SELFIE INTERVIEW | Jennifer Moglia Lucil

Jennifer Moglia Lucil is a writer, outdoor teacher, and intrepid parent of twin teenage boys. Her southwest home has taught her about reciprocity with the natural world, while her New York and Massachusetts families have taught her to recover her roots in order to take imaginative flights.

Jennifer’s work has won local recognition, from the Albuquerque Museum of Art, Anne Hillerman Celebration of Writing Award, 2019, for “Night of Thieves,” and from Alibi.com’s Pretty in Pink Writing Contest for “Chance Conversations: Teachers Seize the Ride-Sharing Moment.”

Jennifer studied Literature at Smith College and holds a Master’s degree in Literature and Film Studies from Brown University. She lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Eckleburg: What captures your interest most in your work, now, as a reader of your work?

Jennifer Moglia Lucil: Living through unimaginable times, I actually stop myself in somber moods, and ask, what was absurd about this moment? Capturing the insanity feels like a way to salvage some sanity, maybe even have a laugh. This endeavor makes me unafraid, helps remind me that I can be as playful as I dare to be with my words.

Eckleburg: What are you working on now?

Jennifer Moglia Lucil: I’m working on a personal essay about an RV trip to Colorado with my husband and twin teenage boys during the pandemic crisis. The subject is truly ripe for capturing the hypocrisy of the notion of escape during this period in history. 

Eckleburg: Who and what are your artistic influences?

Jennifer Moglia Lucil: I remember watching The Grapes of Wrath with my grandfather, a film he loved as much for Henry Fonda’s “I’ll Be There” speech as for his own notion that a “man’s gotta’ work” to hold his head up in this world. Steinbeck’s novel made me believe in the power of fiction to lend dignity to the most vulnerable people. I love the artists that take the time to tell the overlooked stories, now more than ever, as our country’s under-represented people bear the brunt of systemic disease. Charlie Chaplin’s film, Modern Times continues to inspire me, as does Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye.

Eckleburg thanks Jennifer Moglia Lucil. Do you have new work published here at Eckleburg or elsewhere? Add your Selfie Interview and share the news with our 10,000+ reading and writing community. If you have a new book out or upcoming, join our Eckleburg Book Club and let our readers know about it.

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Jennifer Moglia Lucil
Jennifer Moglia Lucil grew up in New York, where her parents brought her to Broadway plays at every opportunity. Sometime later, though, she had a dream about picking up roots and traveling West. She now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her twin sons. Jennifer teaches an outdoor kindergarten and is a fierce advocate for children being in nature.

Jennifer's work has won local recognition, from the Albuquerque Museum of Art, Anne Hillerman Celebration of Writing Award, 2019, for "Night of Thieves," and from Alibi.com's Pretty in Pink Writing Contest for "Chance Conversations: Teachers Seize the Ride-Sharing Moment."

Jennifer studied Literature at Smith College and holds a Master's degree in Literature and Film Studies from Brown University. She lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico.