coté writes - the official blog of writer jennifer coté

Life Lately 2024 Edition

^{Me and my small but mighty family chillin’ by some tide pools in our new neighborhood. Photo by Rachel Zee.}

I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’m still waiting for someone to throw a parade to celebrate making it to the other side of everything we’ve been through as a species since 2020. This, of course, always starts the worry-chorus in my brain churning with, “Wait, but are we really on the other side of anything? Isn’t there a new germ, a new war, and a new slew of horrific tragedies waiting just around the corner? Don’t you dare celebrate yet!” I tend to apply this kind of thinking to celebrating or just plain sharing my own personal and professional news, too — in my mind, bolder accomplishments and bigger news are always a mere matter of weeks/months away, so why crack open that bubbly in the piddly ol’ here and now?

BUT, with the start of a new year I figure I’ll attempt to break with my usual habits and share a bit about what I’ve been up to lately…

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My "When Harry Met Sally" Career Moment

January 5, 2024 by Jennifer Coté

Sweet Nothings

My “When Harry Met Sally” Career Moment

You know that scene toward the end of When Harry Met Sally where Harry tracks Sally down at a New Year’s Eve ball to profess his love to her? If not, here’s a little primer on this iconic rom-com moment… He essentially rattles off a bunch of quirky, adorably specific traits he finds endearing about her and then says:

“It’s not because I’m lonely, and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”

Pretty romantic, right? Well, not too long ago I had a moment of romance a lot like it… With my career.

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July 27, 2022 by Jennifer Coté

Sweet Nothings

Big Things

The Flatiron Building in NYC (a.k.a., a big, bold creation)

Big things they are a-comin’. As such, I’m doing a bit of cleaning up around here…

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My "When Harry Met Sally" Career Moment

April 14, 2019 by Jennifer Coté

Monday Muse

Anias Nin

Anias Nin at work in Los Angeles, 1963

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anias Nin

I’m not gonna lie, I first heard of Anias Nin through a Jewel song. Yeah, that’s right, I actually still have a soft spot for Jewel, but that’s a story for another time… Right now, let’s talk about the iconoclastic Ms. Nin. A prolific diarist, novelist, and writer of erotica, Nin’s self-reflective, deeply honest prose is remarkable for the way it all at once captures the essence of her era and the influential literary circles she ran in while remaining timeless. I mean, isn’t it uncanny how her words above ring so true today and yet you could probably imagine them having been written back in the Elizabethen Era as well?

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Eyes Off You

November 13, 2017 by Jennifer Coté

Movies and TV

Eyewitness This

Amanda Brugel as Sita Petronelli in EYEWITNESS episode 101 (Photo by: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network)

EYEWITNESS Episode 101 “Buffalo ’07” Pictured: Amanda Brugel as Sita Petronelli (Photo by: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network)

I’ve spent the last year of my life writing and producing this television series, which debuts tonight at 10 p.m. on USA Network. Because I know you care (and because I know you’ll downright love it), here is a sneak peek at the first 12 minutes of the show. So much sweat, blood, and tears have gone into these 12 minutes, and the story, cast, and crew you’ll get a taste of here are so damn fabulous that they even inspired me to relocate to Canada for five months. I apologize in advance for the way they’re going to get you hooked. If you want a little reading to tide you over before the episode airs tonight, I highly recommend sinking your teeth into The Advocate’s review of EYEWITNESS, which not only reminds me of everything we were aspiring to do with the show but has made me fall in love with what I thought was the lost art form of critical review essays. Enjoy…

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October 16, 2016 by Jennifer Coté

Monday Muse

Oh, Meryl

Meryl on the set of Sophie’s Choice

“Put blinders on to those things that conspire to hold you back, especially the ones in your own head.” -Meryl Streep

PS: I’m just getting home after 4+ months producing a badass TV series in Canada. Can’t wait to tell you more about it once I catch my breath {and catch up on what feels like a lifetime of needed sleep}. xo

Photo via Pinterest.

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Judy Garland

Eyes Off You

Merry Clayton

August 8, 2016 by Jennifer Coté

Movies and TV

Shades of Lately

Tonight is a pretty big night. A TV show that I’ve been working on intensely for the past few years premieres tonight — yes, tonight — nationally for all to see. Maybe you’ve heard of it, it’s this small show called Shades of Blue starring Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta… It has been such an amazing experience to be with this show from inception to production, and I hope you enjoy the finished product. (Shades airs Thursday January 7th 2016 at 10 p.m. on NBC. Yay!)

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January 7, 2016 by Jennifer Coté

Sweet Nothings

Happy Holidays, Yo

Requisite holiday snapshot of the husband and me

It’s that time of year again. Time to pose in goofy photo booths at holiday parties, drink too much eggnog, cry about all the weight that will inevitably be gained from said eggnog, and then eat an entire gingerbread house to cheer one’s self up. Yup, that’s pretty much where I’m at right now. Except, when I’m not stifling my cries with gingerbread, I’m actually feeling damn grateful for this past year, and — to top that off — I don’t think I’ve ever felt so excited to embark on a new one…

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Big Things

December 20, 2015 by Jennifer Coté

Monday Muse

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling mixing prints and birds like the pro she is

When I think about the kind of woman I want to be as I move into the next stages of my career, lots of amazing role models in television come to mind, but no one quite inspires me like Mindy Kaling. Not only is “The Mindy Project” one of the most watchable shows out there right now, but Kaling is a bona fide #girlboss who unabashedly demands competence from everyone she works with and never apologizes for what she wants. As someone who spends a bit too much time making sure the people around me are happy and feel heard, I could certainly afford to channel Kaling more often. As she puts it: “I love women who don’t ask, ‘Is that okay?’ after everything they say.” You know what I’m getting at, right..? ~~Is that okay?~~

On a purely creative level, I must also note that Kaling inspires me because her writing manages to all at once keep it real and make me feel good about the world I live in…

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Judy Garland

Oh, Meryl

June 22, 2015 by Jennifer Coté

Monday Muse

Judy Garland

Judy Garland singing whilst leaning on books in “Strike Up The Band”

I used to dream of being Dorothy Gale from Kansas — not so much because of L. Frank Baum’s prose, but almost entirely because of Judy Garland. She had such grace, charisma, and, oh, that voice. With a four-decade career, three Grammys, and some of cinema’s most iconic movies under her belt, couldn’t we all afford to channel a little Judy in our everyday lives? Sure she had her demons, but most complicated people who are worth knowing do. While as a child I particularly adored “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” as an adult I’m drawn to John Gorka’s bittersweet song about the dichotomy of stardust and strife in Judy’s life. It’s called “Heart Upon Demand” — give it a listen and let me know whether it also tugs at your heartstrings.

Photo via Pinterest.