Latest articles
The young Ginger Taylor saw cartoons everywhere, as though she was living in her favourite film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Her father, Deane Taylor, was an animator for Hanna-Barbera, working on Yogi Bear, The Jetsons and The Flintstones, before moving on to the ’90s slapstick mayhem of The Ren & Stimpy Show and Cow & Chicken. Taylor’s mother was a costume designer. Dedication to the craft meant the family preferred to eat out than cook.
Books
Everything Harder Than Everyone Else
When Jenny Valentish wrote a memoir about addiction in 2017, she noticed that people who treated drug-taking like an Olympic sport would often hurl themselves into a pursuit like marathon running upon giving up. What stayed constant was the need to push their boundaries.
Woman of Substances
Journalist Jenny Valentish investigates the female experience of drugs and alcohol, using her own story to light the way. Her travels around Australia take her to treatment facilities and AA groups. Mining the expertise of 30 leading researchers, she explores the early predictors of addiction, such as childhood trauma and temperament, and teenage impulsivity.
Cherry Bomb
Word is The Dolls got their record deal through nepotism, but if it wasn’t for Nina sleeping with the right people they wouldn’t be anywhere at all. Now her aunt’s career is threatening to take off again and eclipse her own, and nobody likes her new material. A stretch in rehab’s starting to look like a good career move.
Services
Workshops + Teaching
“Jenny Valentish teaches her craft with the same real world insights and fearless wit that makes her writing so compelling” — Michael Dwyer, journalism lecturer, Australian College of the Arts College of the Arts.
Manuscript Assessment + Coaching
“Jenny gave me so much clarity and an incredible amount of direction that I had lost along the way – too overwhelmed by a project 10 years in the making” – Mel Bampton, Triple J
Media Training
“The media training Jenny provided for my artist was extremely beneficial and made a massive difference in my artist’s ability to engage with media in a relaxed and personable manner” – Nate Flagrant, Flagrant Artist Management
Talks + Panel Moderation
“She’s smart and experienced, a terrific listener and an excellent speaker: Jenny Valentish is a talented writer who understands how to deliver quality for festival audiences” – Rosemary Sorensen, director, Bendigo Writers Festival
