Just checking in to do a quick poll and get everyone’s input. I’m reading an excerpt from “I am Jennie” tonight in a Literary Death Match at Largo in Los Angeles (link provided below). 
I have seven minutes to WOW the judges and audience, and pummel my literary competitor into the ground.
I have a few scenes in mind but I’m still undecided. (eek!) If you have read the book and don’t mind taking the time to take this quick poll, I would greatly appreciate your input.
Thanks for any and all suggestions and wish me luck that my legs don’t get broken!
If you are in LA and want to go, tickets are on sale here: Literary Death Match: Largo If you want to check out my most recent article for Renew Everyday, click here: Came To Believe (also, if there is a scene you love but it isn’t on my poll, recommend in the comments portion please!)
Stephster
October 9, 2012
This is a very unfair question!
Just saying!
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
hahah xoxox
Steph Wilder
October 10, 2012
“You’re very bright. It’s one of your biggest problems.” -he looked at me and laughed- “because you’ve cleverly figured out how to exist in the world without emotions. But now that they are coming back, it’s important we figure out how to use that brain for good.”
This stood out to me the loudest in your book, and i’m still trying to figure out WHY this one? There were so many other things in your story that I recognized, but why was this one louder than all the rest?
becomingjennie
October 16, 2012
Perhaps because it applies to you as well? I find that the things in life that are the most poignant are the things that reflect who I am. (ugh!)
DG
October 9, 2012
Okay, I don’t have the book with me here at the office, but I have read it, and some parts of it more than once. There are parts that may appeal to the prurient interests of your audience. These parts may not be your favorites, but you gotta know your audience. I still think that whole tongue episode with Manuel is hilarious, but I don’t think I’d read it to win a contest unless it was on Howard Stern. So, do you know anything about the audience. You wouldn’t want to be dropping a bunch of f-bombs, if it’s a PG13 crowd either. How do you want them to feel? Happy, sad, inspired, angry, what? People will remember how you make them feel, more than what you tell them. The parts I keep re-reading are the happy, hopeful, successful, triumphant ones. The I Am Jennie parts. I know all of it is I am Jennie, but you know what I mean, I hope. The fogging up the mirror and whispering three words just for you, I Am Jennie. I am whole, perfect, strong, powerful, loving, harmonious, and happy. I re-read chapters 13 and 14 again last night, those were particularly great chapters for me. Best of luck to you tonight, you’ll do great. DG
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
Excellent suggestion DG, much appreciated. The feelings, not the content. sheesh. Going to revisit the words now.
DG
October 12, 2012
I appreciate your pulling the post I started with For Your Eyes Only. I don’t feel quite worthy of having my words read by others yet. I get a ton from them sometimes, you have some pretty great and insightful readers. However, I may have struck a chord with my last post. Thanks for the comment, I tried not to let it go to my head, but a little may have leaked up there. Hey, even a blind squirell finds a nut every so often. Anyway, I’d appreicate your keeping this post to yourself as well. Thanks.
So, maybe we’ll learn what you read, and how it went over, and if feelings trumped content or not, and maybe we won’t. No matter, it sounds like it was a lot of fun. Good for you. And from what I gather from the LMD website you were not beaten so much by literary talent, as you were by a better basketball shot. Really? You probably weren’t sweating about that when you were deciding what passage to read were you. Tough break.
I made my way through chapters 8 and 9 again last night. I’ve heard my fair share of first steps, and rock bottms, but geez louise. Damn girl, you just dial things up to 11 don’t you? Whatever it is, you go for bust. I am so happy you’ve dialed your recovery up to 11, and are sharing it with us. Thank you.
I’ll spare you the details of my particular struggles, but I’m fast approaching 30 days (Oct 14), and this blog (past and present posts and the reader comments), and your book have helped me. I’ll share this, your anonymity will be protected, when I’m asked how me and my Higher Power did it.
Thank you again. Keep up the great work. DG
firstverb
October 9, 2012
Miss Jennifer,
When the dust settles you will be standing on the bleached and broken bones of those which dared to challenge you. You being victorious amongst these watered down meager mental midgets is a given. My only hope is that you have fun pummeling them with whichever selection you choose. Happiness and smiles dear lady.
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
haha… thank you Grant.
Karen
October 9, 2012
Jennie, hands down moment in the book was the description of the hot tub banana game and the new setting of boundaries you set for yourself, looking at your image in the mirror.
Holy smokes it was good.
I recently shared the book with my brother (who by the way can’t put it down, and when he has to it all pisses him off). He recently texted me about your amazingness. I told him the above was one of my favorite moments, esp the way you painted the picture for us. He was all DUDE!!!!!! that’s the part I just finished and I had to go back and read it twice is was SO GOOD.
That’s our vote. x2 : )
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
Love that scene. Was so cathartic to write! I will go back and do a read and see if the timing will work.
Karen
October 9, 2012
Well hell, let me just quote him!
“Her words are unrefined, her delivery hasn’t been sifted down through copy editors, and her reality is raw w/ shame, but not shamelessness. It’s just pure honesty w/out the finger pointing. And that IS PURE 100% RECOVERING. Damn, it’s amazing”
*****and after the hot tub/mirror discussion****
“Dude, that was the pinnacle for me, I just finished that chapter. I had to re-read the last paragraph and reflect man, boundaries achieved and unlocked dude!”
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
I love you both.
Mitch Beck
October 9, 2012
Jennie… I first heard of you when I read an excerpt of the book in the NY Daily News, or was it the NY Post, I don’t remember. Anyhow, I went and bought the book and while I’m almost finished with it, I am completely enthralled in your honesty and willingness to show the whole inner you.
I was a radio personality and comedian for over 20 years and now own an employment agency and search firm in Connecticut. You can check it out at http://www.crossroadsconsulting.com. It’s TOTALLY different than anything out there anywhere on Earth.
I’d like to talk to you sometime, should you be interested in talking, about becoming an Executive Recruiter. I think you’d be incredible. There would be lots to talk about.
Please let me know if you have even a couple of molecules of interest.
Regardless, you’re terrific and an inspiration.
Best regards,
Mitch Beck
quicksilver
October 9, 2012
Jennie,
If you choose a section that has dialogue, I recommend using silly voices for the various people! Unless it’s one of your serious sections then use absolutely ridiculous voices
Good luck tonight! I’ll be giving you long distance high-fives and thumbs ups the whole time!
becomingjennie
October 9, 2012
Thanks brother. I actually have been working on my best Duncan voice (god, he’d hate it if he heard haha)
quicksilver
October 9, 2012
It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. So just think of that while you channel your best Duncan voice
Holli
October 9, 2012
I voted for the last one because out of all the excerpts you chose it was the absolute most powerful to me and it affected me deeply when I read it. When I read the book and when I read it now. It’s very vulnerable and enlightening and empowering all at the same time.
Amanda
October 9, 2012
I really wish I had the book with me right now so I could weigh in. The whole thing was wonderful, but I have a bad memory and don’t know the parts without looking them up. Best of luck to you! No matter what you choose, it will be fantastic. (I’m so helpful.)
Jessica FantasyStockings
October 9, 2012
I like the image that you used for marriage break up.
michael92105
October 9, 2012
If you speak from your heart YOU ARE GOING TO BE GREAT…..let us know how it turns out for you. Prayers are being sent your way. Much respect.
Rich
October 9, 2012
Always go for the full emotional impact, Jen. People remember the things that really blew them away, above all else. Thinking back on the concerts and readings that I’ve seen, the best moments have been the ones that have left the audience in stunned silence. I remember the first time that I saw Bob Mould in concert at the (now defunct) Empire Club here in Cleveland in 1990, Nearly the entire show was this long, loud raging blast of anger, drums, bass and guitar feedback. People moshing, stage diving, etc. It was fucking awesome. But midway through the set, Bob stopped and played one single solo acoustic song, this quiet and beautiful piece of his called “Sinners And Their Repentances”… And I swear, you could have heard a pin drop in that hall. It was an incredible moment. 22 years on, and it’s still one of the most powerful live performances that I’ve ever seen.
I imagine that, by the time that you read this, you’ll already have done the reading. My vote was for the last amends, though the bonfire burnout was a very, very close second. But the reconciliation really felt like the summation of everything that your story–and recovery–had been building toward, through all of the best and the worst times. Maybe not a final payoff, but a very hard-earned and heartfelt moment of arrival. But whichever passage you choose, I’m sure that you’ll hit the audience straight in the gut. And leave yourself and your words lingering in their minds and hearts, long afterward. And that’s what counts.
Invisible Mikey
October 9, 2012
Sorry I came late, but I’m sure it worked out wonderfully, because the book is highly “performable”. Do let us know how it went!
michael92105
October 10, 2012
Dearest Jennie: So I have been thinking about you today and how it went last night. One thing I have to say is how glad I am that you’re still alive. When you can blog a post asking for help in choosing a reading and tweet how you feel like vomiting shows me how you really weren’t meant to be in that profession.
I have met some hard, hard people in my life and you certainly aren’t one of them.
And of course it’s none of my business, but whenever you introduce yourself and people ask what you do, I hope you include considering yourself a published author. (and an inspiration).
Thank you for all you do, your courage and honesty.
Stewart Forgie
October 12, 2012
Hi Jennie I didnt see your entry till today but if I had seen it I would have voted for page 100 to 103 when Duncan turned on you. I was really shocked when I read that so for pure shock value that was it for me. How anyone could turn on a friend like that is way beyond me and the way you described it made it so vivid. Anyway let us know how it went and what part you used.
Victor
October 12, 2012
Voted for “The Marriage is over”.
michael92105
October 13, 2012
Hi Jennie: Hey, the Space Shuttle: “sometimes quickly sometimes slowly”….sorry
Hope you and the family are okay.
Tony
October 13, 2012
great book, I just finished reading it. It’s changed the way I think about porn and I have a new found hope that I can live without porn.
calebdb8
October 14, 2012
Interesting article on the website you linked to. Thanks for posting.
anonymous
October 15, 2012
just want to say good luck
Shaun
October 23, 2012
Jennie, good luck. I, too, read this post quite late,so I think your death match is over. I hope it went really well. What section did you decide to read, in the end?
becomingjennie
October 24, 2012
Went with the section about my dad, at the end.
It was incredible…
bret steinmetz
December 10, 2012
Hi Jennie, just wanted to say I love the book. I am a recovering porn addict and actually knew you from the Sex Guide videos that you were in as Penny. I am at the jumping off stage right before chapter 4, want to say how much strength I’m getting from the book so far… Can’t wait to read the rest! I did more research on it, and actually found a quote from you from a YouTube interview you did, where you said, “Penny Flame will always be 26, but I have to face my own mortality,” thanks for the inspiration!