piece(s) that was published in Everscribe? Can you share the story behind it?

#AITA (Issue No. 3, Pulsus Litterae) is very close to what actually happened on my way home from work one day. Wish I had a more exotic story, but there it is.

What themes or messages do you hope readers take away from your work?

If I had to sum up my philosophy, it would be that:

1. We are all way more alike than we are different.

2. Life is funny.

3. Life is really weird.

How has your writing evolved since you started? Are there any particular influences that have shaped your style?

My writing career has been a series of periods of writing regularly, long periods of not writing, and then periods of writing regularly. That, and my tendency to dabble in a bunch of different literary arenas, makes this a tough question to answer. I have a lot of favorite authors, but my writing sensibilities have probably been most influenced by Kurt Vonnegut. I thought it was impossible to be both an optimist and a pessimist until I'd read a lot of Vonnegut.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?

Sit down and start writing. The main difference between a writer and someone who wants to be a writer, is that the writer has written. Most people don't really want to be writers. They want to be known for having written.

Are there any upcoming projects or works in progress that you’re particularly excited about?

I always have several wildly different works in progress, but the one that I'm most excited about at the moment is a series of essays about our neighborhood. My wife and I have lived in the Short North Arts District in Columbus, OH for 25+ years and I've been keeping notes on the goings on there for a long time. Looks like it might turn into a book yet.

How can readers find you and see more of your work?

You can always follow me on Bluesky at @jkennedy60.bsky.social. I don't have an author's site per se, but I do have set up a web site that I originally only sent friends and family members to, just to prove that I really am writing when I'm locked away in my office talking to myself. Most of them just shake their heads when they go to https://www.justanotherdamnblog.com.