BIO: Phyllis Johnson is a freelance photojournalist and poet. Her three poetry books are Being Frank with Anne, a poetic interpretation of Anne Frank’s diary; Hot and Bothered by It, midlife humor for women, and Twelve is for more than Doughnuts, poetry and prose based on the Bible. Being Frank with Anne is archived at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and was reviewed by Buddy Elias, Anne’s first cousin. This book is also posted at the New York Anne Frank Center website bookstore. There is a CD of the abridged version of the book available as well. Most moving of this experience was getting an autograph from Miep Gies in one of the copies, before her passing at age 100. This literature is part of an annotated Holocaust bibliography at several universities. Hot and Bothered by It has generated a play which she hopes to produce in the near future. Her current poetry book being compiled is titled Poetic Dreamer.

Phyllis’ poems have appeared in Home Life magazine, Dorchester Media publications, In Concert, Jewish Magazine, anthologies including numerous Skipping Stones publications, a collection by Hampton Roads poets, several Soundings anthologies by Open Page Poets in Virginia Beach, and in Ripples, the editor’s favorite 100 poems from the first four years of Skipping Stones. She has served as an editor for Skipping Stones on one occasion.

Phyllis has enjoyed hosting open mic nights in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach and has led poetry workshops in Richmond, Wakefield and Chesapeake. Her favorite poetry workshop has been held with romance writers. It was titled the “One Night Stanza Poetry Workshop.” Phyllis serves on the literary panel at the Suffolk Annual Literary Festival at Paul D. Camp Community College. She has also lectured numerous times on writing at Virginia Wesleyan College. She is inspired and delighted by the enthusiasm of the teens she works with in a Writing Club at a local high school where she has helped produce several poetry anthologies by the students.

PUBLICATIONS:
Being Frank with Anne (Community Press) beingfrankwithanne.com
Hot and Bothered by It (Community Press)
Twelve is for more than Doughnuts (Lulu.com)

Online:

Being Frank with Anne review at Tidewater Women
Review in Religious Herald
Hot and Bothered by It review at Authors Reviewed
Podcast of radio interview with Dr. Michael Cortson
POEMS
Tuesday, March 7, 1944

You view your
past as though it were a movie.
All the freedom,
friends and fun
play before you
like a screenplay and
you compare the
old and new Anne.
Superficial and social,
she peers back at you,
laughing.
You like her but
find her shallow,
finding life’s real meaning
in love, nature and God.

—Phyllis Johnson

Excerpt from Being Frank with Anne

And Proverbs says
Don’t wear yourself out getting rich.
Like a carrot before a horse,
we’re all on this course,
bound for riches or bust.
Distrustful of silence,
too busy to listen,
too scheduled out
to take a deep breath
and the essence of it all,
what our drive
has driven us to,
the frenzied lives we lead,
in which there’s no time to
plant a seed,
to fertilize His fields,
and so we’d better yield
to words we’re just too
busy to hear.
Be still and know
that He is near.

—Phyllis Johnson

Based on Proverbs 22:4
Excerpt from Twelve is for more than Doughnuts