Jack Bragen
Bewildering Stories biography
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As a teenager, I read a lot and lacked social skills. At that time and in my twenties, I made some pitiful attempts at becoming a published author.
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1982 but was determined that this diagnosis would not ruin my life. In this vein, I had numerous work attempts for the next fifteen years, and some of them were successful. In my late twenties, I somewhat threw in the towel and began to live on public benefits.
Then came the computer age, and I asked my father for his old PC. Shortly after this, in my mid- to late thirties, I discovered I could write. By this time, I was married to my wife, Joanna.
I had always wanted to be a writer because I can work at home, choose my own hours, and supervise myself. I started out writing articles for Street Spirit newspaper. Later, I started writing opinion pieces for Berkeley Daily Planet. I eventually did a column for the Daily Planet “On Mental Illness.” I am in my eleventh or twelfth year of writing that column.
Meanwhile, I was also writing fiction, a piece appearing in 2003, on the last page of the last issue of Ragged Edge magazine, a parody about SSI reviews. A lot of my fiction has appeared in The Street Spirit newspaper. I believe that there is a future for me as a fiction author. A few years ago, I placed a piece in Daily Science Fiction, called “The Classifieds” a futuristic advertising sheet.
I have also placed two personal essays in Mindfulness Bell, a Buddhist magazine, a number of guest commentaries in East Bay Times, and a slew of others. Some of the publications I have written for no longer exist. And I also have a blog, and I’ve put together a Facebook page.
I have done some self-publishing of books, but this short-circuits having the benefit of an editor, and it doesn’t reach as many readers compared to conventional publishing. But it does bring in a few dollars here and there, and when I say a few, I mean a few.
I am now fifty-eight and I have gained a scrap of wisdom, social and otherwise. I live in Martinez, California with my wife, Joanna, and our dog, Sweetpea a small, mixed-breed, adorable pup who is about fifteen years old.
Copyright © 2012, 2023 by Jack Bragen
