Jana Riess

Jana Riess is a Cincinnati author whose memoir "Flunking Sainthood" chronicles a year of failing at spiritual practices like fasting, Sabbath-keeping, fixed-hour prayer, and lectio divina. Publishers Weekly named it one of the top 10 religion books of 2011, saying, “Punchy humor and unpretentious inquisitiveness combine in this absorbing memoir ... A witty, inspiring read.”

Jana Riess has worked in the publishing industry since 1999 at various companies including Publishers Weekly, Westminster John Knox Press, and Patheos Press. She continues to write for PW as well as other publications.

She holds degrees in religion from Wellesley College and Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in American religious history from Columbia University. She speaks often to media about issues pertaining to religion in America, and has been interviewed by the Associated Press, Time, Newsweek, People, the Boston Globe, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday, among other print publications, as well as “Voice of America,” the Today show, MSNBC, and NPR’s “All Things Considered” and “Talk of the Nation.”

She is the author, co-author, or editor of nine books, including "What Would Buffy Do?" (Jossey-Bass, 2004) and "The Writer’s Market Guide to Getting Published" (F+W Media, 2010). She blogs about religion, books and popular culture for Religion News Service.