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Fellows /
Jan Schwaid
Digital Storytellers Lab
2026-2027 Fellow
The Matzah Ball Murders
A group of five people from different walks of life gather every Thursday in the back room of Nick’s Deli to play mahjong and gossip. The gossip’s always been relatively tame… until the day they find one of the restaurant’s regular patrons dead, face down in a big bowl of matzah ball soup (best in town). When the police prove worthless, the Mah Jongg Five suddenly find themselves in the middle of the murder mystery… and if they don’t solve it soon, one of them might be next!
Originally from Wisconsin, Jan Schwaid graduated from the University of Southern California’s screenwriting program. She has written for everything from television and short films to podcasts, picture books, and video games. Recent projects include PJ Library’s award-winning children’s storytelling podcasts Beyond the Bookcase and Have I Got a Story for You! She’s also the writer of Nosh: Bite-Size Adventures, an educational show for young foodies. Her debut picture book, The Shabbat Flood: A Texas-Sized Tall Tale, will be published in Fall 2026. She currently teaches screenwriting and podcasting at the Los Angeles branch of the New York Film Academy.
Screenwriters Lab 
