Today we’d like to introduce you to Zen J. Jackson.
Hi Zen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a young boy growing up in the city of Hartford, one of my fondest memories is being read to at night by one of my mothers, an English teacher. I say ‘one of my mothers’ because my father was a hustler and my biological mother was a gangster, so I was watched over by several maternal figures in my childhood. Today, that English teacher is my father’s wife, and she empowered my natural gift for storytelling. Creating characters and other worlds only to share them with others is my service to today’s youth and the inner child of us all.
I began developing and illustrating these stories as a means to escape a reality that left me confused and to myself, even though I was otherwise outgoing and free-spirited. I wouldn’t come to voice that I had survived sexual abuse as a young boy at the hands of distant relatives until I met my wife. She encouraged me to be open about my traumas so that I was better understood because anger and shame were lingering deep inside me. She told me what happened was common and went unnoticed or untreated because survivors were often too afraid to ask for help. I could inspire those afraid to speak up that were in similar, dark situations, and the best way I knew how was through creativity. All of this has led me to become the Author that I am today, Zen J. Jackson.
My first self-published piece was intended to be printed in glow-in-the-dark called, “All the Missing Socks Misplaced,” about the endless socks we lose in a fantastical portal through the dryer where another world exists of mismatched socks coming together in harmony. It’s colorful and much like flipping through a Dr. Seuss book. I wanted to print glow-in-the-dark picture books to shed a little light for kids afraid of the dark, knowing how terrifying it can be to be left alone, losing sleep because the lights have been shut off.
My second self-published piece is called “Beyond the Mist,” for an adult reader. I began achieving my Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing and compiled a digital short story collection of mystical and eery tales that dive into the Unknown. This was a way for me to discover the horror writer within me.
My first completed self-published novel is a middle-grade book called, “The Bunny Book & the Creature of Boseman Farm.” When I met my wife, she introduced me to her daughter, Rosie. I saw a familiar vulnerability in her that I wanted to protect. Rosie’s mother was always working to provide while her biological father was absent from her life. She clung onto a raggedy stuffed rabbit for comfort she had since she was a baby, and it was her mother’s before hers. She dreamed of owning a rabbit farm one day. From there I wrote a story about a girl who loses her stuffed rabbit in the forest where a rumored monster was lurking. She courageously ventures inside despite everyone’s warnings to retrieve it, only to stumble upon a magical shed that would ignite her hero’s journey. I wrote the story to inspire my daughter and remind her of her inner magic and strength, and to inspire all the little girls out there growing up without a father or a friend.
“The Bunny Book and the Creature of Boseman Farm” is Book One of a three-part series. I have since had two other children and am working on stories they’ve inspired, as well as one of my greatest masterpieces of all; a graphic novel entitled “Vanquish,” about an anti-hero that defends and rescues children from sexual abuse, and whose sole purpose is to destroy an entire underground child-trafficking network through martial arts and assassin skills. To learn more about myself and my projects, you can visit ZenJJackson.com or find me at Liberty Books signing copies of my work in Lawrenceville, GA.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I became a father at age 22 when I adopted my wife’s daughter. She was 5 years old. Raising her was never a struggle by any means, however, I learned that survivors tend to take on more responsibility than the average, and becoming an adult with a family before ever realizing my traumas were in need of healing was definitely an obstacle overcome. Once my wife and I began having more children, I found it most challenging to balance fatherhood and a career.
I desperately wanted to be there for my wife and children every step of the way. I never believed in the absence of a parent from a child’s life to provide them with the best of things. Navigating through the desire to be a part of my family, yet still financially support them has been the most foreign road to travel simply because I only ever knew my father to be hard-working. Thanks to my faith, my will, and my wife being my reflection in that anything is possible, we keep one another grounded, and have successfully paved such an achievable path.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an author of color who specializes in magical realism, fantasy, and thriller stories with a protagonist of Jamaican, African, and/or Hispanic descent inspired by my family roots. I am known for my will to capture the child or our inner child’s imagination, and take them to a world that builds strength and courage. I am most proud of my character Jak from an upcoming graphic, novel, and animated series entitled “Jak & the Journey” as it is the most reflective of my own life journey. I have been developing the character for over a decade and my TikTok @jakandthejourney shares the original art and behind-the-scenes development.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
The interesting and important lesson I have learned due to the COVID-19 Crisis is how storytellers have the power and purpose to uplift and distract people during times of sadness and tragedy. As creatives, we must provide inspiration and encouragement through any media necessary that will put anxious minds at peace so we can collectively move forward without fear through any transition.
Pricing:
- Hardcover Book copies $35
- Paperback Book copies $25
Contact Info:
- Email: ThreeBunnyBooks@gmail.com
- Website: ZenJJackson.com
- Instagram: @ZenJJackson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zenjjackson
- Twitter: @ZenJJackson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHTKGkWpR19LU0Nn3SRt8g
- Other: https://thebunnybook.bandcamp.com/album/the-creature-of-boseman-farm
Image Credits
Denise Clarke
Jaiziah Taylor
Rosie Love
