The smell of Maddox fried chicken filled the air as I sat down with Mr. Jorgensen to conduct an interview. With his fingers covered in chicken grease, Jorgensen explained to me where his love for J.D Salinger began.

He said that he really connected to The Catcher in the Rye when it was taught in his high school, but  instead of identifying with the main character, he really connected with the writing style itself. Even though he’s only had the chance to teach The Catcher in the Rye twice, he uses Salinger’s work in his Creative Writing classes as often as possible.

One of Mr. Jorgensen’s greatest passions is, of course, writing. He feels as if he’s always had a knack for the craft of writing. A teacher that he described as “enthusiastic and bombastic,” turned out to be one of his greatest sources of inspiration. Even though they didn’t agree on everything, Jorgensen saw the class as a great experience.

Later in college, he was greatly impacted by another teacher who really showed him quality work, and taught him how to write such pieces.

Mr. Jorgensen considers himself a “music snob”, saying, “I humbly state that I have a better taste than everybody else.” He laughs. When there’s something he doesn’t like, he really has a hard time trying to like it.

The first album he ever bought was Freeze Frame by the J Geils Band, the first tape he bought was Frontiers by Journey, and his first CD was U2’s Zooropa. When it comes down to more current artists, he enjoys bands like Arcade Fire, Fleet Foxes, The Shins, The Killers, and Travis, a scottish band that influenced Coldplay, another one of his favorite bands. When I asked what the soundtrack to his life would be, he answered REM’s “Life’s Rich Pageant.” The song “I Believe” from that album is easily one of his top five favorite songs.

When he’s not at school, Jorgensen is a real family man. He likes to spend almost every minute of his time with his family. “Parenting is the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life. It takes a lot of time, but it can be a lot of fun.” He said as he described his three, crazy kids. “Life has slowed a teeny bit down in the last year or so, but they keep us on our toes.” He enjoys playing soccer with his son, watching the girls dance, and of course, teaching them how to like good music.
His next passion is water skiing, a sport he’s loved since he was growing up in Oregon near the river. His best friend’s family had a boat, which led to his own family buying one. He would spend weekends, and long summer nights out on the river. “It’s just my favorite place to be.”

Mr. Jorgensen loved growing up in Portland in general. He worked downtown, and as he spent time there, he fell in love with the city of roses. “Portland’s people are odd, but the city has character.”.  He continued to describe how beautiful Oregon’s scenery was. Even though Oregon will always be his true home, he still appreciates all of the places he’s lived, especially Salt Lake City.

Jorgensen also has a children’s book in the making and is really looking forward to being a published author.