Blog Archives - Alison Garwood-Jones Alison Garwood-Jones

Jayne Was an Artist

October 23, 2025

Jayne Mansfield by Alison Garwood-Jones

Ed Sullivan would not have a late night TV show today.

He was a super freak — intensely awkward (not in a charming way) and untelegenic (in a Richard Nixon way).

But even bigger than that, this was a guy who valued talent regardless of the race, gender or measurements it came in.

When Sullivan welcomed Jayne Mansfield onto his show in 1957 to perform a violin concerto, he didn’t pull a Jack Paar — “And here they are, Jayne Mansfield!” (a writer’s room line by a 21-year-old smartass named Dick Cavett).

He prepared his audience for what they were about to see: “Here’s a girl [he wasn’t perfect] who can “out-violin Jack Benny … and all because her mother made her practice.”

Behold, a gowned Mansfield (sleeves rolled up). Or rather, one Vera Jayne Palmer, dedicated music student, giving her full attention to Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 6 in A Minor.

For the first time, a nation witnessed Mansfield pull her away from an awareness of her body and lean into the music’s imagery. Jayne was an artist!

Cultural biases change in small, incremental breakthrough moments like this.

Vera Jayne and Norma Jean sound like they could have been soul mates.

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Your Event Emcee

September 10, 2025

Meet the emcee for your next event: ME!

As a beauty editor, I learned to think on my feet and stay poised.

As a magazine feature writer, I learned to ask smart questions and tell a good story.

As a university instructor, I’ve mastered clear communication and crowd engagement—on stage and off.

As a public speaker, I know how to command a room.

As a webinar host, I know how to manage live timing and tech hiccups without breaking a sweat.

I’ll bring all of these skills to the stage as your next event emcee.

If you’re interested in teaming up with me, you can reach me at: alison(dot)garwoodjones(at)gmail(dot)com

Let’s put on a show!

Sources:

Music: “Happy Toes” by MooveKa on ArtList.com
Drawings inspired by “For Audrey With Love,” by Philip Hopman (New York: North|South, 2016).
Alison at The Arcadian Court in Toronto hosting the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards. Photos by Sammy Kogan.

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On The Ground

September 1, 2025

Rethinking your skills in the age of AI

ON THE GROUND tracks how people in my neighbourhood and city are rethinking which creative skills they can promote as AI reconfigures paid working opportunities.

Abby Parsons is a Lego contractor. She makes models of your home, office or factory. I’ve never met her, but I find her work and marketing convincing and charming. Such chutzpah!

If you’re not in Toronto, I’m sure she could recreate your home or headquarters if you send her a good photo.

Rethinking your skills in the Age of AI

Let’s put Abby to work!

Contact her for a free quote at: abby(at)brickandblock(dot)ca – cc @legocanada @lego

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Summer Book Tour

July 16, 2025

"Inking Your Grief," author talk by Alison Garwood-Jones (author of I Miss My Mommy)

I’m convinced that when a loved one dies, the biggest reason so many people post a final hand-holding meme to LinkedIn and Instagram is because they’re hoping their boss and co-workers will be kinder and more patient with them.

📚 I’m on my author tour for I MISS MY MOMMY (latest stop: Burlington Public Library). Since I started giving my book talk, “Inking Your Grief,” people in small towns and big cities have all shown a desire to talk more openly and honestly about loss and how grief is affecting their everyday lives.

⚰️ Think about it: we just lived through “a mass bereavement event” (how psychologists at the NIH are describing the pandemic). Capitalism may roar ahead as if nothing happened, but most grievers want time, space, and validation as they figure out how to adjust to their new lives.

⚾ PITCH: If you’re a forward-thinking HR professional who’s looking to humanize and update your organization’s approach to grief and bereavement leave, I’d love to meet you in my DMs. My talk, “Inking Your Grief,” offers a unique opportunity to connect and reflect on the power of images to help us sit with emotions we’d all rather avoid but can’t stop feeling. When people feel their deepest needs have been validated by their workplace, they’re more resilient personally and professionally.

I MISS MY MOMMY is an award-winning illustrated novel about grief and what life looks like after losing your parents (Kirkus Star, Kirkus Best Books of 2024, IPPY 2025 medal winner). My printing partner is Lulu Press.

"Inking Your Grief," author talk by Alison Garwood-Jones (author of I Miss My Mommy)

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Aim to Push Boundaries

July 14, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Perspectives - July 10, 2025

Is courage your first instinct or your last? I don’t think it matters so long as you show it.

Writing a book is an act of courage. So is reading one, especially if it’s a topic that scares the bejesus out of you — like losing your parents, losing your democracy, or watching your country lose its humanity while you still have yours.

If you haven’t written a beach read, then pushing your book on readers never works. They have to find it when they’re ready and receptive, or just plain desperate for a better way forward.

Grief, sexuality, and political power sit at the crossroads of our deepest vulnerabilities and our fiercest truths — each one exposing what we fear, desire, and stand to lose. They aren’t just topics, they’re thresholds that test who we are and what we’re willing to face.

Thank you to Kirkus Reviews for including I MISS MY MOMMY last week in this think piece on pushing boundaries.

Kirkus Reviews Perspectives - July 10, 2025, featuring I MISS MY MOMMY by Alison Garwood-Jones

Kirkus Reviews Perspectives - July 10, 2025, featuring I MISS MY MOMMY by Alison Garwood-Jones
I MISS MY MOMMY is my illustrated novel geared especially at orphaned adults looking for validation for their need to grieve. Available at: PenJarProductions.com

Printed and shipped with care by Lulu Press, Inc.

cc Kirkus Reviews

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Upcoming Burlington Library Talk

June 20, 2025

Alison Garwood-Jones will give her talk, "Inking Your Grief," at the Burlington Public Library Central branch

To my Hamilton and Burlington peeps (hey, @hillstrath grads!), mark your calendars:

SATURDAY, JULY 12
2:00-3:30 PM
BURLINGTON CENTRAL LIBRARY – 2331 New St, Burlington, ON L7R 1J4

Come and say hi and please join me for the homecoming edition of my author talk, “INKING YOUR GRIEF.”

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Discover how author and illustrator Alison Garwood-Jones found drawing to be a powerful way to process loss and promote healing. Alison reflects on the grief of orphaned adults through a series of portraits—some grim, some funny, but all relatable—from her new book, I MISS MY MOMMY. Find out how creating art can help keep a loved one close or foster peace and understanding when there’s no love lost.

This is a unique opportunity to connect and reflect on the power of images and of art making to help us sit with emotions we’d rather avoid but can’t stop feeling.

An audience Q&A will follow the talk, and her book will be available for sale and signing.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

My thanks to Emma Burkholder and Parampreet Khanuja for their enthusiastic support. Librarians have wings.

I MISS MY MOMMY is available in paperback at PenJarProductions.com and most libraries across the Golden Horseshoe and the GTA. The Ebook version is available through Indigo.

My printing partner is the one and only Lulu Press

Alison Garwood-Jones will give her talk, "Inking Your Grief," at the Burlington Public Library Central branch

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Adding event host to my skillset

June 18, 2025

Alison Garwood-Jones hosting the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards in Toronto.

As AI scales way up, I’m feeling very team human. If you need a confident, warm stage presence at your next event, let’s talk.

I’m able to lead corporate functions, award ceremonies and community gatherings (in person and online). I’ll adapt my tone to your needs, from formal awards to casual meetups. 🎤

For context: I’m a former beauty editor, with ample media experience, and a current instructor at the University of Toronto (SCS).

I’m in my element leading interesting discussions with large groups.

You can get in touch with me here.

Alison

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Digital Publishing Awards

June 13, 2025

Digital Publishing Awards behind the scenes with host Alison Garwood-Jones and Colin Leslie, President of the National Media Awards Foundation.

That’s a wrap!

Today I hosted the Digital Publishing Awards at Toronto’s historic Arcadian Court. Colin Leslie, Editor in Chief of The Medical Post, did the intros before he passed the baton to me to present the categories and winners.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and medalists. Canadian journalists are meeting this moment in history with bravery and depth.

A special thanks to Barbara Gould, John Wilson and the whole team at the National Media Awards Foundation for inviting me to participate.

Let’s do it again!

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Inking Your Grief

May 23, 2025

Every audience is different.

Some are earnest and quiet. Others are on the edge of their seats and ready to laugh, even at a talk on grief. Especially at a talk on grief.

I appreciate both, and I seem to know how to adjust to serve their needs on that particular day.

Not knowing what I’ll get from an audience is the beauty of public speaking. That and the fact that we all decided to show up for each other.

I’d love to see you (yes YOU!) at my next library talk this coming Wednesday, May 28 at the North York Central Library in Toronto. Curtains up at 6 pm.

I’ll be pulling stories from my book I MISS MY MOMMY, an illustrated novel that’s quickly becoming a companion for readers who find themselves managing grief while they learn how to “do life” without their parents. There will be demos from my sketchbooks (“How did that sketch make it into your book?”)

At my last talk, the librarian at the projector left the room half way through and came back with two boxes of Kleenex.

Like everything in life, none of this was planned.

Photo: Andrea Beranek. She is working on my speaker reel. Thanks, Andrea!

I MISS MY MOMMY is printed and shipped with care by the good folks at Lulu Press, Inc.

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For Mother’s Day

May 6, 2025

When I was fresh out of grad school, I moved to Toronto and got a job in a restaurant.

It was the first of many times in my life when I was faced with figuring out where to place my skills and seeing who would have me.

I found it helpful to talk it out with mothers, starting with my own.

During that time, Hyacinth Grenville, girl mom to Delia, Alisia Dale and Deidre, became one of my phone buddies.

Hyacinth Grenville by Cheryl Reyes

Ostensibly, I would ring up their Brampton home to talk to Alisia Dale, her middle child and a recent law school grad, but it never stopped at, “Hi Mrs. Grenville, is Alisia there?” (Historical fact: that’s how communication worked on communal home phones in the 1990s).

Hy and I went at it for half an hour before she passed over the receiver to her daughter.

At that time, Hyacinth was working at the head office of a big Canadian grocer while studying for her Ph.D. Her Guyanese take on life’s ups and downs made me laugh out loud and think of my potential in new ways.

Hy was like a cork bouncing on top of the ocean, never letting anything or anyone push her down. She’d had her fair share of adversity, but she didn’t share her wounds (or even her scars) with me. Her humour and spark meant everything. She believed in me and I believed in her.

This Mother’s Day post is for Hyacinth and her daughters. Last Christmas, Alisia’s big sister, Delia (also my friend), let me know how my illustrated book, I MISS MY MOMMY, was helping her deal with missing Hy:

“For me, it helped open the door to the ‘waiting room of grief’ and sit with uncertainty. It’s a nice reminder that we’re not in it alone.”

Delia Grenville on why she found the book, I Miss My Mommy, helpful for understanding her grief.

Delia Grenville on why she found the book, I Miss My Mommy, helpful for understanding her grief.
I MISS MY MOMMY is available at PenJarProductions.com