Joan Wiese Johannes photo
photo by Jeffrey Johannes

CONTACT

joanjeff@wctc.net

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Joan Wiese Johannes
Port Edwards, Wisconsin

POTENTIALLY AVAILABLE TO GO TO SCHOOLS TO DO READINGS AND/OR WORKSHOPS

BIO

Joan Wiese Johannes has been publishing poetry, articles, and creative nonfiction for twenty-five years. Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, literary journals, and anthologies, includng Cat Fancy, Rattle, The Wisconsin River Journal, Moving Out, Jam Today, Rhino, Peninsula Pulse, The Ball State Forum, Fox Cry Review, Free Verse, Verse Wisconsin, Wisconsin Academy Review, Wisconsin Trails, English Journal, Poets Who Haven't Moved to Minneapolis, Poets Who Haven't Moved to St. Paul, At the Heart of Riverwood, and Wisconsin Poets' Calendars. She has also published three chapbooks, two of poetry and one of original north woods mythology. She is the 2009 winner of the John and Miriam Morris Chapbook Competition.

Joan has won the Triad and Trophy Poem contests sponsored by the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, as well as several contests sponsored by Free Verse; and has placed in the Trophy, Triad, and Muse contests sponsored by WFOP, in addition to placing in contests sponsored by The Writer's Place, Byline, Peninsula Pulse, English Journal and The Wisconsin Academy of Science and Letters. She has also judged poetry contests for Free Verse and The Wisconsin Academy of Science and Letters. Joan has been named, along with her husband Jeffrey, as editor of the 2012 Wisconsin Poets' Calender.

A presenter and featured reader, Joan's workshops and presentations include Native American flute, as well as poetry. Having studied with internationally celebrated Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai at ten, week-long workshops since 1997, in 2003 she was awarded a silver medallion for sharing Native American flute through publishing duets for voice/flute in actual pitch and NA flute tablature. Her duet CD of original flute compositions, Heyoalinda, recorded with Wayne McCleskey, was also released in 2003. In addition, her poetry, musical compositions, and lyrics have been published in songbooks for the Native American flute. 1993 Wisconsin Secondary Teacher of the Year, 1999 Chisholm Award winner for the exemplary teaching of English, and winner of the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards from The Wisconsin Rapids Community Company of Players, Joan uses her skills as a teacher and dramatist to entertain and inform audiences. Since retiring from teaching in 2007, she leads workshops for adults and students, writes/composes, and creates presentations for specific events such as Diversity Day at the High Ground Veteran's Memorial, nature/writing retreats for EarthWonders, The International Birds in Art Show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum, and The International Native American Flute Convention.

Joan lives in Port Edwards with her poet husband Jeffrey and often shares the stage with him for readings.
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PUBLICATIONS

Myopic Nerve, 2005 ($11.25 postage included)
Four Duets for Native American Flute and Voice, sheet music, 2003. ($8.00 plus $1.00 postage)SOLD OUT
Heyoalinda, CD released with Wayne McCleskey, 2003 ($15.00 postage included)

Mother Less Child, poetry chapbook, 2000. ($7.00 plus $1.25 postage)SOLD OUT
The Mending of the Moonglow,
creative nonfiction chapbook, 1999. SOLD OUT

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BOOKINGS

2010


    POEM

TAPS

It is syrup time,
and Tom tramps, taps, and talks
about the bear who took ten buckets
and left tracks around his camp.
He shakes his head and says
he hopes the fire
keeps it away when he boils down,
tells me he applied for a permit
as he mimes the pull of a trigger.

But I, like his bear
will follow the trail of white buckets,
drink sap clear as streams.

I plan to walk circles around spring
before the big boil-down turns me
dark as bear fur thick as blood.

Joan Wiese Johannes
First published in Peninsula Pulse

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