Jennifer has an M.F.A. in fiction from Columbia University and a Masters of International Relations from Johns Hopkins SAIS. She did her undergraduate work at Amherst College, where she graduated magna cum laude with a double degree in English and Asian Studies.
She is the author of four acclaimed novels — The Painter from Shanghai, The Gods of Heavenly Punishment, Wunderland, and The Madwomen of Paris — which have been published internationally and recognized with awards and critical praise. In addition to her fiction, she has contributed to LitHub, BookRiot, Vogue, Mademoiselle, Self, McSweeney’s, Tablet, Knight-Ridder Financial News, The Wall Street Journal, The Asian Wall Street Journal, and The Nation (Thailand). She has also worked at the NBC and HBO networks—jobs that have taken her from Tokyo to Hong Kong to Bangkok to New York. A music lover, during her years in Japan was part of a bluegrass band in Kyoto and worked as a DJ in Osaka and Tokyo, experiences that deepened her interest in cross-cultural storytelling and creative communication.
Jennifer currently teaches undergraduate creative writing at Stony Brook University, and she has taught graduate-level fiction workshops at Columbia University as well as courses at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. Beyond the university setting, she has worked extensively as a writing coach with students in primary school, middle school, high school, and college around the globe. She has also collaborated with organizations such as Girls Write Now and within the Brooklyn public school system, further broadening her experience with diverse students and learning environments.
At My Learning Springboard, Jennifer draws on her background as a novelist, journalist, and educator to help students strengthen their skills in reading, writing, and critical thinking as a private tutor. She takes a highly individualized approach, meeting students where they are, integrating personalized reading suggestion and writing exercises, and thoughtfully guiding them toward confidence and clarity in their written voice.
When not researching, writing, or teaching, Jennifer can usually be found reading, running (slowly, and usually to an audiobook), hiking with her daughters, or spending time with her husband and Mei, their sweet but highly distractible Springer Spaniel.