Jaclyn Youhana Garver

Jaclyn Youhana Garver is an author, poet, and journalist. Her first novel, Then, Again, is available for pre-sale and will come out Nov. 12, 2024, from Lake Union Publishing. Jaclyn is represented by Savannah Brooks of kt literary agency.

In her contemporary fiction, Jaclyn explores the nuances of grief, love, family, and friendship. Her story “The Butterfly Catcher” appeared in From Beyond Press’s The World Belongs To Us: An Anthology of Horror Stories About Bugs in 2023. Her first poetry collection, the chapbook The Men I Never:, was published in 2023 from Chicago’s dancing girl press. She received an honorable mention in Writers Digest’s 90th Annual Writing Competition in 2021 in non-rhyming poetry for the piece “I Never Caught His Name”; and two in its 2022 competition, for “I Let the Mosquito Bite Me When I Held You” and “A Secret Letter for K.” She has been on the board of directors for the Midwest Writers Workshop since January 2023.

Jaclyn worked for daily newspapers for eight years and in community college marketing for five. Her current and previous freelance clients include Cincinnati Magazine, Lifehacker.com, Harper College, Orange Coast College, Visit Fort Wayne, and Graphics Output. She’s also the communication and DEI manager for the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations (NCMPR), the country’s premier professional organization for community college marketers. Her duties include producing Can You Make It Pretty?, NCMPR’s podcast; writing emails, blog posts, scripts and more; managing the organization’s three social media platforms; media relations; and helping plan NCMPR’s national conference for 300+ attendees.