Paul D Camp Community College's Third Annual Literary Festival - Big Success

Besides music and visual stimuli, nothing inspires my Muse like hearing other authors read their work. I was blessed to once again be part of Paul D. Camp Community College's Third Annual Literary Festival. Emceed by poet and orator Nathan Richardson, it was well planned and organized by Professor and Literary Club Sponsor Ronette Jacobs and everyone on the staff of the literary club. Harriette Arrington, Dean of Academic Programs, engaged the children in another room with her storytelling. Paul D. Camp Community College President Paul Conco did some wonderful storytelling.

Author Annette Montgomery shared her book of history on African Americans in Suffolk. Lots of recognizable landmarks in the photos. Reginald Johns, a poet and motivational speaker, wowed the crowd with his words. I bought a hardback book of his, Love is Life's Lesson. It combines art and poetry. Love it!

As always, Nathan Richardson and Synnika Lofton delivered mighty words with just the right touch. I shared poetry from my newest book, Poetic Dreamer. One of the poems I shared is titled, Go Paint Yourself. In this poem, I imagine coming up behind Norman Rockwell as he paints his Triple Self Portrait. In my hand, I hold an ice cream cone as I await his reaction as he paints. My last comment in the poem as though he were speaking himself- "Just call me Norman Rocky Road."

The Artwork of Lowell Boileau and My Poetry in Poetic Dreamer

I admired the artwork of Lowell Boileau and felt moved to write a poem about his artwork, Riverbend. Here is the resulting poem beside his art. He's a great artist from Michigan. This is the first poem in my new poetry book, Poetic Dreamer. http://bit.ly/i8JtYH See more of his artwork at www.lowellboileau.com www.phyllisjohnson.net

Twelve Year Old Loves Being Frank with Anne

http://www.beingfrankwithanne.com Today I wanted to share one of the highlights of my day. I got a phone call from someone in Texas. Many times when I see a call coming in when I'm not expecting one from another state, I make the assumption that it's a solicitor. Today however, I answered the phone and to my delight, it was a twelve year old girl from Texas calling me about my book, Being Frank with Anne. A Holocaust Museum had purchased the book and this girl had read it and loved it. In the sixth grade, she had already read, The Diary of a Young Girl, and also enjoyed reading my poetic interpretation of the diary. It was a really gratifying phone call and I asked if she'd told her teacher about my book. She said that she was going to tell her about it soon. Thanks Miss Fisher for making my day!

Poetic Dreamer, my latest book

Here is the cover for my newest book, Poetic Dreamer. One third was inspired by artwork of my artist friends. The second third was inspired by photography by Richard Bernabe. The last section was fueled by life in general. I've been collecting these poems for years and they are probably more of me than my first three books. Hope you enjoy this book! It can be found at Lulu.com and will soon be posted at Amazon.com

What's Happening

2011 is starting out to be a really busy year. I have a college talk coming up, a book signing at Point Harbor Community Church on January 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and am taking art and photography classes. Inspiration has come in the form of artwork by friends such as Robbie Younger and Laura Gibbs. I have lots of other artist friends at Olde Towne Art Gallery and teachers who constantly encourage and inspire me. My co-written book, Inkblot, written with award winning writer Nancy Naigle, has been entered in another contest. Wish us luck! The beautiful painted furniture shown here is by artist Robbie Younger, owner of The Painted Garden boutique in Smithfield, VA.

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.