About

     J.J. (Jeffry John) Stein has had many career titles but devotes almost all of his time now to the creation of his own works. Previously Jeff was a VP executive in charge of development and production and/or line producer for such features as Dead Ringers, The Beastmaster, Evilspeak, Fade To Black, and John and Norma Novak. In addition, he has written some fifteen screenplays such as Harry the Mercy Killer (optioned by Richard Pryor), Heartstopper  (commissioned by Priority Films), and The Q-Secret (developed miniseries for TBS).

     His expertise in both explicating and demonstrating storytelling percolates, as well,  through his dystopian satire novel, Mediaevil, his action/adventure novel, Keeper of the Planet, his political thriller novel, Gentlemen of Decision, his book of short stories, The Magic Word and Other Stories, and his non-fiction opus, Life, Myth, and the American Family Unreeling.   

     Throughout his career, Jeff has had a continued calling as an educator. This began as a high school English teacher in Sunnyvale and Beverly Hills, California and continued at Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University Governor School for the Arts, Tennessee State University and National University.  Jeff was also a founding faculty member of the Watkins College of Art and Design Film School, now part of Belmont University, where he taught for ten years.  His broad knowledge of the medium resulted in courses on producing, production management, directing, screenwriting, physical production and the history and sociological implications of motion pictures. 

     Significantly Jeff has also delivered presentations and taught workshops throughout the country including at Emory University’s Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL), the University of South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Radford Universities (VA), Aurora University (WI), the Scarritt-Bennett Center, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt (TN), UUA General Assembly (Boston and St. Louis), The Mountain and Lake Junaluska Retreats (NC), and the Center for Studies of the Future (CA). 

     Jeff grew up on Long Island. He received a B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and two M.A.s from Stanford University, the first in English Education, and the second in Communications with a Specialization in Film. As a professional and an educator, he has continued his education at numerous producing and writing workshops and conferences with such masters as John Truby, Maurice Singer, and Dean Koontz. Nevertheless, application and instruction have been his most informative endeavors.