Renée, Janina 1956-

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RENÉE, Janina 1956-

PERSONAL: Born March 4, 1956, in Detroit, MI; children: Tom, Alyn (sons). Ethnicity: "White." Education: Chapman College, B.A. (anthropology), 1977; postgraduate work in American studies, Michigan State University. Politics: "Political moderate." Religion: "Buddhist eclectic."

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Llewellyn Publications, P.O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383.

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: Autism Society of Michigan.

AWARDS, HONORS: Best Self-Help Book Award, Coalition of Visionary Retailers (COVR), 2000, for Tarot: Your Everyday Guide: Practical Problem Solving and Everyday Advice; Best General Interest Title Award, COVR, 2001, for Tarot for a New Generation.

WRITINGS:

Tarot Spells, illustrated by Robin Wood, Llewellyn Publications (St. Paul, MN), 1990.

Playful Magic, Llewellyn Publications (St. Paul, MN), 1994.

Tarot: Your Everyday Guide: Practical Problem Solving and Everyday Advice, Llewellyn Publications (St. Paul, MN), 2000.

Tarot for a New Generation (for young adults), Llewellyn Publications (St. Paul, MN), 2001.

WORK IN PROGRESS: By Candlelight: Rites for Celebration, Blessing, and Prayer, for Llewellyn Publications (St. Paul, MN); "Research on the use of ritualism in nature writing and in material culture; the role and subject position of high-functioning autistic people in history, literature, and culture."

SIDELIGHTS: The author of two adult books on tarot published a decade apart, in 2001 Janina Renée published Tarot for a New Generation, which is geared to young adults. In it, she explains how to interpret the tarot card deck. Reflecting on her works about tarot, she told CA: "I am not a writer of children's books per se, as Tarot for a New Generation is the only one of my books that is specially aimed at a young audience. I wrote this book because there are (to my knowledge) no other tarot manuals addressing young people's concerns, even though shop owners tell me that large numbers of teenagers buy tarot cards, and many of them actually collect different decks."

Renée continued to CA, "I have been concerned because so many teenagers and other young people don't seem to have any dreams or plans for the future, but I believe the tarot's vast collection of images can ignite their imaginations and ambitions by highlighting many paths of possibility. The tarot interpretations which I provide cover many areas of life, but they consistently advocate a strong ethical code and sense of responsibility.

"Also, as the mother of a child with Asperger's syndrome (a form of autism spectrum disorder) and a person who suffers myself from many Asperger's-type symptoms, I have a long-standing interest in learning disabilities. For this reason, Tarot for a New Generation includes a chapter which touches on different learning styles and discusses how tarot imagery can be used to aid memory and inspire homework projects. As part of my continuing research, I am exploring ways that other areas of folk wisdom can be applied to learning challenges. I am also researching different ethnic and traditional means of blessing children and developing their self-esteem, moral character, work ethic, and the like."