Jen Dziura
Jennifer Dziura | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | writer, educational humorist, and educator |
| Known for | Co-host of Williamsburg Spelling Bee |
Jen Dziura is a New York-based writer, educational humorist, and educator. She is best known for co-hosting the Williamsburg Spelling Bee.
Early life
Jen Dziura was born and raised in Virginia Beach. In the mid-nineties, Jen worked as the teen columnist for the Virginian Pilot.[1] She was a philosophy major at Dartmouth College, which is the basis for her one-woman show, "What Philosophy Majors Do After College[2] She has perfect SAT and GRE test scores.
Career
Since graduating from Dartmouth, Jen has held a variety of jobs, including dotcom entrepreneur, art model, body double, and egg donor. She was featured in an Associated Press article[3] about egg donation.
Jen currently works as a writer, educational comedian, and quizmistress. She also works as a teacher and tutor of the SAT, GMAT, and other standardized tests.
In 2010, the Oprah Winfrey Network released to the Wall Street Journal an inspirational clip[4] featuring Jen giving advice to her younger nerd-girl self. Jennifer was featured in a Sci Fi Channel pilot for the television show Brain Trust,[5] and appeared as an expert on “how to be witty on a date” on VH-1’s "Can’t Get a Date".[6]
Writing
Jen is the editor of the Manhattan Prep blog[7] where she regularly contributes tips for students studying for the GRE and GMAT standardized tests. She has written logic exercises for the textbook, Introduction to Logic,[8] and wrote the Foundations of GMAT Verbal[9] textbook.
Jennifer writes two advice columns a week: Bullish Life[10] appears Tuesdays on The Gloss, and Bullish[11] appears Fridays on The Grindstone. Her columns advocate "fiendish hard work, dastardly cleverness, extreme advance planning, and overall panache."[12]
Jennifer's jokes have appeared in The Complete Idiot's Guides To Jokes[13]. Her writing has also been published on McSweeney's Internet Tendency.[14] Jennifer has written a 22-page booklet for Vice magazine on “How to Debate”[15] to promote Dewar’s Scotch.
Comedy
Jennifer writes and performs three solo shows: “What Philosophy Majors Do After College”, “¡The Punctuation Show! (How to Use Tiny Symbols to Make Meaning Without %$^&#* Up)”, and “The History of Women in 60 Minutes”.[16]
She has toured the East Coast and sold out shows in D.C. and Norfolk. Her shows have been performed for New York University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Indiana University, West Virginia University, Bowling Green State University, Palm Beach State College,[17] the Empire State Book Festival, and at the Boston's Women in Comedy Festival.[18]
The Williamsburg Spelling Bee
Since 2004, Jennifer and her co-host bobbyblue have run the Williamsburg Spelling Bee[19] , a real, cabaret-style spelling bee for adults at Pete's Candy Store. The Williamsburg Spelling Bee has been featured in the New York Times,[20] on NPR,[21] in Time Out New York,[22] Games Magazine[23] and on Good Morning America,[24] amongst others.[25]
References
- ^ Eaton, Lorraine (March 5, 2007). "Former Teen Columnist Comes Home For Comedy Gig". Hampton Roads. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jen. "[http://www.popintellectual.com/philosophy.html What Philosophy Majors Do After College]". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ Irvine, Martha (February 19, 2007). "Women Increasingly Donating Eggs for Cash". The Associated Press. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Note To Self". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Brain Trust". Sci Fi Channel.
- ^ "About".
- ^ "Manhattan Prep Blog". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Amazon". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Amazon".
- ^ "The Gloss". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "The Grindstone". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jen. "How To Make Money Without Becoming A Republican". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Amazon". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jen. "McSweeney's Internet Tendency". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jen. "Dewar's Guide to Debating" (PDF). Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jen. "JenniferDziura.com". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "The Punctuation Show" (PDF).
- ^ "JenniferDziura.com". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jennifer. "The Williamsburg Spelling Bee". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Goodman, Stephanie (April 1, 2012). "Spare Times". The New York Times.
- ^ Calhoun, Ben. "Adults Put The 'Bee' In Orthography". NPR. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ McGuire, Judy. "Swapping Spit". Time Out New York. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ "Games Magazine".
- ^ "NBC Nite Pics". Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ Dziura, Jennifer. "About". Retrieved April 1, 2012.