NORFOLK, Neb. – Amber Jensen never intended to write a book, let alone a love story.
Instead, the author and college writing instructor sought to write an essay to help her deal with some of her feelings and make sense of it all. She and her husband, Blake, had their lives turned upside down when Blake was deployed while she was expecting their first child.
He was sent to Iraq in 2005, and their son, George, was born while he was there. When he returned home from the deployment, it was about two weeks before their son’s first birthday.
Jensen, who has written, “The Smoke of You: A Memoir of Love During & After Deployment,” was the final writer featured in the Visting Writer Series this semester at Northeast Community College. She shared some of her inspirations for the book and thoughts on writing as part of her presentation in the Union 73 Coffee Shop on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Jensen completed her undergraduate studies in English and Spanish at South Dakota State University. After teaching English in Mexico for five years, she continued her studies in literature and writing, earning a graduate degree at South Dakota State University and a master of fine arts in creative writing at the University of New Orleans.
Encouraged by mentors in both programs, she began drafting essays. She has since been widely published, including North Dakota Quarterly and in Red, White & True: Stories from Military Veterans and their families World War II to Present.
“The writing of this book started after he (husband Blake) was home,” Jensen said. “For me, like many writers, especially writers of memoirs, the writing process was about making sense of my experience and reflecting on what we had gone through as a family and trying to answer questions that I had.”
Jensen began by reading a scene from her husband’s return for R&R (rest and relaxation) for two weeks at Christmas. He met their son, and Jensen goes into detail about how she drove him to the airport in Sioux Falls, S.D., to leave when R&R ended.
The writing, which included her fears and concerns in detail, covers how Blake was able to hand their son, George, back to her when it was time to leave, turning off his emotions like soldiers are required to do as he “flipped the switch.”
Blake would later learn that she had written about that scene, and some others that were quite personal. After he read them, she heard his response.
“It’s a great story. And it’s your story. But I’m in it. It’s about us, too, but it’s your story. It’s about what it has been like for you to experience this.”
Jensen said his response almost surprised her. “He got it, which I was very thankful for.”
Jensen went on to write about other difficult topics. Her husband, who is private by nature, responded that he wished he would have been able to read about those experiences before he had left. It may have helped him to get through it, he would later tell her.
It took 10 years to write the book, with several essays – that almost read like prose at times -- connected by narratives that weave the story together.
“There are some more zoomed in moments that might be a little more lyrical or poetic,” Jensen said, in response to questions about how the book eventually came together.
The sense of vulnerability and connection between reader and writer that comes from creative nonfiction appeals most to Jensen.
“Creative nonfiction for me is the genre that feels like home,” she said.
“The Smoke of You: A Memoir of Love During & After Deployment” is published by Milspeak Books.
Explaining her Motivation
Amber Jensen, who wrote a book that covers her family's life while her husband was deployed to Iraq, discusses her motivation as Bonnie Johnson-Bartee (right), Northeast English instructor and Visiting Writers Series coordinator, listens on Dec. 4. (Northeast Community College)
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