Jonathan Odell is the author of the acclaimed novel The View from Delphi (MacAdam Cage), which deals with the struggle for equality in pre-civil rights Mississippi, his home state. His new novel, The Healing (Nan A. Talese/Doubleday), explores the subversive role that story plays in the healing of an oppressed people.
Odell’s short stories and essays have appeared in Stories from the Blue Moon Café (MacAdam Cage, 2004), Men Like That (University of Chicago Press, 2001), Letters of the Twentieth Century (Dial Press, 1999), Breaking Silence (Xanthus Press, 1996), Speakeasy Literary Magazine, Savannah Literary Journal, Commonweal Magazine, and UTNE Reader. The View from Delphi was the Spring selection for “Talking Volumes,” the joint book club of Minnesota Public Radio, the Star Tribune and the Loft Literary Center.
Born in Mississippi, Odell grew up in the Jim Crow South and became involved in the civil rights movement in college. He holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology and has been active in human resource development for over 30 years. He has held the position of Vice President of Human Resources for a Minneapolis based corporation and later founded his own consulting company. In that field he published Work Skills for Teams and Courageous Conversations, a revolutionary approach to diversity training. These programs have grossed over a million dollars in sales to organizations such as General Mills, Prudential Insurance Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hewlett-Packard, and Avon. Odell also built a successful practice as a Leadership Coach to executives in Fortune 500 companies.
In 2003, along with Minneapolis civil rights leader and city councilperson Don Samuels, Odell founded the Institute for Authentic Dialogue to spark conversations across race. He appeared before thousands of business executives, clergy, community and government leaders, and educators, teaching the skills for authentic dialogue through sharing his own race story.
Last year Odell was given the opportunity to design and implement Heart Jumps!, a literary intervention for elementary and middle school children that uses story creation as a way to increase a child’s love for reading and writing, self-esteem, and classroom safety. The program will be piloted in two Twin Cities school districts this fall.
Minneapolis Star Tribune, St. Paul Pioneer Press, and Minnesota Public Radio have all done feature stories on the work Odell is doing using story to bridge personal, racial, and cultural differences. He has appeared on radio and TV across the country and has been a regular commentator for Minnesota Public Radio.
With his partner, award-winning artist Jim Kuether, Odell is completing an illustrated children’s book, Just Call Me A Dinosaur.
Odell is presently putting the finishing touches on a volume of personal essays tentatively titled: Growing Up a Gay Fundamentalist Southern Baptist in Mississippi, or, God What Were You Thinking?
Hi My Dear Friend….Susie gave me your web site….it’s great….Take Care…Scott
This all sounds real interestin’!
Thanks, Scott. It’s great to be in communication again. I bet with both have some great stories to share in catching up. A lot of things can happen in 40 years!
Thanks, Trixie, that’s a high compliment coming from you. I’d like to link up to your website, at the risk of putting mine to shame. But I’m willing to take that risk if it means enlightening the masses to your sage pronouncements. I know I’ll never be quite the same, no matter how much I try.
I recently read your article in Commonweal Magazine entitled “Coming Home,” and am planning on using it in a paper I’m writing. I greatly enjoyed your article and just wanted to let you know that you present the issue of homosexuality and theology in a whole new light. As a homosexual and hopefully a budding theologian myself, your article was truly inspiring.
Zachary, I’m proud that the article impressed you enough to reference in your paper. Let me know if there is any way I can be of further assistance. And if you are willing, I would love to read your paper. Good luck in your studies. I’m excited about the path you have taken as a gay Christian. We need your voice.
This may be a delayed reaction, but I just read a reprint of your “Coming Home” article in Utne Magazine. I also share your experience with the concept of holding two contradicting thoughts. I am a christian who was raised in the church ahd heavily involved in many areas of ministry including serving as an elder for 6 years. I have run away from that “family” but still firmly hold a belief in God. Although I am not gay, I feel much frustration with the animosity Christians hold towards the gay community. After experiencing a number of emotional tragedys I gave up on believing God was good. I was a caregiver for a disabled man and had to take him to a weekly church service, my first time back at church in about 3 years. Those were healing and refreshing times for me, often leaving me in tears but genuinely experiencing the loving presence of God. The minister was gay. and the church even had a float entry in the annual gay pride parade…. I would like to hear how some fundamentalist Christians can explain God using a gay minister to reach a lost and hurting child such as myself.
Hey John, what a great writer! Gary Mazzone at Borders told me to give you a call–if you don’t mind emailing me, that would be great. Best of luck to you!
Greetings from another Laurel native, (former) Minneapolis resident and writer. Would love to compare notes some time. I assume you can see my email address. I also emailed your publicist at Random House and asked him to forward a msg to you.
Hello Noel! Yes, we talked years ago. I’d love to reconnect. I’ll contact you at the email in your comment.
Hi, Jon! I’m excited to climb into your newest book, and to give it away as a gift to my friends. It’s been quite a while since the crew from C. corporation got together, hasn’t it? Congratulations in your successes in your many efforts~
Hello, Kelli. It’s good to see you here! Yes, as Doug W. used to say, a lot of water has passed under the dam! Thanks for checking in and I hope you enjoy the book!
Hi Jon, My book club just read “The View from Delphi” I found the book through Viki Bynum “Renegade South”. I’m looking for questions to use at our meeting.
My mothers maiden name was Ishee, she was born in Laurel Mississippi. Pre Civil war generations. Did you know any Ishees when you were growing up in that town?. I’ve found many of my moms family in Victoria Bynum’s book “Free State of Jones”.