Speaking on Capturing the American Zeitgeist
Featured Guests: Jesse Jagtiani and Tatyana White-Jenkins
We’re mixing it up this week with a special reflection on a video art piece from Girls Write Now Community Manager Jesse Jagtiani! Mentor Tatyana White Jenkins leads an inquisitive and informative discussion with Jesse about the process and inspiration behind her fourth installment of her video series An American Tale. Initiated in 2008 before the election of former President Obama, An American Tale investigates Boston and New York voters’ political consciousness in the last three presidential elections. Listen to learn more about Jesse’s videography roots in Germany, her plans for the upcoming 2024 election installment, and the common narratives she’s beginning to uncover at the polls over the last 16 years.
Music by mentee alum Jaya Rao-Herel
Jessica Jagtiani
Tatyana White-Jenkins
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Jessica Jagtiani
Jesse Jagtiani is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and researcher of Indian-German heritage residing in New York City. Jesse earned her Doctor of Education in Art & Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, complemented by an MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and a degree in Visual Communications from the University of Arts, Berlin. Her research centers on the formative dimensions of intuition, bridging indigenous wisdom with contemporary scientific perspectives to foster a balance of the intuitive and the rational mind within Western educational paradigms. Jesse’s artwork has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and her scholarly contributions extend to various publications, including chapter three of the book Developing Informed Intuition for Decision Making. Jesse has taught in (and outside of) higher education for numerous years and is passionate about supporting emerging artists, writers, and leaders on their creative, academic, and career pathways.
Tatyana White-Jenkins
Tatyana White-Jenkins is a Virginia-based writer with a passion for poetry and creative non-fiction.
