The WOSIB Literary Garden

My name is Joanne Pons, and sometimes go my the pen name Johanna. I am a 55 year old American living in France and am married for 30 years to my high school French penpal, Paul. We have four children, ages 25, 21, and twins 16. Our house is located in a small country town about 40 miles south of Paris. I don't work outside my home, and so have time for many different hobbies, which are writing, creative crafts (cooking, needlework) reading, travelling, being outdoors and gardening. Paul works as a ticket agent for Air France and so we usually take time to visit my family in Chicago (home town) at least once a year.

My main literary interests are in ancient histories and cultures, medieval and Victorian literatature, and like to write in essays and documentaries, as well as reviews, challenges and expressions. I enjoy doing research, spending many hours writing them out; this work entails a great deal of time, but it not only informs you, the reader, but me, the writer, for I learn at the same time to develop my own style and manner of expressing facts and my personal thoughts on paper. I have yet to develop a hand for poetry, which I find much more difficut; it's easier for me to write a two page review than an eight line poem. But there are times when the challenge of tackling a personal poetic work does keep me busy.