I have been attempting to condense the video so I can upload it but it’s not working now. Can you tell I am a Gen Xer that struggles with technology? Here is the Facebook link at least. But below is also the transcript in case you’re interested!.
But sales have been going well I think. Thank you everyone for helping me! I am proud to announce that I am now an Amazon bestseller!
Here’s the transcript.
Okay. Okay. Hello, everybody.
Thank you for coming to the virtual book launch and celebration of Jennifer Gasner’s book:
The truth that Gasner delivers in these pages is that at times but she related with humor throughout the memoir she grounds her account with authenticity and considerable strength. Looks like the hiring emotionally powerful peppered with transparent anecdotes on how the disease impacted her motor skills for about the future and college plans. A rousing account of navigating life with Frederick’s ataxia. For those of you have not read it yet, it is really a stunning book. It’s first award has been announced. It is tremendous, already, but for her book is out she is getting rewards. I’ll be putting the purchase link any job. You should now, her book has already hit the Amazon bestsellers list. And, if you buy her but today, you can just continue increasing the chances of climbing to the number one spot. So, now, I will let Jen hello.
>> JENNIFER: thank you so much for coming. Sorry we are having trouble doing Facebook live. We are recordingso we will post it later. Thank you so much for coming. This is really awesome. I’m excited. Jan has prepared a few excerpts and Jen, go ahead. Let us know what your first excerpt is about and begin when you’re ready.
The first reading I am going to dois from the first chapter a few paragraphs and I am in a hospital bed at 16 in Wisconsin and I am waiting for a neurologist to do a spinal tap. And, I affectionately call him the white coat.
“I apologize for taking so long to get here,†the white coat said. “Please lie on your right side.â€
As I rolled onto my arm, my blubbering intensified. My body grew hot.
The nurse came to my side and offered me her arm. “Now, you squeeze as hard as you need to,†she
said.
Mom was a blur now, mumbling something about giving the doctor space and leaving the room. I wanted
to protest—she was leaving me alone when I needed her most.
But I said nothing and gripped the nurse’s forearm. She caressed my hair. Behind me, I sensed the white
coat eyeing my low back, and I was grateful I hadn’t seen the needle.
Okay, Jennifer, the whitecoat let out a massive sigh. My eyes squinted. I reminded myself to breathe. There is no place like home. There is no place like home. The numbing injection came first. A pension my back followed by heat signifying its arrival. My body tensed and the tears continued. Take a deep breath and let it out I whitecoat set. I complied but the exercise did not ease my nerves. One more nip here and we will be done. A sharp bite of a needle made me arch my back and let out a shrill scream. And the nurse brushed my hair back while I dug my nails into her. The local anesthesia had not helped. I imagined the screeching of sharp nails on a chalkboard. The needle scraped my lower spine. The white coat let a colossal sigh escape. I wasn’t sure if the noise was good or bad. I’m sorry, that whitecoat said. I have to do it again. What, why. The scraping repeated and the whitecoat gave another resounding side. Tears soaked my pillow and I went limp. I hoped for it all to end. Again, I whitecoat sounded exasperated. My belly contorted. I wondered whether the white coat had ever done this before. With a third attempt a shriek bellowed from me. Should I stop, the whitecoat asked. he returned to the task and two minutes later he proclaimed it is done. The nurse left my side and my mom returned to my room. Her face was red and looked as if it had been splattered with water.
>> Great job, thank you.
>> You are all in for a treat. Like I said, some of you know how long she has been working on this book. It is quite tremendous. All of the emotion and honesty she has put into it. It is really fantastic. We are going to do a raffle. For prize the first prize is shaking the tree anthology three. Jen has a story in this anthology. She will be sending the winner a copy of this book. If you do when, please make yourself a note which winner you were so you don’t lose track so we to lose track of who gets what prize. That will be very helpful, thank you. Okay. We have got this picker wheel here.
I have everybody’s name in here, if not, I will add you for the next one. Here we go.
>> I feel like– Kathleen!! all right, awesome. Congrats. She has been with me for a long time. And happy. Okay, Jen, would you please talk a little bit about your experiences during the publishing process?
>> The publishing process. Well, I think I was really impatient Leslie was also my publisher. it was a test of my patience.
I wanted things I wanted things to happen a lot quicker. It also made me realize how much I struggled with this structure of my book. That was definitely one thing Leslie and I had to step back a little bit and really rework the structure so that was really a challenge. But, it was also really good because I think through that process,
Leslie really pulled out a lot of emotion for me and enabled me to dig a little deeper.
>> she was the perfect student. It took longer than she expected it to take. We looked at the manuscript and saw what it still needed structurally. She would take my notes and answer my questions and then she would go away for the week and come back for a next session and she would have done exactly what we talked about. We are ready to move on. I could not have asked anything more from her. She was ready to go deep and pull out those emotions and really fill out those scenes so that they could be powerful and she rose to the occasion and I was very impressed with her. We got to become better friends through all of this. It was the best gift of all. Her, probably the best gift is having this book.
[LAUGHTER]
>> Should we r raffle another prize or do a reading?
>> I can hide you now so you won’t win again, Kathleen.
>> If I win again, you can send it again.
>> We had trace I enter. I want them to save the SWAG we have Cambria– here we go.
The second prize is a signed hardcopy of my unexpected life, finding balance beyond my diagnosis.
Can you see this?
Jacob! congratulations. Jacob has written one of the testimonials for John’s book. Thank you for that, that was very exciting to receive that and have that in her book forever. Very exciting.
>> The press release.
>> My pleasure and honor to win this book.
>> Thank you, Jake.
>> Jen, would you like to read other exerpt.
>> The next one I will read is about my 18th birthday celebration. I am still in high school or just graduated from high school. I went to a dance club in Green Bay. In Wisconsin about 45 minutes north and my friend Jonathan agreed to drive me there. I proceeded to drink a 32 ounce bottle of rum and coke. By the time we got there I was gone. So, the other person in here is my friend Steve. Both of them are a year ahead of me in school. I am walking in with Jonathan. As we entered, a thick curtain of smoky and humid air draped over our group. The flicker of strobe lights made me dizzy. I detail of being at a club which had failed to consider. My feet stammered through the crowd as I squeezed my companions arm tighter and tighter. I tried to time my blinks with the spasms of light. I held on for dear life as the faces of my friends flashed through the haze. Images moved and changed like I was on a roller coaster. Happy birthday yelled handful of my compadres.. Steve came over and hugged my body as I sank into his embrace. He was sober and I wondered if he could smell the alcohol on my breath. Thanks,. My non-sober body had become more like an invertebrate lymph with no supporting structure. I welcomed the relief from filling up my rum filled bones. The beginning chant of hot hot hot I the cure sounded. One of my favorite songs. My heart soared as I signaled the group to get onto the dance floor. Steve let me go and turned to walk to the dance floor with different colored squares..
I held onto his shoulders from behind. I was keeping my head down to avoid the shocks of light. I tried to stay close to the edge where I had a rail to study my drunken body. By the first round of the course, I was lost amidst the crowd. I was without a safety net. I had drifted away from the people I knew. The beat of the lights made of the room whirl.
I paid no attention to my weakening legs and tipsy frame. I just wanted to room to stop spinning. Some men squealed hey, hey, hey, my face met the floor. All right.
>> talk about a page turner. You wrote the book, we know you got up but what a scary moment. Thank you for sharing so many real moments in your back. I think for a lot of us, that’s what makes a book come alive. From a memoir we know that somebody has lived through and we are getting the essence of their experience. It is very special.. Thank you for going deep and being vulnerable with this book. I am very proud of you. A couple more questions for you. Why did you write this book?
>> I think initially I wanted to write it just because I wanted there to be some more accurate representation of people with disabilities within the media. I think too often we are seen as tragic or the monster or the villain. I wanted to approach it and make it like anything else, it is a human experience. And, secondly, I think I also wrote this because if I would have had a book like this and I was going through everything I don’t think I would have felt as embarrassed.
>> You know, you mentioned that you had done an interview for the podcast, disability wrap. One thing you told me that from what you gathered from the hosts of that podcast and when you talked to a couple of other people in particular who have read your book, this book is resonating with people who have other disabilities as well. That was really a delight for you to know that you can have an impact on people not only does with your particular disabilities. In general, what do you hope your readers take away from your book?
>> I hope that they understand the disabilities are a natural experience and a human experience and that it is something that doesn’t devalue a person or make them any less.
>> That is relatable, that is important. I think for everybody. I love that you’re echoing that sentiment. You have a lot of music references in your book This is something that resonated with me. You and I are the same age, we grew up enjoying the same music–why did you include these details about music and what role does music play in your life now?
>> I included it becauseit was a big part of the story in the beginning. It was a reason why I went to the college I went to. The reason why I wanted to be a DJ. The reason why I really think ultimately it was the reason why I joined the student activities Board it just had a big influence on me up until it always has. But, it was a big influence when it was in school. It is like you were saying, is a good tool in terms of reminiscing and trying to remember different things about that time and place. So, I used it a lot that way. Today, music is still a huge part of my day, I have a playlist on my Alexa that is upbeat music that I play in the morning because I am not a morning person.
[LAUGHTER]
I need something to pep me up and wake me up.
>> we have so much in common, I think a lot of us can relate to this role of music being so impactful in our lives. It makes it fun to read a book where you can identify the music and feel like you’re back in those days there is a nostalgia to it. Let’s raffle off another prize. Prize number three. You will win a copy of 6 feet apart in the time of Corona. This is Jen’s publisher ACORN their anthology of stories from women across the world about their experiences during the pandemic. Jan has two stories called big deal and when is this going to end. Let’s get the picker wheel back over here.
>> The first one I wrote two months into it and I forget when I wrote the second one.
>> Okay, here we go. Can you not hear the noise?
I can hear it. Glenda. I am having a great time. It is making all the right noises. I’m not sure why it is not going through probably because I am using the speaker from my camera and not computer. Trust me the music is going [VOCALIZING]. Linda, congratulations, you are the winner email Jenna little reminders that you can get your price. Okay. So, Jen, would you like to read excerpt three?
>> sure. All right. So we are going to move on to when I am a freshman in college. So, I am still walking and this is a little over a year since I was diagnosed. It should be noted that most of my friends at this point are guys mainly because the college I went to had a guy to girl ratio of 4 to 1. I am sitting in the student center in the morning with my friend Vince. Gassner.
I think I should tell you something, Vince. What’s up, Vince asks. I was at the station last night I was telling them about going to see the red hot chili peppers. Chad asked who I went with. I said Jenn Gassner and Eric, Chad said he knew which Eric but not which Jenn I was talking about. You know, there are a million of you here. Hence, you call me Gassner. I hid my confusion behind my smile. I was refusing to let my bewilderment show. I should have told them that I thought that might make you mad and I held up my hands seeing the regret in his eyes. Stop it. It is okay, Vince, I don’t know what to say when that happens either. I am still getting used to this. I don’t want to make them feel bad. But, I want to explain myself. Vince’s expression lightened. I didn’t know if I should tell you. I gave him a smile to keep him at ease and keep my emotions at bay. I am glad you did, I shut my book and shoved it into my bag. I have class, talk to you later. I snatched the straps and got up and turned away from his sincere eyes. I rushed to the nearest bathroom and locked myself into the big stall. My shoulders fell and my fact of school supplies fell. I nestle my face in my palms while listening for other visitors..
I muffled my blubbering while fearing my echoes would cause concern.
>> I am having flashbacks of when I was reading and all of the heart that you have put into this book.
There is something interesting we might not know what would you like to share about your writing journey?
>> Sorry, I have a frog in my throat. All of a sudden. It was just a very the first time in my life I was kind of I was going to get this done and see it through. I was like, okay, I have started this. I told to many people. I am actually writing about. I actually needed to do it now. It was just–(INAUDIBLE) and with my story.
>> Are you working on another book?
>> Not yet. But, I am trying to decide what I’m going to do. Because, there is so much of my book that I have cut that I might something from that together or I might try to fictionalize part of it as well.
>> The options are endless for that. I know for one I am looking forward to the next thing you right. Get on it. Don’t waste too much time. Where can people find out more about you and your book?
>> I have a website Jennifer Gassner.com you can follow me on Instagram. @jennygwriter and I have an author page on Facebook.
>> I want to share with those of you who may not realize this but if you sign up for her newsletter on her website you will get a link to these modify playlist that has all her songs in the book. You can be transported and taken to that place of all the music that she includes in the story. In the chat, I have put a link to her website. Would you like to do another reading?
>> Yeah. This is my senior year of college. It is after I have started using a walker a four wheeled walker and it is called Ner. It’s half of my name, it is my other half. So, I had just seen Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at Luther College with my roommate Paul. After the show, Paul and I went to the front of the auditorium. Enjoying a small collection of 15 or so people with backstage passes. Adrenaline rushed through me. I did my best to check my excitement. Okay The small group walked into a small room with oak walls a few stacks of banquet chairs were in the corner. A couch sat in the center. Kevin had made his exit before the encore. Leaving Paul and me to finesse our way to talk to Dave. I was hoping my slur would not show when I spoke to Dave. You must be Jen Kevin has been talking about you all day. Those words made me feel warm on the inside. The man explained that he was Dave’s tour manager, Michael. Responded he is very kind. I guess I/O him some money. In an instant, I hand appeared in my line of sight reaching out for an introduction. Hi, I am David you have to be Jen. We have heard a lot about you. I scanned to find this case the hand led to. I saw a charcoal gray shirt, a black necklace with a pendant and a warm smile I felt unworthy of.
It was Dave Matthews. His eyes sparkled under his damp hair. My heart was ready to burst out of my chest and fall to the floor. I was delighted that I would not have to ask my my was. I didn’t have to tell myself who to be. Hi, I replied as I melted on the inside. Correction, I owe Kevin a lot of money. I sensed others eyes on me. And that they wondered why I was getting this unsolicited attention. We got a photo and autograph.
As we drove home, I replayed everything in my mind. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me that that night had been a precursor of my future.
What I get involved more in the music industry? what I developed relationships with artists, what I travel the world and a way that no one expected me to?
I saw myself and reminded– I stopped myself from dreaming and reminded myself to be happy. I had met Dave once. After all I had Frederick’s ataxia. I should not expect much of anything.
Okay.
>> I love how that section ends. That is the echo throughout the book that you’re fighting is this idea that you are relegated to this certain role in life and people are expecting very little from you. You all are going to have to read the book to find out what happens next. To see if her attitude changes and how she blossoms under the weight of this potentially frightening and real disease. Jen, you have some in person events coming up, would you like to tell us what they are?
>> I’m going to be at the national ataxia walk on September 23 on the 24th I am going to be doing weekends with locals that warwicks at the independent bookstore in La Jolla at 2:30 PM.
(INAUDIBLE) I’m hopefully going to be somewhere in Wisconsin after that. Then, Barnes and Noble in Encinitas on October 28th along with other acorn writers.
>> A lot of exciting things ahead for you. I know you’re having fun marketing and being a new author. This is just the beginning. In case of any more interest and details, I have put the event details in the chat. You can check them out. Shall we raffle off one one last prize?
>> Here we go. Imagine the music and the digital [vocalizing].
Deb rudell.
Yay!
>> Thank you. Did we tell you what you win?
You’re going to get a what is she going to get here?
I signed copy of the paperback.
>> By the way, the Amazon prime guy just dropped off your book on my doorstep!
>> How fast can you read it and give it a review on Amazon?
>> thank you for being here.
>> Now we would like to open up to audience questions. If you would like to open up a question by raising your hand, make sure you unmute yourself. I will call on you like you are back in school.
>> Any questions about Jen, her writing journey, her process, the book in general?
>> Can you see me?
yes. I have a question. When most writers write, they often find out more about themselves than they realize, they uncovered their own truths from themselves. I am wondering if there was any impactful epiphanies that you had during this process?
>> I keep thinking back, Tracy is not on here anymore, is she?
she congratulated you and she had to go.
In 2014, when I first started thinking about this, I realized that I was always known in high school as the girls who always smiled. That was just how people would see me me and I realized when I started taking taking a class with Tracy and Marnie that a lot of my reactions to my diagnosis was because I was I did not want to give up being the girls who always smiled. That was definitely a powerful thing for me.
>> Did any of the things that you discovered about yourself and by putting it on the page, did that help you shape your narrative in a way that feels more empowering than before you wrote your story?
>> that’s a good question, Holly.
I really have to think about that.
That was a hard one, I’m sorry.
That was a great question.
I will have to keep that in the back of my mind. I will try to remember to ask again. Thank you, Holly, great questions. Good practice for all of those future events where people are going to ask you questions. Sometimes, you can’t fathom what someone might want to know. I think you went through this, you said more than once that you are just sick of hearing yourself. You are reading what you are writing, I think that is the memoir. We don’t get to the point where we really believe that people have rings they want to know. We are over it, we are over ourselves. We have a question from Jacob. In the chat, he says that your book reveals so many things that other writers might withhold did you have guiding principles that help you decide how much to reveal and where to draw the line?
>> I think in my writing course–I took a year-long writing certificate program in memoir. They, the teachers said that the juiciest parts come from the stuff you don’t want to reveal. So, that made me go, okay. I guess this is, if I really want this to be compelling, maybe I have two start thinking about the stuff that I never wanted to reveal before. I still was a little hesitant but after I had a couple of– someone else in the writing group read forming my pieces typically about my incontinence and I didn’t get any weird reactions. I don’t know why I thought I would get disgusted reactions from people after I felt okay, this is something worth telling I just became more comfortable with it.
>> Yes, we are glad you did.
>> Deb, we have a question from Deb, do you want to be spotlighted?
>> My question is, has your family read this, Jen, has your family, do they know this is happening if they read it?
>> I think my sister just got hers and I know my brother has his. I am not expecting him to ever read it. I think my mom is going to read it. At first, I was not sure if she would. But, I think she will.
>> Thank you, Deb, any other question about Jen’s process with the book?
>> Can I just say something?I could not get my hand to go. I had to say I met Jen in one of our first reading critique classes I went to. We all became righteous sister the charter group and I have watched you through all of these years blossom and we all have watched it. We have read your work, I read your book. I am so proud of you. I know that this is going to be a crazy year for you. It is so wonderful in so many ways. I just want you to know how much we all love you.
>> Thank you.
>> We can all second that sentiment. Is there anything else, words of praise, excitement, I am going to piggyback on Laura. It is just so exciting for me that you are at this stage and Laura has gone first and you are going I am just so proud of you. I am so happy for you. It has been quite a journey. It has been a real journey. I will tap onto that. I totally agree. To watch you become yourself through your story and the telling of your story. The things you were reading brought tears to my eyes, I am so proud of you.
>> You guys are all great.
>> My sister. Go for it, Brenda.
>> This is very emotional for me. I am so proud of you. I cannot say enough. I am so proud of you. I have not read the book yet, it is on its way. I support you and you are beautiful.
>> Thank you so much.
>> You are going to be a success, Love you.
>> I am so honored to have your story under our imprint. It is such an inspirational story I am just so proud to represent you. I am so grateful that you persevered. It is not an easy process. To write an e-book let alone MMR. It is the hardest. Definitely the most personal. You did it. It is beautiful and it is going to touch a lot of people. Thank you.
>> Jen, do you mind Leslie, do you mind if I call you out?
One of the characters in the book is here. Jenny is Rue Jenny and I were college roommates and a lot of the beginning especially of the book. I love you. I am so glad you’re here.
>> I love you too.
>> I didn’t put time in here for all of us to cry. That is not on the agenda
[LAUGHTER]
anyone else would like to say, we have a comment from Linda. I want you to know you are an inspiration, blessings. That is lovely. That is my mom. She knows Jen too. Hi,
mom.
Hi, this is Cambria. Congratulations and I didn’t know this aspect of your life with music when 1 million years ago I drag due to a journey concert which was awesome, by the way. Anyway, I am looking forward to reading your book and congratulations on the courage and elevating this time and I look forward in addition to reading all parts of the book but also about your music since I grew up in the 80s also. Congratulations.
>> Thank you, Cambria.
>> I remind you to read and write a review on Amazon or good reads let others have a chance to become aware that this exists. I want to say, before I let you say your final words, again, I am so proud of you. You have, so far. Whenever I talk about your book, I am almost brought to tears. I know this has been such a journey. Those of us who are memoirsts know how hard this is. You continued to rise to the occasion in such a professional and profound and beautiful way. Your writing and your story just opened up. I know that readers are going to find beauty in it. They’re going to be in all of your story. And, of you. You are so honorable and real and this is something that most people will admit that they are unable to do. When they see others doing it, it is mystifying. It is so beautiful. I thank you for allowing me to be a part of your story a small part in helping guide you it was all you. Thank you for having me today to be a part of this beautiful moment. On that note, is there anything you would like to add as a final word to your audience?
>> Thank you all, I am very touched that you are here. I hope to continue writing and all that good stuff. You guys are wonderful. Thank you so much.
Thank you for coming, everybody. We will post this on Facebook since those who came to see it live probably had a big surprise and maybe build the suspense even more. If you can share the news of the book with everyone you know and remind people to go on Facebook and check in and her book out and help her out as much as you can to get the word of her story out there. Hopefully it will reach as far and wide as any book ever has.
>> Thank you, everyone.
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