Janelle’s writing experience includes local journalism, music news and reviews, other pop culture, and personal essays about grief, life as a new parent, and more. Her work has been featured in southwestern Pennsylvania newspaper Herald-Standard and the local affiliate of CBS’s Eat. See. Play., as well as online publications Insider, Literary Mama, HerStry, Paste, Ms. Magazine, and more. She also previously served as managing features editor of Inyourspeakers.
Currently, her music writing can be found on Medium.
She is also a regular lists writer for Collider.
Recent Work
“I am historically a late adopter, so much so that “late” is an understatement, especially as a 30-something millennial. More accurately, I begrudgingly accept new technology when I have no other choice — when a device is barely functional when my preference is no longer sold, then I’ll upgrade. I still own multiple towers full of CDs, standing alongside my floor-to-ceiling bookcase; my iPhone is a few generations behind the latest release.”
—”How the Pandemic Changed My Opinion of E-Readers,” From the Library
“A psychic once told me that to the dead, we forever remain the age we were when they died.
To my dad, I will always be 30.
To the rest of us, he will always be 54.”
— “Change,” Raw Lit
“Personally, when I trust my brother or one of my siblings-in-law with the care of my child, I’m trusting them to not only keep him safe but to be a stand-in for me and my husband. If they catch him in the midst of misbehaving — especially if I’m not there — I absolutely want them to stop him and correct him, and I know they feel the same. Whether we’re babysitting each other’s kids or one of us sees something while the parent is in another room, we understand, accept, and dare I say even appreciate the fact that our children won’t be allowed to run rampant, behaving in any way they want with no consequence.”
— “In Defense of Kylie Jenner, It Takes a Village,” A Parent Is Born
“But above all, this negativity fails to capture the best parts of being a parent, what most of us will tell you makes it all worth it: Having a tiny human who you think is the greatest person on this planet, even when all they do is eat, sleep, and poop. That heart-melting first smile. The infectious belly laughs over the simplest things, like a dog barking. Watching them discover everything from their own feet to the beauty of nature. The irresistible snuggles. Watching them grow from being tiny, helpless, and entirely dependent on us to slowly but surely needing us a little bit less, from rolling over to walking to even making attempts at things like brushing their hair, washing themselves in the bathtub, and haphazardly dressing—or undressing—themselves.”
— “Parenting Is About More Than Bad Days—Here’s to Focusing on the Positives,” The Everymom
“At its best, the show does more with its seven-minute runtime than many much longer shows do. It serves both child and adult audiences equally with takeaways for everyone, and yes, even the occasional tearjerker. “
“As parents, we babyproof our homes and follow our pediatricians’ guidelines with the understanding that much of what we’re doing is temporary — eventually, blankets and stuffed animals will make their way into our children’s beds, the car seat will be unnecessary, and the outlet covers and cabinet locks will be removed. They are not measures intended for or needed far beyond the early years. So, too, is the case with COVID-19 precautions.”
“When I woke up on my 25th birthday, I didn’t feel like I’d reached some milestone signaling the beginning of old age. I wasn’t upset. Instead, I felt invigorated, and now, a couple years beyond 30 — another societal harbinger of old age — not much has changed.“
“As late as my final days of pregnancy, maybe even as late as the days just after my son was born, I thought I wanted to go back to work. I not only thought I’d be okay with being a working mom, I thought I’d enjoy it. I saw myself as being restless during my leave, even unfulfilled or bored, ready to reenter the working world. Instead, I feel like work is pulling me away from being a mother.”
— “I Thought I Wanted to Be a Working Mom. I Was Wrong.,” Motherwell newsletter
“Paul and I stood side by side. It was a dreary winter afternoon, and as lifelong bookworms, we were spending it together in an old house that had been converted into a used bookstore, with each room dedicated to a different genre. We were scouring the shelves, poring over every author and title looking for books we’d been wanting to add to our respective collections. At the exact same moment and in near-perfect unison, we both squatted down to inspect the lower shelves.”