An Inspired Chat with Jessica McCann of Downtown

Jessica McCann shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Jessica, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Writing makes me lose track of time. There’s nothing better than becoming so immersed in a story, that you sit at your desk to write first thing in the morning and then you look up after what feels like a few minutes, but the sun has gone down and your family is at your door asking what’s for dinner. Where did the day go? Where did I go? I can lose a whole day, and yet I find myself in those lost moments. It doesn’t matter if I’m writing fiction or nonfiction. The result is the same. Reading has a similar effect on me. So does researching ideas and topics for my writing. It’s all about exploring the world around me, learning something new, and sharing what I’ve learned with others. I think it’s okay to lose track of time and get a little lost along the way, as long as you’re growing in the process.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a historical novelist and have worked more than 35 years as a professional writer for magazines, universities, corporations and nonprofits. One of my earliest assignments as a freelancer was covering a new surgical radiation technique for destroying brain tumors, during which I was permitted to don scrubs and observe inside the operating room. Since then, my reporting and creative nonfiction has appeared in dozens of magazines, including Business Week, The Writer, Phoenix, Raising Arizona Kids and ASU Research. My award-winning novels have been praised as “gripping,” “atmospheric,” and “unforgettable,” with “insightfully etched characters” and “vibrant imagery” by Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Historical Novels Review. In all my writing, I shares stories of ordinary people overcoming adversity to accomplish extraordinary things. Themes of nature, forgiveness, community, and perseverance are another hallmark of my work.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Becoming pregnant with my first child changed my entire world view almost overnight. That realization that you’re now responsible for a life that is 100 percent dependent on you for survival is earthshattering. From the food I ate or didn’t eat, to the amount of sleep I allowed myself, or how much I worked — all the things that seemed entirely personal and only about me were suddenly now about my child, first and foremost. When your view of yourself and your purpose in life shifts so dramatically, it changes how you see, think and feel about literally everything around you.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s okay to feel all the emotions, but it’s also important to let go of the ones that hold you down. Feelings of guilt, anger, resentment, and envy will eat you alive. Acknowledge them, strive to understand why you’re feeling them, and then take a deep breath and a step forward. Focus on the joy, love, kindness, and grace you have within yourself and all around you.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Literature, when it’s at its best, reflects humanity. It’s part of the reason why the “books like us” and “we need diverse books” movement has gained so much traction in recent years. The fact is, long before words like diversity and inclusivity became part of our daily language, our communities have always been diverse. What’s more, diversity goes beyond race, ethnicity, religion, and gender identity. It also includes neurodiversity, age, and disabilities. I believe well-drawn, diverse stories can bring people together. Because reading about our differences has a way of highlighting our similarities, as well.

In 2025, I launched the Arizona Author Book Festival to bring people together, to explore literature, celebrate our differences, and foster acceptance. The inaugural event attracted 500 attendees. It featured more than local authors, book signings, children’s story time, food trucks, live music, free book-themed make-and-take crafts, costumed characters, and “The Writing Spectrum,” which spotlighted books by, for and about neurodiverse people.

On May 3, 2026, the festival will again feature authors from throughout the state published in a range of fiction and nonfiction genres. Warehouse 215 in downtown Phoenix has generously donated use of their venue for the event. And thanks to the generosity of several publishers and authors, the first 1,500 children in attendance will receive a free book.

The Arizona Author Book Festival is a true community undertaking and benefits so many people on so many levels. The event is also a fundraiser for SEEDs for Autism, a nonprofit organization that provides a path from “learning to earning” for young adults on the spectrum through education, vocational training, and social development; 100 percent of the money raised in sponsorship, vendor, and author application fees benefits SEEDs programs.

My son is a longtime SEEDs participant, and I can’t say enough about how much their program has helped him develop as a young man, gain self-confidence, and become increasingly independent. It’s truly life-changing, and I want to do all I can to ensure their organization thrives and reaches many more teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. I volunteer my time to coordinate this event to give back to SEEDs, as well as to the reading and writing communities that have always supported me.

I would love for the funds we raise to build up a substantial endowment in the coming years that can grow and support SEEDs for Autism long after I’m gone.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I can, and I do. President Ronald Reagan kept a plaque on his desk with an anonymous quote. “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” I believe that to my core.

When I was younger, I needed external praise, needed outside validation that I was doing a good job or was worthy of my success. I guess with age and hard work I’ve learned that personal fulfilment doesn’t come from outside. It comes from within – an internal drive to do your best in everything you undertake, and in the pursuit of lifting up others. If those are your goals, if that’s what drives you, you’ve succeeded and can be proud of what you’ve achieved, even if you don’t get the credit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://azauthorbookfestival.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azauthorbookfestival
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamccann/
• Twitter: https://x.com/JMcCannWriter
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558861810035
• Other: https://jessicamccann.com/

  https://www.seedsforautism.org/

  https://www.youtube.com/@SEEDSforAutism