True Faith: Confessions of Reverend Jen and the congregation of self

True Faith: Confessions of Reverend Jen and the congregation of self
Posted: April 23, 2009, 7:40 AM by Mark Medley
Q&A, Nathaniel G. Moore, Reverend Jen

By Nathaniel G. Moore

Reverend Jen has been doing her own zines, performances and book works for most of her life. She lives her life in the Lower East Side with her Chihuahua, Reverend Jen Junior -- a dog-clothes model.

Toronto writer Nathaniel G. Moore recently caught up with her just as her brand new book; Live Nude Elf (Soft Skull, 2009) hit bookshelves. Described as; “a witty, irreverent, brave and sometimes portrait of the Reverend Jen Miller, the Patron Saint of the Uncool, examining the challenges of devoting one's personal and professional life of art.”

Nathaniel G. Moore: When did you start making zines and you're own magazines?

Reverend Jen: I created my first zine, Jen Magazine, when I was 11 or 12. It was the result of my childhood obsession with magazines. My favorites were The Enquirer, Cosmo and Tiger Beat. I first started performing in art school when I took a performance art class with Mike Smith who is a brilliant performance artist.

NGM: As a grown up person, you published a book project called Really Cool Neighborhood about the Lower East Side. Can you tell us a bit about that process? How important is your neighborhood to your artistic identity?

RJ: I started writing Really Cool Neighborhood because even though I complain endlessly about my neighborhood, I really love it. I also noticed most NYC travel guides didn't focus on anything bohemian or fun and if they even mentioned the Lower East Side they discussed what happened here 150 years ago. When Printed Matter told me they wanted to publish me, then I decided to finish the book. When I first moved to the Lower East Side in the early '90s rent was cheap enough that a bunch of experimental theatres opened up. They provided a venue for my artistic identity to thrive and flourish and for a whole scene to get together.

NGM: You are also a painter, you went to the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1990. I know this for a fact. Your bio says “and has since experienced no financial success whatsoever” So, where can people see your visual work and do you still practice?

RJ: I still paint, probably now more than ever. I used to do a lot of abstract paintings but the current pieces are realistic portrayals of the Otherworld. A lot of them are based on dreams. I paint because it's therapy and an outlet for my subconscious mind. It doesn't require the awareness and existential despair that writing requires.

NGM: Why do you do so many different things? When do you have time to write?

RJ: I don't know why I do anything. Well, except I just said painting is therapy. Maybe everything is therapy. Really, I just wake up and do stuff. I don't think too much about it.

NGM: In your new book you write about sex. How does the inclusion of sex and sexuality in your art affect its reception – or does it?

RJ: When I write about sex, I'm just being honest, not trying to turn anyone on or piss anyone off. (Because no matter what you do you will piss someone off!) It always surprises me when people do get turned on or offended. Actually, I'm only ever just trying to be honest or true to myself. If I write something that feels even the slightest bit fake, I delete it because if something isn't coming from the wellsprings of your soul there's no reason to waste anyone's time with it.

NGM: In the age of tell alls and instant “culture” and the ever morphing line between non and fiction, how did you discern the category of this book with your publisher?

RJ: I noticed my book falls into the categories "memoir" and "sexuality" and I'm guessing it got the memoir label because it tells the story of my life from 2004-2007 and "sexuality" because I was a sex columnist for most of that time.

NGM: What was it like working with legendary Soft Skull?

RJ: They were great. Very easy-going. I tried to get another book I wrote published a few years ago and when I went to meetings at big publishing houses they wanted to change everything, make it "less weird" so people would "get it." I'm glad Soft Skull understands that readers are smart enough to "get it" without it being processed. They didn't try to create a more digestible "Rev. Jen Light." I think they're ahead of their time.

NGM: Who are some of your heroes, local or otherwise?

RJ: Mae West, Alfred Jarry, Picasso, Keith Moon, Mel Brooks, Gandalf, Spongebob, the Fonz, Pippi Longstocking, Anais Nin, Wonder Woman, Coco Chanel, Cleopatra and Brad Prowley (the karaoke guy who busks in this neighborhood).

NGM: Where can people see your paintings?

RJ: I plan on having a show in my Troll Museum next year. For now, some images are posted on my Facebook and Myspace pages.

NGM: What is your approach to performing, what are you attempting to achieve beyond what you create on page?

RJ: Performing, is, more than anything, fun. I love doing live shows, especially my latest serial play, Reverend Jen's Really Cool Neighborhood. It's also a challenge to create the plays and props though I wouldn't say I'm trying to achieve anything at all.

NGM: Beyond the new book, where can people see more of your work?

RJ: If you feel like checking out my TV shows, I have a new one called Really Cool Neighborhood and you can watch an episode at reallycoolneighborhood.com. There's also my old TV show, which you can see at electraelf.com.