About Jane Louise Newhagen

About Me

I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. I "went east to
college" where I graduated from Brown University in
Providence, R.I. Since then, I've lived in Massachusetts,
New Jersey, New York, France, and mainland Florida.

Today I live and write in Key West.

I once lived in a house that was brought to Key West from
the Bahamas in the 1800's. The thick heart pine walls were
so hard they bent nails. At the kitchen doorway, old wood
cupped beneath a new sill. I knew there was dust in the
cracks that dated from the original owners. I put a pencil and paper in the attic in case there
was a spirit presence with something to say. There wasn’t, but I never lost the sense of the
people who lived there before me. These were the seeds of Sand Dollar and Pieces of Eight,
my tales of old Key West.

I can’t remember when I didn’t like to read and write. I've published nonfiction articles about
just about everything - horses, fitness, interviews. Maybe my favorite was the dining column
I wrote for a monthly magazine. I enjoy doing interviews, too, because they let me ask the
questions I wouldn't normally dare. Some other publications include:

My stories have won four prizes in the Key West Writers Guild short story contest. The
titles were Remembrance, Suenos, Confession, and The English Lesson. Judging was
blind, with four professionals serving as judges. Confession and The English Lesson

were published in the guild anthology, Voices from Key West.

My reminiscence, Grandmommy's Love, is included in All My Good Habits I

Learned from Grandma, published in 2007 and edited by Laurel Seiler Brunvoll.

My short story, Paint Job, was published in the 2006 Florida International University
Key West Writers Conference Anthology.
My essay was a finalist in the Inter-American Press Association Chapultepec Essay
Contest.
My fable, Amavie, won second place in the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National

Wildlife Refuge contest.

I've written articles on W.E.B. DuBois and Thurgood Marshall for 100 People Who
Changed 20th Century America, due to be published in October 2012.
Sand Dollar and Pieces of Eight are the first two books in a trilogy about Key West.

Some Little-Known Facts About Key West

The Florida Keys are the only frost-free region in the continental United States. Key West is
closer to Cuba (90 miles) than it is to Miami (125 miles). A mayor of Key West once water
skied to Cuba.

A good place to walk, watch birds and study history is the Key West City Cemetery. It’s said
that as many as 70,000 people have been buried there during its 165 years of existence. Some
of the graves are marked with sayings like “I told you I was sick” and “I’m just resting my
eyes.”

Harry Truman enjoyed regular vacations in Key West and many presidents have visited.
They’re remembered by Roosevelt Blvd., Eisenhower Drive, and Kennedy Drive. The
Margaret Truman laundry is located at the corner of Margaret Street and Truman Avenue.
You can visit the "Little White House" where Harry Truman stayed during his frequent
visits to the island.

If you're planning a trip to Key West, park your car and walk or
rent a bicycle. You'll see a lot more and you won't have to find a
place to park!