Meet Janice Ross | writer and retired Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janice Ross and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janice, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My current own business is being an independent writer. The biggest difference is that I stripped away the parts I enjoyed least about my former paying job – that of being a university Professor – and held onto the most satisfying bits. Giving up the less rewarding parts of my former job also meant losing a regular salary – but freedom is never free.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I consider myself spanning two categories – I am a professional-creative.
Retrospectively, the momentum for what I have been able to accomplish comes from two simple ideas: I wrote the books I had wanted to read but could not find in the library. I taught the courses I wanted to take, but which did not exist yet. I did not plan it that way, but in both instances I walked into little, sometimes big, gaps in knowledge and as I read and researched more I thought I might help fill in names, histories, truths, that were missing. As for overcoming challenges, I wasn’t particularly good at that – I was quiet, deferential, I did what I had to for many years in terms of staying low, doing the teaching, administrative work, and writing, without expecting that it would change things substantially in terms of my professional position and pay, until finally it did. Essentially the back door approach worked for me – as long as I was working in an environment that was stimulating, with very smart people and with little interference, I did the work and hoped the recognition would follow. Eventually it did.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in an historic New England coastal town, Guilford. I would take my friend to the town green for a walk past historic buildings, stopping at the local cafe, Cilantro, for an almond milk decaf latte, followed by a walk along Jacob’s beach with Long Island Sound viewable in the distance. Lunch at the Guilford Bistro and then a walk around Guilford Lakes and hike in the Timberwoods trails behind my house. Dinner at home sitting on the porch, greeting neighbors walking their dogs in the early evening….

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I owe eternal gratitude to the amazing artists who let me into their lives to write about them – the dancer Anna Halprin, Urban Designer Lawrence Halprin, widow of the Russian choreographer Leonid Yakobson, the former students of Margaret H’Doubler, and the scores of students and artists who performed with and worked with these radical innovators. Thanks also to my colleague, the late Joan Acocella, who heard me muttering about dancers about whom I wanted to write and cautioned, “Do it now before someone else does!”
Special thanks to those who gave the gift of time and encouragement through writing letters of recommendation for grants and fellowships, and family members whose actions said “Yes, go for it!”

Website: https://profiles.stanford.edu/janice-ross

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-ross-dancestudies/

Image Credits
Janice Ross, Photographer Unknown