Jennifer Skiff

Jennifer Skiff
Born 1961 (age 54–55)
Boston, MA
Occupation Writer
Journalist
Television producer
Nationality American
Period 1986-present
Genre Nonfiction
Notable works God Stories
The Divinity of Dogs
Website
jenniferskiff.com

Jennifer Skiff (born 1961)[1] is an American author, journalist and television producer, best known for writing inspirational books.

Early life and education

Skiff was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Bar Harbor, Maine.[2][3] Growing up, her family had pet dogs, and she has said she received emotional healing from dogs.[4][5] She graduated from Texas Christian University in 1983 with a double major in broadcast journalism and criminal justice.[6][7]

Career

Television

Skiff began her career at WTVX-TV in Fort Pierce, Florida, and also worked as an anchor and reporter at WABI-TV in Bangor, Maine, and covered crime at KUTV in Salt Lake City, Utah.[3][7] Wildlife Minutes, a television series she developed that highlighted the plight of endangered and threatened species, premiered on the Discovery Channel in 1987.[3] She worked as an investigative correspondent and producer for CNN for 14 years, and was a producer on the channel's environmental program Earth Matters.[2][4][7] As a segment producer for TBS's Network Earth, she was nominated for a 1992 CableACE Award for magazine show special or series,[8] and received an Environmental Media Award for TV News Magazine Segment as correspondent and writer for the series in 1996.[9]

Books

Skiff started working on her first book, God Stories: Inspiring Encounters With the Divine, after what she described as a miraculous recovery from bone marrow cancer at the age of 32.[10] It was published by Random House in 2008 and includes 100 stories of encounters with God, which she collected from people of various faiths, backgrounds and nationalities.[1][2] Publishers Weekly called it "mysterious and faith-inspiring" and "inspiring if uneven".[11] It was excerpted on Today.com.[12]

Her second book, The Divinity of Dogs: True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man's Best Friend, was published by Simon & Schuster on October 23, 2012. The book is a compilation of inspirational stories about dogs gathered from people's submissions.[13][14] It reached number 8 on the Toronto Star nonfiction bestseller list in April 2015.[15] The Divinity of Dogs was based on submissions Skiff received when writing God Stories. Starting in 2010, she spent over a year collecting submissions, photos, and interviews. The stories are told from the point of view of the dog owners. The book has a musical companion, The Divinity of Dogs: Music to Calm Dogs and the People Who Love Them, created by Skiff and pianist George Skaroulis.[1]

Bibliography

Personal life

Skiff splits her time living between Maine, USA, and Perth, Australia.[1][2][16] She is a trustee of the Dogs' Refuge Home, a no-kill shelter in Australia,[17] and also works with other charities to help abused and abandoned animals.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Judy Harrison, "Somesville author shows divinity of dogs through owners' stories," Bangor Daily News, October 27, 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 G. Jeffrey MacDonald, "Close encounters with the divine," USA Today, November 21, 2006.
  3. 1 2 3 Letitia Baldwin, "Newscaster a defender of animals," Bangor Daily News, September 21, 1996.
  4. 1 2 William Yeoman, "Canine tales simply divine," The West Australian, March 7, 2013.
  5. ↑ Judy Harrison, "Author searches for tales of divine dogs," Bangor Daily News, July 11, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Conversation with Jennifer Skiff '83," TCU Magazine, Winter 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 Judy Harrison, "Good God stories wanted," Bangor Daily News, August 26, 2006.
  8. ↑ Martie Zad, "CableACE Awards to air Sunday," Bangor Daily News, January 16, 1993.
  9. ↑ "EMA Awards Recipients & Honorees," green4ema.org. Accessed March 7, 2016.
  10. ↑ Julia Duin, "'Stories' Abounds with God's Grace," Washington Times, April 26, 2009.
  11. ↑ "God Stories: Inspiring Encounters with the Divine," Publishers Weekly, November 11, 2008.
  12. ↑ "'God Stories' of divine intervention," Today.com, December 22, 2008.
  13. ↑ "New Book Asks: Is ‘Higher Power' Behind the Special Abilities of Dogs?" CBS Chicago, June 30, 2013.
  14. ↑ Brook Bolen, "7 Stellar Books That Dog Lovers Won't Be Able To Put Down," BarkPost.com, July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Bestsellers," Toronto Star, April 3, 2015.
  16. ↑ Steve Dale, "New pet books make ideal gifts," Chicago Tribune, September 28, 2013.
  17. ↑ Shannon Cutts, "What Pets Know That People Don't," Psych Central, October 2013.
  18. ↑ "McNally Named New President of Hancock County SPCA Board," The Ellsworth American, April 11, 2012.

External links

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