Jana M. Perkins
@janajm.com
founder, @womenofletters.org. data scientist with a PhD writing a book (DEEP LITERACY, DIGITAL TIME) for Routledge
Pinned
Jana M. Perkins
@janajm.com
· 27d
For Women of Letters, I had the great pleasure of talking with @emjsmith.bsky.social.
We discuss her debut novel, her background in tech, how she navigated the transition to writing full-time, what she’s working on next, & so much more. 📚💙
womenofletters.substack.com/p/emily-j-smith
We discuss her debut novel, her background in tech, how she navigated the transition to writing full-time, what she’s working on next, & so much more. 📚💙
womenofletters.substack.com/p/emily-j-smith
Still so moved every time I see a shoutout to our podcast out in the wild. This one from Erin, who worked on @corinnelow.com’s amazing book, meant a lot
![A screenshot of text that reads: “into this world of data and ideas. As an economist and professor at Wharton, Corinne Low insists that no one-size-fits-all goal exists to describe happiness. Any self-help book that assumes people of all genders are aiming to maximize the same result, such as money or fame, will be inherently flawed, according to the author. Instead, Low advocates for calculating your own “personal utility function,” which accounts for both indirect means to fulfillment and direct fulfillment. If you love your job, for example, you might get indirect utility (wages) and direct utility (enjoyment) from it. Although no one is likely to pay you for spending time with your kids, the direct utility of doing so has value, nonetheless. We all get to make our own individual valuations in these matters, and Low provides the tools to do so. I don’t have a background in economics, but this idea seems to me like a refreshing take.
The author talks overtly about pushing back on business books like Lean In that advocate for women to take a certain approach to workplace leadership. She states this eloquently in the book, and also on an interview on the Women of Letters podcast, which I enjoyed. There isn’t any data, she says, that illustrates the efficacy of certain gendered traits over others. In her words:
“Research indeed underscores that women show differences in multiple traits compared to men, in a variety of settings […]. But *none* of the literature has demonstrated that the traits women exhibit more than men are actually *bad* from a profit or productivity perspective.” (90)
Perhaps it’s not women who need to change, Low suggests. Society, on the other hand, could benefit from looking at the data and adjusting how it values different styles of work and leadership. I love this message and the deep breath it lets me take as I navigate life’s twists and turns.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hxtylpqnglq2rtwwrst4g77b/bafkreiei222tkjwbry3fug4np72jl2qav4aslcjtumzngbzlwslo2rqsq4@jpeg)
November 25, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Still so moved every time I see a shoutout to our podcast out in the wild. This one from Erin, who worked on @corinnelow.com’s amazing book, meant a lot
New interview with 2x NYT-bestselling author Anna Malaika Tubbs on @womenofletters.org tomorrow ✨
Come say hi: womenofletters.substack.com
Come say hi: womenofletters.substack.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:09 PM
New interview with 2x NYT-bestselling author Anna Malaika Tubbs on @womenofletters.org tomorrow ✨
Come say hi: womenofletters.substack.com
Come say hi: womenofletters.substack.com
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
Okay now it’s the holidays
November 23, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Okay now it’s the holidays
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
Books We Love is back with a brand new batch of hand-picked titles. Mix and match tags like “Book Club Ideas” and “Eye-Opening Reads.” Find 380+ new 2025 reads, and stick around to browse more than 4,000 books from the last 13 years.
Books We Love
Here are 380+ great reads from 2025 handpicked just for you by NPR staffers and trusted critics.
n.pr
November 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Books We Love is back with a brand new batch of hand-picked titles. Mix and match tags like “Book Club Ideas” and “Eye-Opening Reads.” Find 380+ new 2025 reads, and stick around to browse more than 4,000 books from the last 13 years.
The disclaimer I add to any meme I send in the group chat
listen to me. listen to me right now. if you don't know what this tweet means, just close your device. don't look anything up. go for a walk. return in a week. if you don't listen to me, your life will be ruined and i can't be held accountable
November 24, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The disclaimer I add to any meme I send in the group chat
During the first season of Women of Letters, things were so hectic and uncertain that we were often scrambling even to publish our very next interview — because we hadn’t yet been able to secure it, because we had but something had come up along the way, because because because 🧵
November 20, 2025 at 2:57 PM
During the first season of Women of Letters, things were so hectic and uncertain that we were often scrambling even to publish our very next interview — because we hadn’t yet been able to secure it, because we had but something had come up along the way, because because because 🧵
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
I'm editing an anthology about unlikable characters and seeking work from younger writers, 15-21. If you know of one such writer who might want to submit their work for consideration, please share this call for submissions: audacity.substack.com/p/acquired-t...
Acquired Tastes: A Call for Submissions
For younger writers, ages 15-21
audacity.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 8:23 PM
I'm editing an anthology about unlikable characters and seeking work from younger writers, 15-21. If you know of one such writer who might want to submit their work for consideration, please share this call for submissions: audacity.substack.com/p/acquired-t...
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
Here is a morning puppy.
November 19, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Here is a morning puppy.
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
It is genuinely incredible to me how much evidence there is to support investing in the public good and how much animus there is to do this simple, effective thing.
November 18, 2025 at 3:00 AM
It is genuinely incredible to me how much evidence there is to support investing in the public good and how much animus there is to do this simple, effective thing.
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
“Part of me wishes I’d opened my eyes up to writing earlier, but in a lot of ways I’m grateful that I had a different experience than most writers I know.”
Emily J. Smith — @emjsmith.bsky.social — on how her years of experience as a woman working in tech informed her debut novel:
Emily J. Smith — @emjsmith.bsky.social — on how her years of experience as a woman working in tech informed her debut novel:
Pushing against the pull: In conversation with Emily J. Smith
In this author interview, Emily J. Smith discusses her debut novel NOTHING SERIOUS, her background in tech, how she navigated the transition to writing full-time, and what she’s working on next.
womenofletters.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:52 PM
“Part of me wishes I’d opened my eyes up to writing earlier, but in a lot of ways I’m grateful that I had a different experience than most writers I know.”
Emily J. Smith — @emjsmith.bsky.social — on how her years of experience as a woman working in tech informed her debut novel:
Emily J. Smith — @emjsmith.bsky.social — on how her years of experience as a woman working in tech informed her debut novel:
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 87.33%
November 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM
▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░ 87.33%
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation in 2025! "Each of these books arrives in English in expert and accessible translations that honour the art and voice of their original authors."
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation in 2025! "Each of these books arrives in English in expert and accessible translations that honour the art and voice of their original authors."
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
Icons on icons
Dua Lipa In Conversation With Margaret Atwood, Author of The Handmaid's Tale
YouTube video by Service95
youtu.be
November 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Icons on icons
Spent an hour sitting across the table from the hottest person I’ve ever seen in my life this morning and instead of saying literally anything about that I said “what are your plans for Thanksigiving”
November 8, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Spent an hour sitting across the table from the hottest person I’ve ever seen in my life this morning and instead of saying literally anything about that I said “what are your plans for Thanksigiving”
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
am reminded of the old joke: what did James Watson discover?
Rosalind Franklin’s notes.
Rosalind Franklin’s notes.
November 7, 2025 at 9:15 PM
am reminded of the old joke: what did James Watson discover?
Rosalind Franklin’s notes.
Rosalind Franklin’s notes.
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
A website I’ve never visited: you’ve reached your monthly article limit
November 7, 2025 at 4:11 AM
A website I’ve never visited: you’ve reached your monthly article limit
This is such a small thing, but I melt every time it happens:
My go-to email signoff is “Waving from my desk, Jana.” A lot of times, I’ll send a first-ever email to someone new, and in their message they’ll sign off saying “Waving back, [Name]”
🥹
My go-to email signoff is “Waving from my desk, Jana.” A lot of times, I’ll send a first-ever email to someone new, and in their message they’ll sign off saying “Waving back, [Name]”
🥹
November 7, 2025 at 2:46 PM
This is such a small thing, but I melt every time it happens:
My go-to email signoff is “Waving from my desk, Jana.” A lot of times, I’ll send a first-ever email to someone new, and in their message they’ll sign off saying “Waving back, [Name]”
🥹
My go-to email signoff is “Waving from my desk, Jana.” A lot of times, I’ll send a first-ever email to someone new, and in their message they’ll sign off saying “Waving back, [Name]”
🥹
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
I was lucky to have seen Laura give a talk on this work back in 2024. So thrilled at the news of the cover reveal and can’t wait to read the book
Excited to reveal the cover of my book, MIDDLEMEN: LITERARY AGENTS AND THE MAKING OF AMERICAN FICTION, which is available for pre-order now!
November 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I was lucky to have seen Laura give a talk on this work back in 2024. So thrilled at the news of the cover reveal and can’t wait to read the book
This is my Roman Empire. I can’t picture images in my head and didn’t realize until a few years ago that it was something other people could do
Some People Can’t See Mental Images. The Consequences Are Profound
Research has linked the ability to visualize to a bewildering variety of human traits—how we experience trauma, hold grudges, and, above all, remember our lives.
www.newyorker.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:32 PM
This is my Roman Empire. I can’t picture images in my head and didn’t realize until a few years ago that it was something other people could do
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
This might be the best email I’ve ever received.
November 3, 2025 at 4:29 PM
This might be the best email I’ve ever received.
I’ve become so absorbed, over these last few days, by a new-to-me book series — it’s all-consuming to the point that I’m involuntarily skipping meals, not sleeping, & running my iPad down to 0% charge because I can’t put it down
November 3, 2025 at 2:28 PM
I’ve become so absorbed, over these last few days, by a new-to-me book series — it’s all-consuming to the point that I’m involuntarily skipping meals, not sleeping, & running my iPad down to 0% charge because I can’t put it down
Reposted by Jana M. Perkins
(podcaster wedding vows) OK so first let's talk about how we got here
November 1, 2025 at 4:36 PM
(podcaster wedding vows) OK so first let's talk about how we got here
This was so good
Ira Glass Explains Why I’m Listening to Podcasts Wrong | SubwayTakes Uncut
YouTube video by SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma
www.youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:29 PM
This was so good