J.R. has keynoted over 100 conferences and speaker’s series around the nation and world, and his work has been widely used in libraries, high schools, colleges/universities, and non-profit networks. Here’s what people have had to say:
“J.R. Jamison has written one of the most humane and challenging memoirs to come out of the Midwest.”
—Ashley C. Ford, New York Times best-selling author of Somebody’s Daughter and former host of the HBO podcast Lovecraft Country Radio
“J.R. Jamison is definitely an effective ‘agent of change’ who inspires others to change the world around them one community at a time.”
—Julianna Breithaupt, Georgia Highlands College (Rome, Georgia)
“J.R. Jamison is a North American cultural leader who helps us confront today’s political polarization.”
—Arts Midwest (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
“In an age when our politics and our nation can feel broken, Hillbilly Queer shows us the messy glue of love that still holds families together.”
—Samantha Allen, GLAAD award-winning journalist and author of Real Queer America
“My first impression of J.R. during the workshop he led was of someone who deeply cares and realistically engages the community in which he lives and works. J.R.’s instruction on creative ways to engage our neighbors sparked new ideas and gave me courage to act.”
—Amy Newcomb Rowe, Talloires Network (Medford, Massachusetts)
“Hillbilly Queer picks at the American cultural fiction of a monolithic heartland filled with stereotypical blue-collar people. Underneath the scab of his own childhood alienation, Jamison is able to rediscover nuance in what he’s left behind.”
—Foreword Reviews Magazine (Traverse City, Michigan)
“A pure and thoughtful reflection of growth and identity.”
—Dive In Magazine (Seattle, Washington)
“J.R.is a well-informed and passionate advocate for social change through education, commitment, and partnerships.”
—Katrina Boedeker, University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, Indiana)