About Jodi

Hello, I’m Jodi Chromey and my hair only looks this cool about twice a year (the days I actually get it done). I’m a writer and supergenius who lives in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota in a house I call Supergenius HQ with my two cats and more books than any single woman really needs.

I Will Dare was born July 31, 2000, mostly because I wanted to. There is no better explanation than that. Since then, I’ve updated this site nearly every day, became the mastermind behind the Paul Westerberg blog, the editor of the super rad Minnesota Reads book review blog, and was called “bold and fearless” by Kathleen Turner in her memoir Send Yourself Roses.

Besides writing this blog, I also write short stories that are as yet unpublished and work as a freelance copywriter and blogger. If you’re looking for a writer, I’m totally for hire.

When I first started doing About pages, I would just list a bunch of things about myself and base the number of things on my age. For instance, I think the first one was called 29 things. Since old habits die hard:
37 Things

  1. My cats are named Madison and Paco
  2. At 6’5″ I’m unusually tall for a woman
  3. No, I never played basketball
  4. Yes, my parents are both tall (mom = 5’10″, biological father = 6’2″)
  5. I really hate the number five and you will see that often there is no five
  6. No, my three younger sisters are not tall. I have a different father
  7. The weather up here is swell
  8. My truck is named Ruby, my iPod is named Eurydice, my iPhone is called Ziggy and I have three computers called Gideon, Ogden, and Big Betty
  9. Though I am single and have no children I spend an awful lot of time with my niece Jaycie and my nephews Max, Cade, Nolan, and Liam
  10. I kind of have heartburn right now, because I had a lot of jalapenos with dinner
  11. Things guaranteed to make me cry: national anthems, marching bands, standing ovations, and beautiful writing
  12. I brush my teeth without my shirt on for fear of drooling on it
  13. I collect books, wheat pennies, and burnt sienna crayons
  14. When I started I Will Dare, I used to only write in lowercase letters
  15. If I could I’d go back in time, I’d kick my own ass for being so annoying
  16. James Madison is my favorite former president
  17. I named my cat after him
  18. I was born 6.6.72 at 6:36 p.m.
  19. Six is my favorite number
  20. I often say inflammatory and absurd things because it makes me laugh
  21. Like, for instance, poetry is bullshit
  22. One of my favorite things to do on earth is argue
  23. When I was younger I wanted to grow up to be a cowgal, a waitress, a ballerina, or a babysitter
  24. I have a penchant for redheads, Diet Coke with lime, Peanut M&Ms, and pens with blue ink
  25. I am afraid of heights, being forgotten, and driving in the winter
  26. When I was younger I would obsessively catalog my Sweet Valley High books
  27. I often suffer from insomnia and have since I was a kid
  28. I have six tattoos
  29. Oftentimes I forget that I am capable of being loved
  30. I lied to Facebook so they would change my username
  31. I told them that I got divorced and that Willdare was my married name and Chromey is my maiden name
  32. I wear glasses most of time
  33. I don’t wear a watch
  34. Or makeup
  35. My favorite color is orange
  36. For someone who has been blogging about the inane detail of my everyday life for over nine years, I’m sure having a tough time with this list
  37. I just realized that for the oh, year or so this list has been up I didn’t close the list tag (shame on me)

Comments So Far:

vikrant

4:54am, 19.Apr.10

hi jodi i like to be your friend.

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vikrant

4:57am, 19.Apr.10

i like tall women but i felt women dont like guys who r small .i love ur comment people i like to be part of this group

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Theologian

11:52am, 12.May.10

Hi Jodi.

I write with a Loft query:

I want to take a workshop this summer. I’ve only had Vodo (just by schedule, not by aversion or attraction), and I met your little guy workshoping guy (is it Dale?), but neither are slated for this summer, whose workshop I’ve wanted to take. Without those possibilities, I’m considering Amanda Coplin, “Intermediate Fiction Workshop” (Mondays) or Benjamin Obler, “Literary Fiction: Everyday Drama.” The former is my preference by the topic and description, but I’m semi-wedded these days (a great gift) and Dave’s kid schedule makes the latter easier. (We have only Monday and Tuesday evenings sans kid.)

I write to ask if you have any dope about or experience of the classes or the teachers.

XO, Martin

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Jodi

11:56am, 12.May.10

Martin!

Congrats on the semi-weddedness. I vote you take a Tuesday class. I’m taking the short short fiction on Tuesday nights 6-8 with someone whose name I forgot but I can’t wait! If you take a Tuesday class we can go to Grumpy’s occasionally.

I pondered the Monday class with Amanda Coplin, but the Tuesday works better for me.

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Jodi

4:58pm, 22.Jul.10

I’ve often wondered why there was no “Hurricane Jodi”. Nothing too serious, just some huge threatening circular cloud that would die out somewhere over the Bermuda Triangle finding Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa having cocktails. I read your list with some amusement. For my Goddaughter’s 18th B-Day I wrote her “18 Things About Being 18″ i.e. “Perky Breasts…Enjoy Them While You Can”;”You Make Middle-Aged Women Nervous”; “Soon You Won’t Need a GPS Because You’ll Be Able To Read The Lines On Your Face”, etc. I wrapped each note around a Bugs-Bunny-type carrot because every girl should have 18 carats on her 18th Birthday (I challenge you to find 18 “long-stemmed” carrots in December…in Oregon). Anyway, it made me wonder what my own list would be and I came up with two: (1) I was born on 3/30 @ 3:30 (2):I voted for Ronald Regan in my 1st Presidential Election. He was shot by John Hinkley (my initials are also J.H.) on my birthday, because of his obsession with a woman named Jodi(e).If you have any sightings of “Hurricane Jodi” on Lake Superior, be sure to give me a call. Should She be spotted on the Pacific Ocean next to Coos Bay, OR feel free to stop by, I’ll keep the blender warm. I cannot yet receive e-mail due to the antiquity of my computer. Oh well, there’s always the U.S. Post (P.O. Box 5679/Charleston, OR 97420) Send a post card….I get lonely. All Best, Jodi

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jodi

4:58 am, 08.Jan.12

We need a hurricane named “JODI”

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Jodi

5:48am, 26.Sep.10

IGOR? LISA? WTF!!! What Happened to HURRICANE JODI?
I am pissed that I have to wait another alphabet to
even be considered. I also pisses me off that men can
have hurricanes named after their dicks.

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gary alan

4:38pm, 25.Dec.10

Do you design websites? If so, could you give a price range?

Thanks

gary

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Victoria

10:26am, 03.Jan.11

Hi Jodi, I like your list. Somewhere around line 8, I said to myself, “she has got to be a Gemini!!” And I was correct. I’m a Gemini also (b-day is 6/1/71). I am also 6’1 in height. I moved from San Diego, CA where there was quite a bit of ignorance about anyone who looked “different” than the status quo blonde/blue/5’7 look. I never had a problem meeting men, as I am divorced twice with 3 kids. Anyway, I live in Las Vegas for now and the ignorance is a lot less, but I have always wanted to move to either Alaska, Minnesota or NYC. Mainly for the cold weather and for other various reasons. I read somewhere that Norwegians are much taller and tend to live in Minnesota, so I’ve been hooked on going there ever since! I have no clue how I found your website, I’m having insomnia also right now. Ok, well just wanted to tell you I enjoyed reading about you. I will come back and visit your site again.

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Brian Keith Smith

5:29am, 12.Jan.11

Hi Jodi,

I sent you an email and am commenting on your blog about ‘thinking about my biological father’; http://www.iwilldare.com/2001/03/14/thinking-about-my-biological-father/. One of the persons who commented on that blog (Edward Keith Smith) is actually my brother and I know where his father is. I knew about him since I was young but only recently got information from my deceased grandmother that gave me his mother’s name – and – his comment had both his/my father’s name, his mother’s name, and correct information about birth on your wedbsite. I would think he would want to reach me. Maybe you can send this email on to him so we can unite. Thank you so much. Your blog has gotten us closer.

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Steven

5:25pm, 13.Jan.11

Went to school with Paul Westerberg. Love your blog. Maybe we sat in the same Florida classroom for about 3 months.

Steven

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Kevin

8:58pm, 14.Jul.11

HI Jodi,

I enjoyed reading your blog….In fact I enjoy reading a lot, mostly non-fiction but a good fiction mystery with historical significance is great too. I have always enjoyed the company of a tall woman. I once dated a woman who was 6-4 for about 1 year(I’m 5-9).
She enjoyed wearing boots with heels which made her about 10″ taller and enjoyed pointing that out to me, which I truly enjoyed. We would have married but there was a personality clash, too bad.
I see you live in the Twin Cities. I work in St.Paul and maybe we could meet for coffee sometime. I am not weird or ugly…actually people say I am quite handsome. Not that it is an issue. I would love to meet a quite intelligent person as you. What say?
Kevin

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Mason

6:55am, 15.Jul.11

Your cute, and I like tall women. Just wanted you to know.

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scott

1:52pm, 06.Nov.11

The PW site appears to be gone.

Accidental loss, I hope?

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Jodi

2:04 pm, 06.Nov.11

@scott, I’m switching servers. So things might be wonky for a bit.

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Donald Ducote

9:15am, 22.Nov.11

jodi,
Hi. I’m 6’7 and i noticed you liked Wild Flag and Tallest Man (no pun intended). THough you might like my music. I’m sending you some links to a record/videos that I think you’ll enjoy based on what I’ve seen on your blog and bands you stand behind. This record was written by Ancient History, an ambient indie band out of Bushwick, Brooklyn. It’s called TRACKS. It was engineered by Jim Smith, who’s resume includes The National, Au Revoir Simone and Wilco, and was recorded in the French Kicks practice space in Dumbo. It was mixed by Paul Johnson and Kevin Blackler. Johnson mixed the Lon Gisland EP by Beirut and currently does their live sound. Donald Ducote, the singer/songwriter behind Ancient History was hired in early 2011 by Emma Gillespie (winner of the 2010 MUST BE THE MUSIC competition, a UK reality TV series hosted by DIzzy Rascal) to help her write/work on new material for her upcoming record for Polydor. He’s also worked with Leon Jackson (winner of 2007 X-Factor). The music doesn’t sound like anything you would hear on Reality TV.

To follow Ancient History on Twitter, to download the record, or to see Ancient History’s music videos:
ancienthistorybk.bandcamp.com
youtube.com/ancienthistorynyc
twitter.com/ancienthistory_
ancienthistoryBK@gmail.com

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Jawan

8:46am, 03.Dec.11

I have extreme like for very strong white women. I love to chat to them and buy them and email gift cards.

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