Jonathan Messinger

Jonathan Messinger is a writer, book critic, and the editor of Public Spend Forum,{{cite web|last=Lazarus|first=Sydney|title=Talking Public Procurement with Public Spend Forum's Editor, Jonathan Messinger|url=http://spendmatters.com/2013/10/01/talking-public-procurement-public-spend-forums-editor-jonathan-messinger/|publisher=Spend Matters|access-date=5 March 2014}} a public sector procurement blog that is part of Spend Matters Group.{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Peter|title=Public Spend Forum – a new US website from Spend Matters and Censeo Consulting|url=https://spendmatters.com/uk/public-spend-forum-a-new-us-website-from-spend-matters-and-censeo-consulting/|publisher=Spend Matters UK/Europe|access-date=5 March 2014}} He is also the writer and producer of the Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian, a children's science fiction podcast.{{Cite web|last=Schoenberg|first=Nara|title=New sci-fi podcast a swashbuckling space adventure for kids|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/parenting/sc-sci-fi-podcast-for-kids-family-1108-20161103-story.html|access-date=2021-11-15|website=Chicago Tribune}} He was formerly Time Out Chicago's books editor and Web editor for Time Out Chicago Kids.{{cite web|last=Carlozo|first=Lou|title=For Time Out, Chicago Signals Digital Future|url=http://www.netnewscheck.com/article/25849/for-time-out-chicago-signals-digital-future/page/2|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140305202116/http://www.netnewscheck.com/article/25849/for-time-out-chicago-signals-digital-future/page/2|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 5, 2014|publisher=Net News Check|access-date=5 March 2014}} Jonathan was born in Boston, Massachusetts and lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA.{{cite journal | last = Folse | first = Molly | date = September 6, 2007 | title = Getting into Hiding Out: The storied world of Jonathan Messinger | journal = Birmingham Weekly | volume = 11 | issue = 2 | url = http://www.bhamweekly.com/archive_article.php?article_id=439&issue_id=73&vol=11 | access-date = 2008-06-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071011125408/http://www.bhamweekly.com/archive_article.php?article_id=439&issue_id=73&vol=11 | archive-date = October 11, 2007 | url-status = dead }}

He has contributed his fiction writing to the journal McSweeney's, among many other major and alternative publications. While at Clark University he was the editor of the student magazine The Wheatbread. Messinger was also the editor of THISisGRAND, a web magazine chronicling true stories on Chicago's public transit.{{cite journal | last = Ostdick | first = Nick | date = January 13, 2008 | title = A Review of Messinger's Hiding Out (2007) | journal = DecomP | issue = February 2008 | url = http://decompmagazine.com/areviewofmessingershidingout.htm | access-date = 2008-06-03 }} He has toured extensively in Canada and the United States, and is the creator and host of The Dollar Store Reading Series, a successful monthly show where he hands out items purchased for a dollar to writers and comedians, who then use the item as inspiration for stories.{{cite news | date = October 9, 2007 | title = Urban Eye | work = The New York Times | url = https://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2007/10/09/urbaneye/index.html | access-date = 2008-06-02 }}

Messinger's first published collection of short stories, Hiding Out, was released in 2007 through Featherproof books, an independent publisher which he cofounded in 2005 in combination with fellow writer Zach Dodson.{{cite news | last = Breyne | first = Tiffany | title = Featherproof offers light and 'enchanting' reads | work = Columbia Chronicle | url = http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=1742 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110726055444/http://www.columbiachronicle.com/paper/arts.php?id=1742 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2011-07-26 | access-date = 2008-06-02 }} The general critical response was positive. Mark Eleveld in Booklist,{{cite magazine | last = Eleveld | first = Mark | year = 2007 | title = Hiding Out |magazine= Booklist | volume = 104 | issue = 2 |page=33 }} Donna Seaman in Chicago Tribune{{cite news | last = Seaman | first = Donna | date = October 27, 2007 | title = In plain view - Simple but powerful stories of well-intentioned, inept guys looking for love | work = Chicago Tribune }} and Kevin Sampsell in The Portland Mercury{{cite news | last = Sampsell | first = Kevin | date = December 20, 2007 | title = Hiding Out | work = The Portland Mercury | url = http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/Content?oid=496458&category=22148 | access-date = 2008-06-02 }} were impressed, whereas a more mixed review was published in Publishers Weekly.{{cite magazine | last = Funderburk | first = Rob | year = 2007 | title = Hiding Out |magazine= Publishers Weekly | volume = 254 | issue = 32 |page=45 }} He has written four books based on his Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian podcast, which is also being adapted as a TV movie.{{Cite web|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=2020-05-01|title='The Pout-Pout Fish' & 'Alien Adventures Of Finn Caspian' Animated TV Movies In Works At MiMO Studio|url=https://deadline.com/2020/05/the-pout-pout-fish-alien-adventures-of-finn-caspian-animated-tv-movies-in-works-at-mimo-studio-1202922720/|access-date=2021-11-15|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}

Jonathan is on adjunct staff at DePaul University.{{cite web|last=Mikel|first=Betsy|title=DePaul Taps Local Press For New Publishing Course|url=http://chicagoist.com/2010/08/16/depaul_gets_behind_small_presses.php|publisher=Chicagoist|access-date=5 March 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131126004203/http://chicagoist.com/2010/08/16/depaul_gets_behind_small_presses.php|archive-date=26 November 2013}}