J. Wortham
Born 1981 · Age 44
American journalist, culture writer for The New York Times Magazine, podcaster, editor of Black Futures, and community care practitioner (sound healer, reiki, herbalist). Formerly known as Jenna Wortham.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth
Born (listed in public records and categories as born in 1981). Grew up in Alexandria, Virginia.
Graduated University of Virginia
Graduated with a degree in medical anthropology from the University of Virginia.
Moved to San Francisco and began freelancing
Moved to San Francisco after college, waitressed and began interning and freelancing locally, writing for sites like SFist.
Internships at SF magazines
Interned at San Francisco Magazine and Girlfriend Magazine while in San Francisco.
Wrote for SFist
Contributed pieces to SFist while establishing freelance footing in San Francisco.
Joined Wired (tech & culture reporter)
Became a technology and culture reporter at Wired after freelancing—worked there prior to joining The New York Times.
Joined The New York Times
Joined The New York Times as a technology and business reporter (moved from Wired to the Times).
Created Girl Crush Zine
Launched Girl Crush Zine with Thessaly La Force, a project aimed to show women embracing love for other women.
Named to The Root 100
Included in The Root 100 list recognizing influential African American leaders.
Work included in anthology (The Hairpin travel stories)
Work appears in the anthology 'An Experience Definitely Worth Allegedly Having: Travel Stories from The Hairpin' (2013).
Contributor to 'Never Can Say Goodbye' anthology
Work included in 'Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York' (2014).
Launched 'Everybody Sexts' project
Debuted 'Everybody Sexts,' a project collecting sexting anecdotes and artist-rendered recreations of nudes (November 2014).
Twitter following > 530,000
Politico noted Wortham had more than 530,000 Twitter followers as of December 2014.
Moved to The New York Times Magazine
Announced move from The New York Times business/technology desk to The New York Times Magazine (reported December 8, 2014).
The Fader recognition
The Fader named Wortham's piece on The Shade Room to its 'The Best Culture Writing of 2015' list.
Published commentary on Beyoncé / Lemonade recognition
Writings on Beyoncé (including a Lemonade essay that drew public attention) became notable in 2016, including anecdotal note of a thank-you from Beyoncé.
Selected on year-end 'best of' podcast lists
'Still Processing' appeared on year-end best-of lists from The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, and IndieWire in 2016.
MoMA discussion appearance
Participated in a MoMA conversation (Wikipedia external link lists a conversation at MoMA on March 5, 2016).
Launched 'Still Processing' podcast
Co-launched the New York Times culture podcast 'Still Processing' with Wesley Morris (September 2016), produced by NYT and Pineapple Street Media.
Still Processing wins Webby Award
'Still Processing' won the 2017 Webby Award in Podcast and Digital Audio.
Zora Neale Hurston Fellow (Jack Jones retreat)
Named Zora Neale Hurston Fellow at the first Jack Jones Literary Arts retreat (2017).
Visiting Lecturer talk at UC Berkeley Arts Research Center
Gave a Visiting Lecturer Talk at the Arts Research Center, UC Berkeley (February 27, 2017).
MacDowell Colony Fellowship
Awarded a MacDowell Colony fellowship (summer residencies) and worked on essays about dissociation, body, and identity.
Yaddo Fellowship and sound-healing training
Awarded a Yaddo fellowship (listed by speaker bio) and completed sound-teacher/sound-healing training in late Feb 2019; began integrating healing practices with work.
Worked publicly on 'Work of Body' book
Announced and worked on an essay collection 'Work of Body' (investigation of body, dissociation, digital life) to be published by Penguin Press; public tweets and mentions in 2019–2020.
Baldwin for the Arts & other fellowships (inaugural/fellow)
Recognized as an inaugural fellow at the Baldwin for the Arts (2020) and received other fellowships/recognitions during 2020.
Black Futures named NYT Editor's Choice
'Black Futures' received critical recognition, including being an Editor's Choice by The New York Times Book Review.
ASME National Magazine Awards finalist (Still Processing)
Still Processing was a finalist/nominee for American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) National Magazine Awards (announced February 7, 2020).
Kelly Writers House Fellowship
Named a Kelly Writers House Fellow (2020) along with Wesley Morris.
Published 'Black Futures' (co-edited with Kimberly Drew)
Co-edited and published 'Black Futures,' a visual anthology of Black art, writing and creative work, via One World / Random House (published December 2020).
PA Conference for Women — Speaker
Appeared as a speaker at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women (listed as a 2021 speaker).
Still Processing concludes (podcast run 2016–2022)
The New York Times podcast Still Processing, co-hosted with Wesley Morris, ran from 2016 through 2022.
Public identity as J Wortham used in bios
Public references and bios increasingly use 'J Wortham' (formerly Jenna Wortham) in 2022–2023 materials; identification preference updated in some public records.
Live Many Lumens interview at BlackStar Film Festival
Recorded a live Many Lumens episode at the 2023 BlackStar Film Festival (Sept 27, 2023) discussing culture, healing, and forthcoming book 'Work of Body.'
Ongoing work on 'Work of Body' (book in progress)
Continues to work on the essay collection 'Work of Body' slated for Penguin Press; frequently references the project in talks and interviews.
Continued NYT Magazine staff writer role and community care work
Active as a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine while also practicing sound healing, reiki, herbalism, and community care work oriented toward healing justice.
Key Achievement Ages
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