Jenny Skoog Mondesir is a storyteller whose work bridges the gap between academic research and deeply personal narrative. Born into a fundamentalist religious sect and now living in New York City, she explores what happens when you leave behind everything you were taught to believe and discover who you really are.

Background

• MA Biography & Memoir, CUNY Graduate Center (Dean's Merit Scholar)

• BA English/Creative Writing & Black Studies, City College of New York (summa cum laude, Wilfred A. Cartey Award)

• Emmy nomination for starring role in Pushing It (COZI TV)

• 20+ years as master personal trainer specializing in women's transitions

Current Work

UNBELIEVER: A Collective Memoir - The first book to document life inside Conservative Laestadianism through the voices of women who escaped. Manuscript complete, seeking representation.

The Silence Between Hello Podcast - Three-season audio memoir exploring family relationships across religious difference. Season 1 used 30 minutes of her mother's preserved voicemails to examine love across ideological distance. Season 2 conducts an "archaeological dig" into her enigmatic late father through artifacts he left behind: handmade wooden furniture, his 1937 diary, 1940s school composition book, million-mile driving certificate, and family memories. Season 3 (forthcoming) honors her sister who passed in 2024. 35,000+ downloads, perfect 5-star rating.

Things I Meant To Tell You Newsletter - Weekly Substack exploring faith deconstruction, family complexity, and midlife reinvention. Raw, honest essays about the artifacts our parents leave behind and the courage it takes to rebuild your world. 52% open rate (vs. 21% industry average) with deeply engaged readership.

Producer - Biographers International Organization Podcast, Ink Slingers Podcast (100+ interviews with award-winning life writers)

Speaker - Most recently, she co-presented 'Personal Stories, Public Stakes: Ethics and Craft in Intimate Podcasting' at CUNY Graduate Center's Biography & Memoir program (September 2025), examining ethical considerations in biographical storytelling.

Expertise

• Religious trauma recovery and faith deconstruction

• Family dynamics across ideological differences

• Scandinavian-American religious communities

• Women's reproductive health and embodied knowledge

• Audio storytelling and memoir craft

Jenny lives in New York City with her husband and is passionate about creating spaces where complicated family stories can be heard and honored.