Writer’s Bio
Jen Karuza Schile has published nearly 100 articles in National Fisherman magazine and was published in Pacific Fishing. Her personal essays have been published in the anthologies A Matter of Choice: 25 People Who Transformed Their Lives, Steady as She Goes: Women’s Adventures at Sea, and P.S. What I Didn’t Say: Unsent Letters to Our Female Friends, for which she participated in a series of readings.
Jen facilitated a writing circle and contributed to the newsletter for the Story Circle Network, a national organization of women writers. She received an honorable mention in the memoir category of the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and was a guest blogger at The Writer Mama Riffs and The Prosperous Writer.
Recently, Jen’s feature story about commercial fishing families was published in National Fisherman magazine. She was also chosen as “One to Watch” in the Rising Star category on the website for Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz, and was listed as a “Writer to Check Out” at The Prosperous Writer website.
Jen recently published a guest blog post and a childrens book review at Happy Homefront, a website for geographically challenged families. Currently, she is writing new content for the commercial fishing industry-section of AlaskaJobFinder.com.
Stay tuned for the launch of Jen’s brand new book, Captain of Her Crew: The Commercial Fishing Mom’s Guide to Navigating Life at Home in the summer of 2012!
Hey Jen!
Your site looks awesome! I look forward to hearing more on your projects. Merry Christmas (belated) and Happy New Year! Be warm and safe.
Judy
Judy, thank you! I have to say it has been a lot of unexpected fun doing a little decorating on the site. Are you on the Dream Team starting in January?
This blog is great! I am also married to a commercial fisherman – out of Gig Harbor WA. Great to read something a ‘mommy blog’ that I can relate to!
Hey, that’s great! I am so glad you found the blog and liked it! It has been fun doing most of the time, except when I’m exhausted or there just isn’t anything going on of interest, lol. What does your husband fish for? I remember a large fleet of seiners from Gig Harbor up in SE Alaska when I fished up there on my dad’s boat. I like what you said about a mommy blog you can relate to!
He is part of that seining fleet for Trident. He owns the F/V Mystic Lady. His family is also Croatian, as are most of the guys that own seiners out of Gig Harbor. His brothers own the Lucia, Lucky Star and Ocean Dream, which you may have seen in SE as well.
Hello to Captain jack.. Where are you these days? I am still working the Tugs up here in valdez, and Seining in the summer.. give me a call ..
Thanks for this comment and reaching out! I have forwarded to my dad and will call him today to make sure he received your messages! How did you happen to come across my blog? Happy you found it and appreciate your comments! :)
Very inspiring, love all that you have accomplished and I can not wait to find out more about the book.
Thanks, Megan! I appreciate it. I’ve switched writing directions a few times over the last decade due to changing circumstances (children, boats, moves, etc) but I try to stay in the game as much as possible. Right now I am working pretty hard on my book project; it’s different from the project I’ve been picking away at the last ten years, but I think it will be fun. Have to stay open to different ideas and ways of doing things! :)
So glad to come across this sight. I am married to commercial fisherman also. He has been the deckboss on the same crab boat in AK for almost 20 years now. We have a 5yr old son who has autism and 3yr old twin girls. Life is hard when you are a single mother for most of the year. Thank you for giving me somewhere to go and read about more fishing wives :) P.S. Is it just me or do we all have to “relearn” how to be wives when our husbands come home?
Oh, Amy, you are so right! We DO have to relearn how to be wives when they come home. It’s hard to get out of the single mom zone in which we do everything for everyone and don’t take a moment to slow down and just “be.”
And then once my husband comes home and I finally relax a little, I find I start relying on him to help out around the house and with the kids, and then I get a bit “lazy” when I’m not the one doing everything! :)
It is so fun, though, when you finally get a chance to dress up a bit, fix hair, and go out for a drink or dinner someplace and have a few laughs—or at least, not have to eat on turbo speed—for a couple of hours together.
Of course, with a newborn now, I don’t see a night out anytime soon, but maybe by summer! :) Something to look forward to!
I’m glad you found my blog and left a great comment. Where are you guys located?
We are in Charleston, SC.
What a great site ! I am new to it all the Blogging and Commercial fishing. I leave 7days for my “Greenhorn” season and I am excited. The only thing I know about my trip is where the ferry drops me off Ketchikan ! I am from California and do not know anyone or anything ! This is exciting. Reading writing from people on the web really has helped me out since I first thought of doing this. Thank you and I cannot wait to look more into your site ! Tom Jr
Hi Tom! What kind of fishing will you be doing? You will have the BEST time on the ferry. Did you get a room or are you camping up top? I’ve traveled on the AK Marine Hwy ferry a few times…both from Prince Rupert, BC, and Bellingham, WA. The ferry is a GREAT TIME. Enjoy it!! Ketchikan is like my second home. I loved it there. Great place to be while fishing!
Again thank you very much. I am not sure when I arrive in Ketchikan I will get to know the area a little and start talking to people and “walking the docks” I have things I will be looking for like how the boat is maintained is it clean well kept, what kind of captain/crew is working on board do they look shady or have bad attitude before we even leave the dock. I really want to get with someone from the area who has a history in fishing and wants to teach someone the ropes so if at all possible I can continue the fishing traditions for many to come. I am going to camp on deck ! Seems like it will be fun and will add to the whole experience for sure ! Yea Ketchikan looks really nice from what I have bin reading. It scares me that its the first town for people like me and there is going to be a lot of us out there doing the same Dock Walk haha it should be a great time ! Tom Jr
Camping on deck is really fun and the best way to meet people and have a great time on the trip up. There is also a small lounge on the ferry and many nice places to sit back and relax. I can’t wait to take it again, this time with my children. They will just love it!