Jennifer "Jen" Miller is an American performer, actress, writer, painter, director, preacher, and poet from Manhattan, New York City. In 2002 Miller was named the Village Voice's "Best D.I.Y. Go-Girl" in the category of "Over 21".
Activities
Miller formerly wrote the I Did It for Science column for nerve.com and writes a column entitled Diary of an Art Star for Artnet. She is also associated with several movements and projects that were launched as a response to various popular concepts. Some examples include the Anti-Slamopen mike movement and the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant, with was founded to "counteract the objectification of the female body in art". Miller has written multiple books such as Reverend Jen's Really Cool Neighborhood and has written for other projects such as The Adventures of Electra Elf and Fluffer, a low budget Public-access television show produced by Nick Zedd. Miller helped create the "Art Star" movement of performers, artists, poets, and other individuals centered around the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She has also acted as the founder for several projects, such as the magazine Art Star Scene and with her former boyfriend Courtney Fathom Sell, co-founded ASS Studios. Miller is the curator of the Troll Museum, which collects history, toys, and memorabilia associated with the Troll doll. The museum closed in 2016, after she was evicted from her rent-controlled apartment. In 2018, she did an art show called Rev Jen's Mid-Career Survey, which opened at MF Gallery on January 13 and closed on February 13. One one occasion, she showed two of her films, Creature Double Feature and Satan, Hold my Hand.
Anti-Slam
Miller began the Anti-Slam movement at in 1995 as a reaction to the Poetry Slam movement on the Lower East Side. At a traditional poetry slam, performers are given a score of 1–10 by a panel of five judges, whereas at an Anti-Slam event performers are given a perfect score regardless of the content or quality of their performance. On October 17, 2007, Miller announced that this performance would be the final anti-slam. The following year, Miller revived the movement as a monthly event.