Speaking—in defiance
of silence
staying as resistance. speaking as rebellion.
In a culture increasingly defined by extremes, fear and stigma often leave people isolated. Isolation breeds silence, and silence allows injustice to compound. At the same time, communities are searching for ways to engage in difficult conversations without deepening division.
Jen’s work in rural North Idaho offers a blueprint rooted in the power of personal story. Through narrative activism, she helps communities build empathy, foster connection, and create space for more honest conversation about injustice—especially in rural, conservative spaces where it feels the riskiest to speak up.
Inquiries about availability, customization, and honoraria are welcome.
Sample Lectures
Staying as Resistance, Speaking as Rebellion: Storytelling and Cultural Rewilding in Red America
Drawing on her work in North Idaho—one of post-Roe America's most conservative landscapes—author and activist Jen Jackson Quintano explores abortion storytelling as an act of subversion. She shares how her work with The Pro-Voice Project uses narrative to disrupt stigma, mitigate fear, and spark unlikely conversations in communities shaped by Christian nationalism's imposed morality. Drawing from her forthcoming book A Field Guide to Staying, she offers a framework for using story as a means of cultural rewilding and for practicing rooted resistance in contested spaces.
Audience takeaways:
How stories shape culture and public belief
How fear and silence reinforce harmful narratives
Why “staying” can be a form of resistance
How storytelling can reduce stigma and open dialogue
Why this work applies far beyond Idaho
House on Fire: Art, Activism, & Agency in a Combustible World
When the world seems engulfed in chaos and injustice, cultural creatives have a role to play in generating the antidote: namely, connection and hope. Through her experiences utilizing the narrative arts in her activism with The Pro-Voice Project, Quintano speaks to the power of our creativity to generate beauty, meaning, resistance, and change in a seemingly broken world.
Audience takeaways:
How to transform anger into sustained, purposeful passion and action
How storytelling can open connection rather than deepen division
Why creative work can change both the storyteller and the audience
How art can open conversation on difficult topics without escalating conflict
How joy and creativity help one burn bright as an activist without burnout
Previous Speaking Engagements
Praise:
“People are changed by this. Art is resistance—and the room was full of it.”
“I have seen Jen in action twice—once at the off-Broadway performance of One Body in New York City, and once when she spoke to my students at Smith College. Both times, she made a tremendous impact.
In New York…I spoke with audience members who reflected on the performance. One said: ‘It’s really, truly stunning how this one person in Idaho made a decision to do this—and here we are tonight. People are changed by this. Art is resistance. And this room tonight is full of it.’
At Smith College, Jen reached a very different audience—young college students. My students were rapt. They had questions, at the talks, and for weeks afterwards. Jen made a deep impression on them, inspiring them and guiding them.
We were so inspired that Smith is now bringing One Body to campus this fall.”
— Professor Carrie Baker, Smith College —
Jen is available for keynote speeches, panel discussions, writing intensives and multi-day residencies focused on developing and sharing personal stories.
Jen speaks on:
political polarization and public discourse
stigma reduction and narrative change
storytelling as a tool for cultural and social change
organizing in rural and politically complex spaces
reproductive rights and lived experience
fostering meaningful dialogue in unlikely spaces
Her work is well-suited for:
Universities and colleges
Civic and community organizations
Faith communities
Arts and cultural organizations
Healthcare and social justice groups