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In addition to completing exhaustive tours of Asia, Australia, Europe, and founding the charity Higher Ground for Humanity with her mother Nedra, Jewel has found time to speak with MacDirectory about her formidable presence on the web. A recent internet search by MacDirectory turned up 50 fan sites, not including her own Official site www.jeweljk.com. Jewel Kilcher was born May 23, 1974 in Payson, Utah. Jewel grew up without the modern conveniences of television or even indoor plumbing. As a result of these humble beginnings, she spent much of her time writing poetry.

Jewel later earned a partial scholarship the famous Interlochen Fine Arts Academy in Michigan; the rest of tuition was paid by her community from the proceeds of a one-night concert. At Interlochen she learned to play guitar despite being dyslexic. Also at Interlochen, she began to focus on writing songs as opposed to poetry exclusively.

After she finished school, Jewel moved to San Diego. Living in her car, Jewel sustained herself mostly on peanut butter and carrot sticks. She performed at the Inner Change Coffeehouse to initially sparse crowds, which in time grew wildly, and garnered local press attention. Soon music industry insiders were travelling to San Diego to check out the buzz. The rest is history. Five months later, at 19, Jewel signed a record contract with Atlantic after an extended courtship with many record companies. Jewel released Pieces of You in February 1995: one year later, sales of Pieces of You took off; it has sold well over ten million copies. Jewel recently starred in the critically acclaimed movie "Ride With The Devil" and has several other multimedia projects in the wings.

By now almost everyone knows about Jewel Kilcher's impoverished childhood. MacDirectory caught up with the vivacious philanthropist and poet to chat with her about technology and her latest projects.

MacDirectory: You have had a bucolic background. What are your thoughts on the rise of technology?

Jewel Kilcher: I enjoy technology; it brings the world together.

Can poetry survive a
technological era?

JK: Yes, poetry is timeless. Throughout history, as life has become more complicated, and often amidst great upheaval, people have always needed writing to express the heart and soul. The practice of written expression has thrived in many formats, from handwritten parchment to typewriters and computers. The internet is just the latest arena in which people can express themselves.

MD: Did you design "JewelJk.com"?

JK: The web site was designed by my creative team, and they update it on a regular basis. I occasionally contribute a personal note or journal entry.

MD: How often do you go online?

JK: I travel quite a bit and don't have a PowerBook, so Im not a frequent web surfer.

MD: How has technology affected your life?

JK: Webcasts can bring in audiences that you may never physically be able to reach, and online chats with fans offer an unprecedented accessibility. And obviously, the internet is a powerful tool for building the fan community, allowing them to communicate without restriction of time and place.

MD: Can you tell our readers about the book you are currently writing?

JK: It's a collection of short stories and essays, scheduled for publication by HarperCollins this fall.

MD: What inspired you to establish the nonprofit, humanitarian organization in 1999, called Higher Ground for Humanity?

JK: Its been a goal of my mother Nedra and I since the time we both lived in our cars to start an organization like this. We have worked hard in the music arena to earn the funds to help others. And just four years after I got signed, we accomplished it.

Copyright © 1996-2000 MacDirectory

In addition to completing exhaustive tours of Asia, Australia, Europe, and founding the charity Higher Ground for Humanity with her mother Nedra, Jewel has found time to speak with MacDirectory about her formidable presence on the web. A recent internet search by MacDirectory turned up 50 fan sites, not including her own Official site www.jeweljk.com. Jewel Kilcher was born May 23, 1974 in Payson, Utah. Jewel grew up without the modern conveniences of television or even indoor plumbing. As a result of these humble beginnings, she spent much of her time writing poetry. Jewel later earned a partial scholarship the famous Interlochen Fine Arts Academy in Michigan; the rest of tuition was paid by her community from the proceeds of a one-night concert. At Interlochen she learned to play guitar despite being dyslexic. Also at Interlochen, she began to focus on writing songs as opposed to poetry exclusively. After she finished school, Jewel moved to San Diego. Living in her car, Jewel sustained herself mostly on peanut butter and carrot sticks. She performed at the Inner Change Coffeehouse to initially sparse crowds, which in time grew wildly, and garnered local press attention. Soon music industry insiders were travelling to San Diego to check out the buzz. The rest is history. Five months later, at 19, Jewel signed a record contract with Atlantic after an extended courtship with many record companies. Jewel released Pieces of You in February 1995: one year later, sales of Pieces of You took off; it has sold well over ten million copies. Jewel recently starred in the critically acclaimed movie "Ride With The Devil" and has several other multimedia projects in the wings. By now almost everyone knows about Jewel Kilcher's impoverished childhood. MacDirectory caught up with the vivacious philanthropist and poet to chat with her about technology and her latest projects.		MacDirectory: You have had a bucolic background. What are your thoughts on the rise of technology? Jewel Kilcher: I enjoy technology; it brings the world together. Can poetry survive a technological era? JK: Yes, poetry is timeless. Throughout history, as life has become more complicated, and often amidst great upheaval, people have always needed writing to express the heart and soul. The practice of written expression has thrived in many formats, from handwritten parchment to typewriters and computers. The internet is just the latest arena in which people can express themselves. MD: Did you design "JewelJk.com"? JK: The web site was designed by my creative team, and they update it on a regular basis. I occasionally contribute a personal note or journal entry. MD: How often do you go online? JK: I travel quite a bit and don't have a PowerBook, so Im not a frequent web surfer. MD: How has technology affected your life? JK: Webcasts can bring in audiences that you may never physically be able to reach, and online chats with fans offer an unprecedented accessibility. And obviously, the internet is a powerful tool for building the fan community, allowing them to communicate without restriction of time and place. MD: Can you tell our readers about the book you are currently writing? JK: It's a collection of short stories and essays, scheduled for publication by HarperCollins this fall. MD: What inspired you to establish the nonprofit, humanitarian organization in 1999, called Higher Ground for Humanity? JK: Its been a goal of my mother Nedra and I since the time we both lived in our cars to start an organization like this. We have worked hard in the music arena to earn the funds to help others. And just four years after I got signed, we accomplished it.

Copyright © 1996-2000 MacDirectory