Jean Trounstine earned her B.A. at Beloit College and her M.F.A. in Theatre Arts at Brandeis University. She is currently a professor of humanities at Middlesex Community College in Lowell Massachusetts, specializing in writing, literature and theatre courses.

With grants from the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, Trounstine developed a humanities-based theatre arts program at Framingham Women's Prison, where she directed productions of Arsenic and Old Lace, Waiting for Lefty, The Merchant of Venice, Simply Maria, as well as adaptations of Madwomen of Chaillot, Lysistrata, The Scarlet Letter, and Rapshrew, a rap musical version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. Drawing from music history, women's history, art, literature and drama, the program was offered at the prison for ten years, most recently earning college credit in collaboration with Boston University. Her work in prison with The Merchant of Venice was nominated for a prestigious Schwartz Award, considered by the Foundation as the most successful project funded in 1988. It is the basis of her book Shakespeare behind Bars: The Power of Drama in a Women's Prison, published by St. Martin's Press, 2001.  The paperback version of this book, with a new Foreward and Afterward, is available through U. Michigan Press as of February, 2004.

Trounstine has written many articles about her work with offenders, (Prison Drama in Boston Globe Magazine, a chapter in The Book Group Book, articles in Southwest Review, Working Woman Magazine, Catalyst Journal, NADIE Journal, Expanded Perspectives in Learning, etc.) and has been featured on The Today Show, All Things Considered-NPR, and Voice of America. In addition, Trounstine's personal essays and interviews have appeared in journals such as Voices West, Mainstreet Rag and Working Class Writing.

With Robert Waxler, she co-authored Finding a Voice:  The Practice of Changing Lives Through Literature  (U Michigan, 2005), co-edited an anthology of writings used in the program and published by Notre Dame Press, entitled Changing Lives Through Literature and receives many requests to speak about the program and book on radio (Chris Lydon's The Connection) and in person (Keynote National Prayer Day in San Mateo, California 2002). She helped to establish this program in Massachusetts, where criminals are sentenced to a literature seminar and probation instead of jail and it is now in many other states and in England.  Changing Lives was honored in 2004 by the New England Board of Higher Education as an exemplary program in New England and received a grant from the Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities. Trounstine has been the subject of over fifty news articles both locally and nationally, and at conferences for educators, probation officers, judges, legislators, theatre practitioners, and writers, she speaks about her work with offenders and is received enthusiastically. 

Trounstine has published her poetry in literary venues such as Sojourner, Phoebe, Poetry Motel, Red River Review.com, The Mid-America Poetry Review and On the Line. She was a semi-finalist in poetry for the Massachusetts Cultural Council and her poem, "In the Mirror" was considered for a Pushcart Prize. Her first collection of poetry, Almost Home Free, was published by Pecan Grove Press in 2003 and has been received enthusiastically.
                             
At the college, she has developed a student improvisational theatre troupe called Matter of Fact that deals with social issues, and the group tours colleges and high schools, performing and leading discussion groups. Trounstine has also initiated a prison literature class, "Voices From Behind Bars," and was recognized in Who's Who in America's Teachers for outstanding service in 1990,1991 and 1997. In 1993, she worked with the Women in Theatre Festival in Boston, organizing a panel and related productions on theatre with women in prison. She has served as a consultant to the Task Force on Female Offenders established by the Women's Legislative Caucus. Women in Philanthropy, a state giving-organization, honored her as one of twenty-three "Women Who Make a Difference" for contributing to lives of women in Massachusetts. She appeared in Who's Who in America 2000 and in 2001 was honored nationally by the prestigious New England Resource Center for Higher Education for her outreach in the community and professional achievement. 

Most recently, co-editor, Karen Propp and Trounstine have published Why I'm Still Married: Women Write Their Hearts Out on Love, Loss, Sex and Who Does The Dishes,with Hudson Street Press (Penguin, 2006) and the book is receiving great press!  Essayists include a slew of great writers such as Anne Bernays, Julia Alvarez, Susan Cheever, Erica Jong, Diana Abu Jaber, Bharati Mukherjee, ZZ Packer and Marge Piercy.  See www. whyimstillmarried.com for more info.  Trounstine's reading schedule is available here as well.