narrator
Jess Martin is a storyteller and singer-songwriter, as well as the Administrative Director of the Science Center at Amherst College. Martin was born in Heidelberg, Germany in the early 70s, but primarily grew up in Angleton, Texas. She went to the University of Houston for her BA in English and Creative Writing, then got a Master’s in Playwriting at Boston University. Despite their love of music and storytelling, they found themself working in STEM during the day to maintain a liveable wage, and worked at several esteemed institutions before landing at Amherst. They also co-founded a theater group called Queer Soup Theater, which operated for a decade around Boston. Martin primarily works as a singer-songwriter, rather than a playwright, since her arrival in Western Mass with her partner, Kim, in 2016. The couple moved here from Denmark to be closer to Kim’s parents. Martin is very optimistic and passionate about telling queer stories, and quarantine allowed them to go deeper into their musical work and eventually start performing more as a musician. She is interested in non-profit work and equity in the arts, and hosts Song Share Sessions in Florence for under-represented voices in the local music scene.
abstract
In this interview, Jess Martin reflects on their childhood in Angleton, Texas and experiences in school. She discusses how traveling to Boston for graduate studies allowed her to feel comfortable in her queer identity, and the ways in which her identities intersected with her theatrical pursuits. Martin also talks about her work in academia and time spent living abroad in Denmark, which she contrasts to her experiences both artistically and culturally in the US. They recount their decision to move to Northampton in 2016, and discuss their experiences with the community and musical scene in the Northampton area.