Jason Stadtlander Does it All

Stephen Foster

When inspiration arrives, it does so in many forms. It may be subtle and nuanced. It may feel like a Eureka moment. Or, it may encompass both. Just ask long-time Swampscott, MA, resident Jason Stadtlander. Boy, does he have a story for you.

Years ago, before moving to Swampscott, Jason lived in Maine. While there, he struck up friendships with several of the locals. To one, he expressed his love of writing. He may have told her that he’d been writing since he was in the sixth grade. He may also have told her that he wanted to become a writer, that he wanted to work as a writer.

She asked to read samples of his writings, and he gladly complied and handed them over. Jason didn’t dwell much on the request; he was pleased to share his work. He knew that the greater the exposure for his writing, the greater the chance of one day being published.

But he couldn’t imagine what was about to happen.

Several days later, he ran into his friend and she indicated she’d finished reading what he shared. She pulled from her bag a clutch of papers, marked heavily in red, and handed them to Jason, who was crestfallen. This can’t be good, he thought: no way does she like my work.

It turns out that, in fact, she liked his work immensely. She told him so. His friend even showed Jason’s writing to her husband, who was the one behind the red edits. Despite the red ink, he also greatly liked what Jason had created. Jason’s friend said that her husband, too, was a writer and had published numerous novels. It took Jason only a moment or two before connecting the last name of his friend to her renowned novelist husband. Talk about Eureka. Now, that’s inspiration.

When a writer of this man’s stature likes your work, you have no choice but to be inspired. Jason knew, right then, that he could become a good writer. And he did, as you’ll learn. But he certainly had to work at it. You know that saying about success? It’s one-part inspiration and many parts hard work. In Maine, Jason was inspired to succeed and to put in the time necessary to be successful. In Swampscott, he made it all happen.

Fast forward over twenty years, a relocation to Swampscott, and 400 plus rejection letters. Jason’s short story, The Lantern—which takes place in a retirement community and involves a mysteriously beneficent handyman—is nominated for the 2020 Pushcart Prize. The Pushcart is a prestigious award given annually to nominated work emanating from small, independent publishers. The Lantern is one of several stories collected in Stadtlander’s The Ruins of the Mind, published by BHC Press.

The Ruins of the Mind is a genre-busting collection of short stories—fantasy meets mystery meets science fiction. Jason has also published a novel, The Steel Van Man, also BHC-published. Both are available from local booksellers or Amazon. He is currently at work on another novel. His short story count to date is over 250 and growing.

Jason is an avid and frequent blogger on his website, https://jasonstadtlander.com/. He has also written blogs for Huffington Post and other publications. What Jason truly possesses as a writer is what eludes most authors: authenticity. Not a sentence of Jason’s work is artificial or superficial.

Jason was born and grew up in central Ohio, but his real home is Swampscott. He departed Ohio well over twenty years ago and has never looked back. Swampscott is home now, and he loves it. Jason appreciates everything good and unique about Swampscott and what it has to offer, while at the same time gently lamenting its growth and some of the new inconveniences that come with an expanding population. Jason Stadtlander has two children, boys, in the Swampscott public school system.

Jason has realized part of his dream; he has become a writer. What remains is to be able to write for a living, and Stadtlander is someone not to be underestimated. For now, he commutes daily to and from his Boston-based job in the IT industry. Commuting time is good time for writing, after all.

But there is more to Jason Stadtlander. He gives back. He cares about others, and when it comes to the technology than consumes and transforms us daily, he cares enough to pitch in. Not one to miss an opportunity to lend a hand, Jason works with parents, schools and other oversight groups to promote safe internet browsing activities, particularly for children and teenagers.

But there is still more. Jason is clearly enamored of the written word.

But he’s also, not surprisingly at all, a fan of the spoken word as well: which is why Jason produces a regular podcast, called The Story Portal. Its premise is simple enough. For each episode, Jason will read from one of his published works or works in progress. What makes his podcasts so compelling is that, as usual, Jason goes the extra mile. He invites talented voiceover individuals to his podcast and asks them to read from his works, too. By doing this he injects his work with true characterization. He is, in effect, staging an audible play for the listener.

The brilliance of this cannot be overstated. Regular listeners will be able to enjoy Jason Stadtlander in multiple voices, beautiful and varied.

Jason is a Swampscott neighbor. When you see him out and about—at a local book signing, perhaps—make sure to introduce yourself. He is a genuine good guy who has the goods.



Previous
Previous

Throw Away the Key: For-Profit Prisons and the Ethics of Incarceration

Next
Next

Jimi Plays Berkeley