Author: Jennifer S. Miller

Teenage angst is nothing new. But what if we thought of adolescents as courageous Renaissance artists, bursting with infinite possibilities in order to combat some of the anxieties embedded within our tech-heavy time? There’s a book for that.

The forthcoming title, “Humanaissance: Igniting Courage in Our Teens and Ourselves,” out on Oct. 20 from Health Communications Inc., has some of that covered.

The title of the book is rooted from the French word “renaissance,” meaning “rebirth.”

In a historical context, it refers to the period of European art history that occurred between the 14th to the 17th centuries, characterized by a rebirth of interest in the classical art, literature, and the learnings from ancient Greece and Rome.

In this current era, riddled with artificial intelligence and “AI slop,” a “humanaissance,” is emerging; the rebirth of the human spirit.

The book offers the next generation tools to shift from technology back to humanity, “just as the Renaissance brought fresh, innovative ideas about cultural and human potential — bringing enlightenment to dark times,” the book promises.

The author, Jennifer S. Miller, a mother to an 18-year-old son, takes on this Herculean task.

With three decades of experience in this field after earning a master’s degree in instructional leadership with a focus on child and adolescent development, she has a career that lead her to create tools on parenting with partners such as the National Parent Teacher Association, National University, Montana State University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“From brain science, we know that our teenagers are primed for creative brilliance beyond any other time and age,” Miller says.

Miller is no stranger to this landscape.

She previously authored the 2020 book “Confident Parents, Confident Kids: Raising Emotional Intelligence in Ourselves and Our Kids — from Toddlers to Teenagers” which was named as one of the favorite parenting books that year by the Greater Good Science Center, a research center based at the University of California, Berkeley that studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being.

With a minor in fine art and graphic design, Miller illustrated that book herself, allowing her to merge her artistic talent with her expertise in social and emotional learning. She has done the same with this one.

“When three out of four parents worry that their teen will struggle with mental health challenges, we need everyday strategies to move from darkness into light,” the book states.