J.R. Jamison is an Indiana-based award-winning author, storyteller, and NPR podcast host who speaks and writes about empathy building, sexuality, mental health, and being LGBTQ in a red state. His nonfiction and fiction writing has appeared in The Huffington Post, Pangyrus, Beyond Words, Writer’s Digest and various other print and web publications, and his work has been covered by outlets such as The Guardian, Harlem World Magazine, PBS, Runner’s World, and The Statesider, among others.

J.R.’s memoir, Hillbilly Queer, was a Libro.fm bestseller in LGBTQ nonfiction (audiobook, narrated by the author) and received starred reviews from Library Journal and Foreword Reviews Magazine, and was chosen as one of the Top 10 Audiobooks of 2023 by Library Journal. In addition, the paperback edition was the silver winner of the 2022 Nautilus Book Award for Best Memoir, a finalist for the 2022 Indiana Authors Award, and nominated for the 2022 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Currently, he’s writing his debut young adult novel.

J.R. is also a founder of The Facing Project, a nonprofit that has helped over 7,000 people around the globe tell their stories on tough topics such as homelessness, depression, gun violence, and more with a goal of creating a more understanding and empathetic world.

He can be found online at jrjamison.com.