Jill Szoo Wilson is a writer, educator, and theatre artist whose work traces the layered intersections of story and truth, attentive always to the nuances beneath the surface. She is especially drawn to the conviction that nothing is ever just one thing, a fascination that shapes her work as a writer, teacher, and communicator.
She currently teaches courses in theatre and communication and has taught students of all ages, from middle school through university, while also working on professional stages and on screen for more than twenty years. Jill brings to her work a love of language and an enduring passion for helping others find meaning in the midst of grief, resilience, and transformation.
Her perspective has also been shaped by years of travel and collaboration with Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor, experiences that deepened her commitment to truth-telling, moral clarity, and forgiveness.
Whether through poetry, essays, or curriculum, Jill seeks to create work that is reflective, layered, and alive to the fullness of being human.
Influences & Inspirations
On the stage
Jill is drawn to the raw, restless poetry of Sam Shepard, whose plays dig beneath the surface of American life. His fractured families and haunted landscapes mirror her fascination with the complexity of identity and belonging.
On the screen
She admires Lucille Ball not only for her impeccable comedic timing but also for her tenacity as a trailblazing businesswoman who reshaped the entertainment industry on her own terms. She also looks to Kenneth Branagh, whose Shakespearean craft and cinematic vision combine intelligence, passion, and emotional depth.
On the page
She often returns to George Orwell, whose clear-eyed prose and moral urgency remind her of the power of truth-telling against systems of distortion.
In theology
She finds resonance in the work of Joel Richardson, whose writing challenges, provokes, and presses readers toward deeper engagement with faith and history.
In poetry
Emily Dickinson, today, tomorrow, and forever. Jill treasures her piercing brevity, her courage to dwell in ambiguity, and the way her words still feel alive, urgent, and unafraid of mystery.
In visual art
She is inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe, who once declared: “I have already settled it for myself, so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.” O’Keeffe’s fierce independence and luminous vision affirm Jill’s own belief in the freedom of artistic integrity.
In philosophy
She is drawn to thinkers who linger in paradox and metaphor. Søren Kierkegaard circles truth through irony and contradiction, unsettling easy answers. C.S. Lewis weds imagination to reason, letting images carry weight where argument alone cannot. Fyodor Dostoyevsky looks into the abyss of suffering and freedom, where even in the darkest corners of the soul, the possibility of grace refuses to vanish.
In her home
Music often drifts from the speakers in the form of Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel, filling the space with clarity, structure, and light.
In her car
The soundtrack shifts to the pulse of ’90s grunge and alternative, where grit and energy collide with memory and motion.
A random passion
Crows. Jill finds them endlessly fascinating: clever tool-makers, problem solvers, and fiercely loyal to their kin. They’re often mistaken for ravens, but if you know what you’re listening for, the difference is clear: a crow’s call is the sharp “caw, caw”, while a raven’s voice is lower and throatier, more of a “croooaak.” (For the full effect, listen here.) Basically, she has a soft spot for the world’s most opinionated bird.
Necessary Whispers 