Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant

Burned out from the heat of Houston and a career in health-care management that left her no time to be with her friends, Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant escaped in 1994 to cool North Eugene and a new life as a comedy writer and motivational speaker. "I came on vacation for a week and unexpectedly bought this house," says Jasheway-Bryant, who has written 13 books and taught a class in comedy writing at LCC for 12 years. Her humor column appeared in the Comic News for nine years before the magazine moved away to Vermont. "So I started a radio program," she says. On Women Under the Influence of Laughter airs at 9am Saturdays on KOPT AM 1600. Jasheway-Bryant speaks on health and humor to 50-plus conferences yearly. She emcees local events such as a "Playshop for Grow-Ups," 1-4:30 pm on Saturday, February 24th at the Eugene Red Lion, a benefit for the Willamette Animal Guild, the Shelter Animal Resource Alliance, and their campaign to control pet overpopulation. Details at sarasavesanimals.org. More about Jasheway-Bryant's events (and products!) at accidentalcomic.com.

happening people photograph and story by Paul Neevel Eugene Weekly / 22 February 2007