Age: 23
Why her?: Despite all that critical gas acout female-rage rock, it is the Asaska-born Jewel's have-you-ever-been-mellow hooks and come-hither looks that have music fans proclaiming there's no place like Homer.
How she does it: Draws inspiration from whomever she's reading - currently it's Nabokov. (Yep, Vladimir.) "I love writing," she adds. "Ultimately, I'm in love with my pen. I don't understand things until I process them through the pen. It's like a therapist."
Creative crutch: "I like having a picture of home, but I don't think I'm totally dependant on it."
What's next: A Lilith Fair tour stint and a single, "Foolish Games," which appears on the Batman & Robin soundtrack. Says Jewel: "It sure beats waitressing."