Former actress finds 'authentic life' in writing

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Writer Lisa Jakub

ELIZABETHTOWN, PA (10/11/2014)(readMedia)-- Lisa Jakub's blog notes that she often hears in restaurants, the dentist's office or in a yoga studio dressing room 'Hey, you look like that girl from Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day and Rambling Rose.'

"There is a good reason for that. I am that girl. More accurately, I was that girl. Or maybe I always will be her. Twenty years later I'm still trying to work that part out."

Jakub, now a writer, traveler and devoted yogi, wife and dog-mom, visits Elizabethtown College's Bowers Writers House at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 18. Her visit coincides with the College's Homecoming and with the Writers House fourth-year anniversary celebration.

During her visit, she will read from her own work.

Jakub began acting at age 4 in Toronto, Canada, and for the next 18 years, she worked on projects that ranged from Hollywood blockbusters to films that ended up on the cutting room floor. Lack of privacy, too much focus on physical appearance – she was told several times that she was not pretty enough -- and the challenge of maintaining important relations turned her away. Plus, she said, in a Reddit.com AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion. "I didn't feel that deep passion for acting that many of my friends seemed to feel."

So, at 22 and having panic attacks, she realized there might be more to life than premieres and pretending to be other people. She retired from her 18-year acting career and moved to Central Virginia to pursue what she calls a 'more authentic life'.

"I was ready to see what else was out there. I wanted to get an education and try to figure out who I was beneath the label of actor," she said. Jakub got her GED and attended the University of Virginia where, at 32, she graduated with a degree in sociology.

The only thing she misses about Hollywood, she said, is having someone to do her hair and make-up. But admitted that that was not a big deal. "My entire life is pretty nerdy," she wrote. "I'm in bed with a book almost every night by 9:30. I'll pick a book over pretty much any social engagement."

Jakub said she doesn't really remember when the writing bug bit her. "I started writing as soon as I could hold a crayon," she said. "I just love telling stories and creating a world with words."

Presently, she is finalizing her first book, You Look Like That Girl – a memoir to be published by Beaufort Books and available next fall. She also is a contributing writer with Elephant Journal, Thought Catalog, Vanichi Magazine, ASPCA, Yoga Magazine and Hello Giggles. Additionally, her writing has been featured in Huffington Post, LA Times, Newsweek and Parade and on AOL, Yahoo, TMZ, MSN and other international publications.

The hardest part of writing, she said, is the self-discipline needed to stick to a schedule. "It's very solitary work, but that suits me quite well," she wrote. "It's pretty great to feel like you have found what you are supposed to be doing with your life."

Cost of Jakub's reading is free but reservations are recommended. Contact Jesse Waters at writershouse@etown.edu or 717-689-3945.

Read more from her at LisaJakub.net, and follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College, 840 College Hill Lane, was created with a generous gift by Kenneth L. '59 and Rosalie E. '58 Bowers to support a culture of creative curiosity and foster a new sense of excitement and enthusiasm for intellectual diversity. The Bowers Writers House is an interdisciplinary venue for presentation, performance, expression and study. The programs-from dramatic readings to interactive panels to musical performances-offer a dynamic variety of enjoyable and informative experiences.

Bowers Writers House: www.etown.edu/centers/writershouse/

Read about additional events at Elizabethtown College.

Elizabethtown College, located in historic Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private coed institution offering more than four dozen liberal arts, fine and performing arts, science and engineering, business, communications and education degrees. Learn more: http://www.etown.edu/about/

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