John E. Budzinski

John E. Budzinski is a storyteller. While learning to tell stories in grade school, his unexpected journey into becoming an author began with an ill-fated attempt to impress a college girlfriend's father, the News Editor of a local Virginia paper. Believing said father thought of him as a 25-watt bulb in a 100-watt world, John came up with a clever ploy. He wrote two op-ed pieces for the father to expound, “Well, okay, maybe I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but I can still shed some illumination.” His little ploy didn't win over the father, but it ignited a passion for writing that never dimmed.

That unexpected beginning led John to write guest op-ed pieces for his local newspaper and then spend five years writing a weekly column for a New Hampshire newspaper, where he shared his curious observations with readers who appreciated his honest, relatable voice. John’s other stories appeared in papers from New England and beyond, establishing him as a writer who finds meaning in everyday moments and human connections.

John is the author of three books, including his latest release, Not That It Matters. His writing explores the threads that connect us all—family, community, and the shared experiences that shape our lives.
Beyond his roles as sibling, son, uncle, and neighbor, John remains mostly a dedicated storyteller who believes every person has a story worth telling, and every story, the power to create understanding between people.

Many of those stories found their way into a column he penned for a New Hampshire weekly. His writing has appeared in the Boston Globe, Quincy, (MA) Patriot Ledger, Worcester, (MA) Telegram & Gazette, Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Connecticut Post, and Waterbury (CT) Republican American, among others.

A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, he has studied at Northeastern University in Boston, University of Bridgeport (CT), Fairfield University (CT), and Temple University in Philadelphia. A seasoned traveler and accomplished photographer, John E. Budzinski lives near the UNSECO Literary City of Iowa City, IA, where there is nothing he enjoys more than going out to a local haunt for some ribs and cold beer, to hear and tell stories of life.