We recently had the chance to connect with Jeannee Sacken and have shared our conversation below.
Jeannee, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: When was the last time you felt true joy?
True, elated joy: I was on a photoshoot in Jozibanini Camp in a remote section of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. Sitting on top of the blind (a shipping container partially buried in the Kalahari sand) next to the watering hole, I was watching hundreds of elephants make their way out of the bush to get a drink. It was nearing the end of a 2 1/2 year drought, and the elies were horrifically thirsty and dropping weight. It was getting on to sundown, and I played with the light and managed to capture several images that made me gasp. Since then, those images have featured in a gallery show to visitors’ delight.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
As a photojournalist, I travel to the ends of the earth, documenting endangered wildlife. Described by MKE Lifestyle magazine as “Indiana Jones with a camera,” I’ve summitted Mr. Kilimanjaro, canoed the Zambezi River, and driven through far-western Mongolia in a blizzard. Many of my adventures have been fictionalized into my novels. My debut novel, Behind the Lens, won the 2021 American Writing Awards Novel of the Year and the Hawthorne Prize. The Rule of Thirds won the Killer Nashville 2024 Silver Falchion Award for Best Suspense and the 2023 Literary Global Award for Novel of the Year, among other prizes. My fifth novel, set in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, The Women Who Stand Between, launched in September 2025.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
The memory I’m thinking of today: I was in third grade with a teacher who scared me to death. She told the class to write a story about something we know. This was in the days of wide-ruled paper and thick pencils. I decided to write a story about a shepherd in the desert. Go figure. I knew nothing about either one, but I wrote and wrote and wrote. I was ten pages into the story when I realized the teacher was standing next to me. I stopped writing and looked up. That’s when I saw the entire class was staring me. It seems they’d each written a sentence or two. The teacher asked if I had finished. “Just let me finish!” I begged with a big of courage. The next day, the teacher handed back everyone’s story except mine. She called me to the front of the room and made me face the class. I figured I was in a lot of trouble and prayed for the floorboards to open up so I could disappear. Then, she read my story to the class. The kids were transfixed. When she finished, the teacher said, “Boys and girls, you are looking at a future author.” And they all applauded.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I was teaching English at a university, had tenure, and knew exactly where my life was going. I absolutely identified as an academic. After several photoshoots, I came to realize that I was redefining myself and my goals. I no longer wanted to teach the same courses over and over. It was important work and my comfort zone, but I wanted to challenge myself. And so, I resigned my tenure and became a photojournalist, documenting the lives of women and children. In gallery shows, I mounted their stories next to their portraits. Soon, I knew I wanted to write my own stories, which subsequently became writing novels. Now, I juggle the two and know that this is what I was meant to do, although I wouldn’t have reached this goal if I hadn’t experience the university-teaching phase.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Education. I spend a lot of time in countries where education, especially for girls, is not a given. Although education may be “free,” often parents are required to pay for uniforms and books. If they can’t afford it, some of all of their children cannot attend school. Most often, it’s the girls who must forfeit an education. Sometimes the government forbids girls and women from getting an education. Whenever I’m on a photoshoot, I visit schools, bringing supplies and helping however I can with school fees and uniforms.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
As an author and a photographer, I’ve learned to create whether or not anyone applauds. In both media, I find the story I have to tell and tell it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jeanneesacken.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjeanneesacken/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanneesacken
Image Credits
Headshot: Agnieszka Tropilo
All other images: Jeannee Sacken (mine)
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
