Conversations with Jill Dutton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Dutton.

Hi Jill, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My career in writing and publishing began when, as a nearly 30-year-old non-traditional journalism student at the University of Kansas, I created and launched Evolving Woman magazine. I published Evolving Woman from 1994 to 2000. After I stopped publishing the magazine, I spent the next nine years working for magazines and newspapers in their sales departments (a valuable education that helped when I relaunched the magazine), plus freelance writing for publications such as the Kansas City Star’s “Simplify Your Life” department, Shawnee Magazine, Leavenworth and Kansas City GateHouse publications, and other news outlets.

In 2009, I relaunched the magazine, this time as Evolving Kansas City. Through the years, I added a second edition in Santa Fe, NM, and started Eating Well in Kansas City (which eventually moved as a supplement to Evolving KC). The magazine was printed until 2020 and is still available in digital format at www.EvolvingMagazine.com.

Around 2015, I stepped back from some of my publishing duties to explore travel writing. I’d been freelance writing for 20 years at this point. Travel writing felt like a natural progression of my writing and a chance to explore the U.S. and beyond. As a teenager, my mom took me backpacking in Europe for three months. We spent our summer traveling by Eurail, so it was a natural extension to start my travel writing with a focus on train travel.

For the past eight years, I have traveled by train and plane to discover what foods are celebrated in a region, outdoor activities, liquor trends, and 50+ travel. I’m often traveling one week per month in the spring and fall. I have visited Aruba, Oregon, Loreto, California, Baja Sur, Colorado, and Alaska this year. In the fall, I have plans to visit three areas in North Carolina, the Florida Keys, and Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

My areas of expertise are direct extensions of personal interests. I am an avid kayaker, camper, and hiker, which led to outdoor articles. Some past trips have found me hiking and exploring waterfalls in Tennessee, kayaking on the Missouri river with the Kansas City skyline as the backdrop, seeing the wildflowers in bloom in Texas, taking an off-road adventure through the desert in Aruba, kayaking in a clear boat on Lake Tahoe, and sitting on the Malecon in La Paz watching the sun set over the Sea of Cortez.

But my writing about fishing was a fortunate coincidence that I fell into accidentally. I was visiting Gainesville, GA, on one of my first train trips. This time I was making my way through the Southeastern U.S. with stops in New Orleans, Tuscaloosa, Gainesville, and Greensboro, when the PR person suggested I write an article called “The Fisherman’s Widow” about Lake Sidney Lanier and the tournaments held there — and what fishing partners can do while their significant other is in a tournament. I pitched the idea to Bass Angler Magazine and, for a few years, wrote girlfriend-getaway type destination pieces about areas with fishing tournaments. Still, I wasn’t fishing myself during this period. Then I was invited to La Paz, Mexico, for a fishing expedition. By the end of that trip, I was hooked. Since then, I have traveled to Alaska (twice) for sport fishing and learned fly fishing in Colorado.

I’ve always been fascinated with food: where it comes from, and how it’s grown, foraged, and preserved. My start in food journalism began when I took on a role as a reporter for a rural newspaper, the Osawatomie Graphic, where I interviewed farmers about the state of agriculture and life on a working farm. When not writing about local foods and creative chefs, cooking is my entertainment, and I enjoy canning, fermenting, dehydrating, and gardening.

When I branched into travel writing, my love of food and culture came with me as I interviewed a vegan restaurant owner in Ann Arbor, MI, who put imprisoned youth to work on her farm to aid with recidivism rates. I foraged and learned about wild ramps in West Virginia (American Essence Magazine); I spent a day with an oyster farmer in Mississippi and learned about off-bottom oyster aquaculture (American Essence). And I went “mooching” off a remote island in Alaska and learned about the sport of fishing, women’s growing involvement, and sustainable fishing (Field & Stream and others). In Reno, NV I discovered the craft distilleries and breweries at the heart of the city’s revitalization (Wine Enthusiast), and in Wisconsin I traveled across the state by train to sample the local cheese flavors (Roadtrippers).

Since part of my attraction to food relates to local, seasonal, and often foraged foods, I’ve written about the southern pecan (USA Today), the Tennessee pawpaw (Travel Awaits), the West Virginia wild ramp, and Oregon truffles (American Essence).

Food is a passion, and I’m in the process of writing a travel cookbook. My writing explores culture and place through the people I meet and the foods they eat. The cookbook will consist of interviews with interesting individuals I’ve met during my travels who represent the culture of an area, (an oyster farmer in Mississippi, a windjammer chef who cooks with a wood-burning stove in Maine, a Mexican woman in La Purisima who opens her home to guests and cooks meals using recipes passed down for generations, a cooking lesson in Aruba, and a truffle hunter in Oregon). I hope to release each piece as a syndicated column that will eventually be published as a cookbook.

Working in the wellness industry for so many years while publishing Evolving Magazine, I have numerous contacts with individuals who have used natural modalities for healing. This led to a series of profiles I’m writing for Woman’s World and FIRST for Women, sharing their healing stories.

I’ve been published in Wine Enthusiast, USA Today, AFAR, Woman’s World, FIRST for Women, Business Insider (Insider), Roadtrippers, Emporia Living, Shawnee Magazine, and many other print and digital publications. My specialty is writing human interest pieces and profiles of individuals. And when I’m not traveling or writing about food, I write regularly for three senior living magazines, telling the stories of residents for the Erickson Tribune. You can read various articles about these topics on my portfolio page: https://usabyrail.blog/about/resume-testimonials-clips/.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been bumps, such as when I stopped publishing Evolving Woman magazine after a divorce in 2000, but every challenge led to new beginnings. During COVID, just after publishing our annual wellness directory in March 2020, I made the decision to hold off on printing the print edition. Instead, I built up my freelance writing, providing an opportunity I might have missed otherwise.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I think I touched on this quite a bit in the first question, but basically, I spend my days either traveling, or working from home interviewing sources and writing articles. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to do what I love while sharing the stories of those I meet.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I could never have experienced the success of Evolving KC from 2009-2020 without the help of key helpers: editorial assistant Judy Kirkpatrick who took on every role with relish; a sales team of Connie Humiston and Karen Cowdry; local writers such as Bethany Klug, Jude La Claire, Dr. Nancy Russell, Aluna Michaels, and many more; our advertisers — some of whom supported the magazine for its entirety; plus freelance writers and artists whose work graced the cover each month. Key cheerleaders include my Mom, a gifted writer who always told me I could do anything I chose. After she passed, my sisters Mary and Lynn took over this role and still lend an ear and advice as mentors.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.usabyrail.blog
• Instagram: @usabyrail
• Facebook: @wanderlust.usa.by.rail
• Other: www.evolvingmagazine.com

Image Credits
Main photo: credit Penny Thieme. All other photos are my own.