About Me

JoDean Nicolette is a writer, physician, and teacher. A graduate of Stanford University School of Medicine and the Pacific University Master of Fine Arts Program, she believes in the healing power of both nature and the written word. Her work has appeared in such publications as the Sun, the Chicago Tribune's Printers Row, the Tishman Review, Sugared Water, Inscape, and the Rappahannock Review. A Pushcart nominee, JoDean was awarded the Grand Prize for Prose in the Maine Review's Rocky Coast Contest and the Scribes Valley Publishing Prize for Short Fiction. Her debut memoir, Trail Magic, was top finalist in the Kenneth Johnston Nonfiction Book Contest, and has been submitted for consideration for The National Book Award. She is working on her next book, Medicine Horse, and two collections (essays and short stories). She lives in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley with her dogs and horses.

During most of my adult life I have lived remotely and close to the land. While quiet and restorative, at times the untamed life has its risks, fire in particular, which I experienced firsthand when the 2017 Tubbs fire blew over the mountains behind my Sonoma County home. Currently, I share a ranch in Montana's Bitterroot Valley with my horses and dogs. We live among thick stands of ponderosa and aspen, as well as grizzly bear and mountain lion. When the wind howls, I listen closely, in case it's actually the Dark Moon pack moving across the ridge east of the ranch. Finally, in this majestic land between the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains, I have found my one true place. When I'm not writing, caring for the ranch and its inhabitants, or exploring the mountains, I teach and see patients in Missoula. 

I came to writing late in life, drawn to the written word amidst a rewarding career as physician and teacher. In 2020, I achieved my Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (fiction and nonfiction) from Pacific University, although my ceremony was delayed until 2022. In the last decade, I have been a dedicated writer, viewing my writing practice like other daily commitments such as professional updates, reading, and exercise, and have published both essays and short stories. I published my debut memoir, Trail Magic, about growing in my personal and professional life while walking the Appalachian Trail and am working on a new book, titled Medicine Horse. During the covid pandemic, like many providers, I was pulled to the frontlines and my nonvocational activities suffered due to exhaustion and overwhelming grief. As with other challenging times in my life, I attribute most of my recovery to my time in wilderness, daily writing, and my relationship with my horses. Recently, I have been able to reclaim my creative energy and dedication to my literary projects.