My name is Jessica Ciccarelli, and I am the founder and primary author of “The Recovery Poet.”

I’m a writer with specialization in memoir and creative/experimental nonfiction. Most recently, I had a Southern Gothic memoir essay published on August 2018 in the Learned Pig (find link below).

A Little About Me

I received my BA in political science from Berea College in 2013 and my MA in Peace and Justice Studies from the University of San Diego in 2016. I’ve participated in group trauma counseling efforts and helped design agricultural programming in Monrovia, Liberia. I’ve done field research on youth, police, and development in Nairobi, Kenya, and co-designed an art-based youth empowerment initiative that ran in the Nairobi Mathare community. More than anything, you’ll see from my blog and published works that I’ve gotten the incredible chance to hear heart wrenching, inspiring stories from people across the world. I dedicated my writing and my blog to those journeys.

If you have any other questions or if you wish to inquire about my work, please feel free to message me (just click on the “contact me” tab at the top of the screen and fill out the contact form)! And if you want to see any of my other published work, check out the publications below!

Literary Publication in the Berfrois

“Origami Dragons.” The Berfrois, 24 May 2018, http://www.berfrois.com/2018/05/origami-dragons-by-jessica-ciccarelli/

Literary Publications in Burning House Press

“Translations of a Post Apocolyptic Love.” Burning House Press, 30 July 2018, https://burninghousepress.com/2018/07/30/translations-of-a-post-apocalyptic-love-by-jessica-ciccarelli/amp/

“On Becoming a Storyteller: A Berlin Memoir.” Burning House Press, 15 April 2018, https://burninghousepress.com/2018/04/15/on-becoming-a-storyteller-a-berlin-memoir-by-jessica-ciccarelli/.

Literary Publications in The Learned Pig

“Beggars, Sinners, and BBQ.” The Learned Pig, 30 August 2018, http://www.thelearnedpig.org/beggars-sinners-and-barbeque/5740.

“Broken-Down Fords and Angels.” The Learned Pig, 3 January 2018, http://www.thelearnedpig.org/broke-down-fords-and-angels/5448.

“Forever Change in a Second.” The Learned Pig, 3 January 2018, http://www.thelearnedpig.org/forever-changed-in-a-second/5455.

“Road to New.” The Learned Pig, 3 January 2018, http://www.thelearnedpig.org/road-to-new/5458.

Contributions to Ohio State University’s Ohio Peace Collaborative Blog

“Finding Art & Peace.” May 2, 2016. https://u.osu.edu/ohiopc/2016/05/02/finding-art-peace/

Contributions to the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Blog

September 2015 – December 2015

“Lessons I’ve Learned – Stories from Kenya.” September 25, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/09/25/lessons-ive-learned-stories-from-kenya/

“The Beauty Behind the Dust.” October 27, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/27/the-beauty-behind-the-dust/

“Dirty Hands, Beautiful Lessons.” December 16, 2015.

http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/12/16/dirty-hands-beautiful-lessons/

“Kenya News in Review.”

December 4, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/12/04/news-in-review-kenya-december-4-2015/

November 5, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/11/05/news-in-review-kenya-november-5-2015/

October 22, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/22/news-in-review-kenya-october-22-2015/

October 8, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/08/news-in-review-kenya-icc-controversy/

October 1, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/01/the-westgate-attack-two-years-after/

“Nepal News in Review.”

November 19, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/11/19/news-in-review-nepal-november-19/

October 29, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/29/news-in-review-nepal-october-29/

October 15, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/16/news-in-review-nepal-october-15-2015/

October 5, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/10/05/news-in-review-nepal-constitution-aftermath/

The Art of Peace Symposium Reflections

“Universal Love: Genesis at the Crossroads & Saffron Caravan.” December 11, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/12/14/universal-love-genesis-at-the-crossroads-saffron-caravan/

“Black Lives Matter.” December 21, 2015. http://sites.sandiego.edu/ipj/2015/12/21/black-lives-matter/