Jeff Rice

Jeff Rice was born in 1951 in Honolulu, HI, the son of third-generation Colorado natives. He grew up in the small towns, sand hills, and farming valleys of northeastern Colorado. While still in high school he landed a part-time job as a weekend disc jockey at a local radio station, then did announcing and reporting for two years in the local television newsroom. Frustrated with the lack of career opportunities and bored with college, he spent several years in odd jobs, got married, and eventually enlisted in the Army (1974-77) serving his enlistment in Germany. It was there he fell in love with journalism, working as the reporter, editor, photographer and delivery boy for the military community newspaper. On returning to civilian life he earned his BA in journalism from the University of Northern Colorado and worked the next 20 years at newspapers in Longmont and Sterling, Colo. In 1998, after a disastrous stint with an Oregon newspaper, he returned home with his family and, discouraged with his journalism prospects, began a second career with a customer service call center, eventually being promoted into management. In the meantime he earned his MA in English, also from UNCo. He teaches part-time at local community colleges, writes fiction, and dabbles in woodworking