Whether it’s hunting down the origins of flaming saganaki or sharing a personal story of purchasing a home, Jean brings the same eye for detail and level of enthusiasm to every article, essay and book she writes.
Jean’s career in publishing began with a brief stint in magazines before moving on to books. She served as acquisitions editor for Publications International, American Bar Association, and Dearborn Trade, where she launched a line of business leadership books that included The Power of Six Sigma and Blue’s Clues for Success. After acquiring hundreds of titles spanning several categories, Jean left acquisitions to write and publish the popular guidebook, BYOB Chicago, which sold 30,000 copies and was hailed an “Essential Chicago Resource” by Time Out Chicago.
Jean’s fourth book, Local Flavor: Restaurants That Shaped Chicago’s Neighborhoods, was published by Northwestern University Press’ Second to None Series. The book chronicles the histories of eight legendary Chicago restaurants and their respective neighborhoods, from Tufano’s Vernon Tap in Little Italy to Red Apple Buffet on the Polish Corridor.
Her articles and essays focus on health, wellness, food, dining, beverage, music, life/home, writing and publishing. Lately, Jean has been drawing from her own life experiences in her writing and does developmental editing on nonfiction manuscripts. She lives in Chicago and is a member of The Society of Midland Authors.
Jean Iversen 