HRW Writer's Conference a Success

http://http://hamptonroads.com/blogs/phyllis-johnson

The Diary of Anne Frank at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk

The Virginia Stage Company is putting on a great presentation of The Diary of Anne Frank at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk. Talented actors and actresses put on a great performance and the four story set was skillfully crafted for a realistic reenactment of the Secret Annexe. The play is being directed by Chris Hanna. This is moving and well done. I am honored to be a part of this event with my book signing for my poetic interpretation of the diary, Being Frank with Anne. This play runs through October 10. There is an Anne Frank/Holocaust exhibit in the theatre lobby as well.

My Blog on Being Frank with Anne at Dawn Byrd's Blog

http://kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/2010/09/register-to-win-phyllis-johnsons-being.html#comment-form

Summer Happenings

It's been a whirlwind summer so far. Last night I hosted an open mic night with Hampton Roads Writers at Towne Bank on Mt. Pleasant Rd. We had a nice group considering summer travel and I shared some of my 3 books of poetry as well as enjoyed listening to others read their poems and prose. Zach read a short story and did a stand up comic act. His girlfriend (I don't have the sign up list or I'd mention her name) recited a poem she'd known and done in diction class. She had nice stage presence. Several others shared their prose from their own published books and as always, it was an inspiration to us all. My next adventure is to do a monologue on Saturday night at the Smithfield Little Theatre's annual One Acts Play Festival. This will be a first for me so I'm excited and challenged by it. Currently I'm working on a humorous YA book and a book of monologues for teens. Hope you're having a great summer!

My Blog Posted at JWorld Cafe

My Amazing Journey as a Writer

I think receiving a toy typewriter as a child and reading Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl may have had a lot to do with my becoming a writer. Like millions of others, Anne’s diary left a real mark on my life. For Anne, writing was a way to reach beyond the secret walls that enclosed her. Wise beyond her years, she left behind a legacy of hope and encouragement in the face of danger.
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Upon reading her book, I tried to emulate her positive attitude and have only come to realize in recent days that she may have had more of an impact on me that I had acknowledged. As a young girl, what had me enthused was the fact that my middle name was Ann and I attended Holland Elementary school. Here was an Anne in another Holland. Visions of windmills, wooden shoes and tulips came to mind. Then, the visions of the atrocities and injustice rang loud. It haunted me and made me realize that I wanted her determination, compassion and courage.
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Like Anne, I had the same love of words and rhythm, something that developed when my dad read to me and my siblings every night, often from a poetry book. I still have the Child Craft book he read from.
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Anne loved celebrities, cutting and gluing their pictures to a wall. I came to appreciate acting and became an actress for the Discovery Channel, getting parts in FBI Files, New Detectives, Diagnosis Unknown and Psychic Investigator. It was another way I found myself in kinship with Anne’s mindset.
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When various forms of injustice bother me, I often think about Anne and her desire for world peace and equality. During the year of my book’s release, I contacted the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. I wanted my book to be posted at the Anne Frank Center in New York. I came in contact with Buddy Elias, Anne’s first cousin, who told me to send it to the Anne Frank Fonds in Switzerland. (Of which he is a CEO). After having it approved at both locations, I sent it to the center in New York where it is posted at the website bookstore. It is also archived at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. When I was in contact with Buddy, I had no idea he was Anne’s first cousin. He told me that Anne would have loved the book.
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Six months ago, I emailed Miep Gies and to my surprise, she emailed back. She requested copies of the book and CD, Being Frank with Anne. I excitedly sent them and heard from her. She expressed her gratitude for my having written the book. I was humbled beyond words. Now, at her recent passing, I am in awe of the fact that I had contact with a woman who risked her life to try and preserve the lives of others. That was truly admirable. God works in mysterious ways, somehow connecting me to Anne Frank, and allowing me to help continue her legacy.
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Hampton Roads Writers - A Great Group for Writers!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1286135827547

If you're a writer, you may want to join Hampton Roads Writers. This amazing group of talented writers gets together monthly to share and listen to each other's poetry and prose. I've been fortunate enough to attend some of the events and even host one of their open mic events. The networking is wonderful and I've met some great people there. They meet at the Myra Oberndorf Library in Virginia Beach.

Blogging at Romancing the Blog with Nancy O'Berry http://obe-romancingtheblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-01-18T10%3A41%3A00-08%3A00&max-resu

http://obe-romancingtheblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-01-18T10%3A41%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7

Nancy O'Berry is great at writing historical fiction. Here's my blog at her blog site. Also about Another Place and Time- (pen name Cara Preston)

Lisa Lipkind Liebow's Blog- Another Place and Time Promo- "Pace Yourself"

http://llleibow.com/blog/2010/01/19/pace-yourself-2/#respond

I've had the pleasure of being a guest blogger on Lisa Lipkind Liebow's blog site. It's a great way to get to know other authors as well. Have a great Valentine's Day!

Today's Blog at Poetica Magazine - J World Cafe

http://www.poeticamagazine.com/apps/blog/

Check out my blog at Poetica magazine today! Also see the talents of writers and artists from all over the world!

Have a great day!

Laugh Your Shorts Off anthology of humor

Like to laugh? You'll enjoy Laugh Your Shorts Off, an anthology of humor written by 70 humor writers from across the country. Edited by Margie Culbertson, this book contains a host of humor stories that Margie originally gathered when she ran humor writing contests on her website. I'm happy to be part of this collection with my short story, Bathroom Battalion. You can order this book through Amazon.com Enjoy reading it!

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Laugh-your-Shorts-Off-award-winning/dp/1449901174#noop

Spa Party

http://www.fotohighway.com/assets_d/15517/download_media/summer08_106.pdf

I wanted to share a piece I wrote a while back on a spa party I attended. Fotohighway's newsletter, OnE Magazine has a wealth of fashion and makeup ideas. Leah Marshall is a great photographer who came from New York. She is affiliated with Ann Leister and the SPLASH modeling group. Leah does awesome work. Scroll down to page five to see my article.
Have a great day!!

Thoughts on Miep Gies- the Woman Who Hid the Frank Family

When I read about Miep Gies passing away at age 100, I thought about how she’d seen so much take place in her life. I thought about how she’d helped hide the Frank family during the Holocaust and how she’d helped preserve Anne’s diary by giving it to Anne’s dad, Pim. A short bio on Miep’s life said how she hadn’t read the diary before she gave it to him. It went on to say that if she had, she would have had to burn it for fear of incriminating herself. When I was young, the Diary of a Young Girl made a major impact on my life. Wat resonated was the importance of justice, equality and finding the silver lining in spite of bad circumstances. Anne represented the kind of courageous and optimistic person I wanted to be. I was never able to shake the enormity of her book and as an adult, I wrote a book of poetry based on her diary titled Being Frank with Anne. The journey of this book has proven interesting. Anne’s first cousin, Buddy Elias read and reviewed it. He is now CEO of the Anne Frank Fonds in Switzerland. He suggested that I send it to the foundation there and from there it went to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where it was archived. The Anne Frank Center website bookstore also displays it. While all of that was exciting, I also thought about how Erin Gruell, (Freedom Writers) had flown Miep to California to meet her students. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have contact with Miep? About that time, there was an article in the newspaper about her turning 100 years of age. One of my daughters found online her email address. I contacted Miep by email. You can imagine my surprise when I received an email from her. She was requesting copies of my book and the CD of the abridged version. After sending her copies, I heard from her in the Netherlands. Excitedly I tore into the envelope postmarked that country. She expressed gratitude for my having penned the book. I felt very humbled by her expression. To think that she had risked her life trying to preserve the lives of others is something truly to admire and remember. Today’s blog is in memory of Miep Gies. \

A 14 Year Old Girl's Review on Being Frank with Anne, my book based on the diary

For her thirteenth birthday on 12 June 1942, Anne Frank, received a book she had shown her father in a shop window a few days earlier. Although it was an autograph book, bound with red-and-green plaid cloth and with a small lock on the front, Anne decided she would use it as a diary. In "Being Frank with Anne" Phyllis Johnson, brings us new insight on Anne Frank, and her short-lived life.

Taking an entry from Anne Frank's personal diary "Kitty" Johnson, gives us the poetic take on what happened on that day, in Anne Frank's life. Being a fourteen year old girl, myself, I can relate to Anne, and her feelings of being misunderstood, and wanting to achieve the greater things that life has to offer. In this beautifully, written collection of poems, you will feel pain; when Anne feels pain. You will feel longing; when Anne is yearning for something that is not in her reach. And you will feel happiness; in the moments that Anne felt any happiness at all.

Phyllis Johnson gives us this book with over one hundred, heartfelt poems that will touch you deep inside, and leave you with a new understanding and perspective on what emotion was behind that diary entry, so many years ago. This book is a must have for any fan of Anne Frank, Phyllis Johnson, Poetry, or just the love of an all-around great book. You will not be sorry you read this book. You will be grateful to have read a book about something as important and touching, as Anne Frank.

"I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that's what I want! I know I can write ..., but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent... And if I don't have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can't imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! ... I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I've never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that's why I'm so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that's inside me! When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that's a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?" Anne Frank, wrote, on Wednesday, 5 April 1944.

Yes, Anne. You did write something great. And Phyllis Johnson keeps your voice going for many years to come. -Angel Snyder

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=being+frank+with+anne

Poem Posted Today at VoxPoetica.com

VoxPoetica.com is a great website with daily poetry postings. I was delighted to see my poem, Drifting Wood, posted on there today. Recently, the editor also published poetry by my co-writer, Nancy Naigle. Reading poetry by other authors is a great way to feed the Muse. Take time out to read poems on here and be surprised by the wide selection of poets and poetry styles. http://poemblog.voxpoetica.com/

My Spirit and Soul Website

Check out this website:

http//www.myspiritandsoul.com/

Here's a website that showcases musicians, singers and writers. I'm tickled to be included on the site with LeAnn Rimes and Alicia Keys. You can find information about all kinds of music from hip hop to country. Watch the slide show on the left on the home page starting with Kadrae, then Jordin Sparks, then read about some of my writing.

Celebrating with the Huntington Learning Center and the Virginia Martial Arts Center

What a busy weekend. I had the pleasure of attending a ribbon cutting for a Huntington Learning Center yesterday. What excitement! They had a Color Guard from the Churchland High School ROTC, a guest singer for the Star Spangled Banner and Alan P. Krasnoff, city mayor, assist with the ribbon cutting. I had a nice chat with him. What a super guy. He said he has five or six events to attend on any given day. Boy, does he get around.

The next thing on my agenda was a party celebrating a 30th anniversary for the Virginia Martial Arts Center and the 50th birthday party of Shihan Darren Myers. Lots of great food, fun and dancing for everyone. The wise words shared there included the following: Never give up. Seven times down, eight times up. Focus, know your self worth, have respect and responsibility. Develop self-confidence and train your mind, body and spirit.

Young Adult Suspense Novel Underway

INKBLOT:: Consider this scenario. An award winning junior crime writer meets the teen-entrepeneur who owns INKBLOT, a popular quiz website. What transpires is a tangled web of crime and deception. Who's to blame? Chelsea Pressman, the attention hungry reporter or Ronnie Wright, the website owner whose business seems to have links to the victims.Follow the trail of intrigue, romance and suspense and find out who the real culprit is in Inkblot, first in the series of Headline Hunters, written by Johnson Naigle ~ (the collaborative writing of contest winning novelist Nancy Naigle and myself, Phyllis Johnson)

The Latest Happenings

Water, water everywhere, what's a writer to think? Here's what this writer thought. Put keyboard into gear and get busy. I wrote an article (hopefully for Hampton Roads Monthly) about a local impersonator. He rocks. His name is Tim Beasley and you'll be seeing an article about him by me in the near future. I'm also working on a power point presentation for the From Inspiration to Publication Workshop II I plan to do in February with Nathan Richardson at the Russell Memorial Library. Gearing up for the Writer's Seminar tomorrow at Russell Library where Joanna Bourne (best selling historical author) and Laurie Sanders (editor of romance novels) will be giving workshops. Tonight it's dinner with the CRW crowd at Buffet City. Yum! Here's to Nancy Naigle at Crime Bake in Boston! May she have a fantastic conference there as well!

Spoof on the Raven

Once upon a midday dreary
as I laundered weak and weary
in faded housecoat that I as housewife wore
there suddenly came a rapping
'twas certainly a tapping at my utility room door
'twas just the wind and nothing more...

(and so begins my spoof on The Raven... and no, I am not a housewife nor do I wear housecoats)

Workshop a Success Last Night

Nathan Richardson and I had the pleasure last night of leading the Spiritual Writing Workshop, from Inspiration to Publication, at Russell Memorial Library. At least 22 writers turned out to hear the ins and outs of publishing and share their own experiences. All ages were represented, even some teens who are working on their own novels. I always get excited when I see young people who are actively honing their craft. There were a lot of great writers and friends in the crowd and I would have loved for all of them to have read some of their works but there wasn't enough time for that. Bill Blake won the door prize basket of three books, candy and cookies. We've been asked to do another presentation like this in the future and I'm looking forward to it. We havn't set a date for the workshop yet but it's in the works.