My writing is a wonderful outlet of expression for feelings and thought. I love writing with others and sharing our words afterwards. (July 6, 2009)
In 2007, after retiring as an attorney, Joan turned to writing. Inspired by Sharon Bray's book, A Healing Journey: Writing Together Through Breast Cancer, and Natalie Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within, she began to write, at first with a writing group led by Drew Lamm, and then at a Writing through Healing group she started at the Bennett Cancer Center in Stamford, Connecticut.
For Joan, writing was a way to explore her feelings, work through difficult medical decisions, strengthen her faith, and create a legacy "in words and love" for her family, friends, and community.
In addition to her book, The Quilt of My Life, Joan's writings have appeared in the following publications:
- The Fallen Leaf Anthology, eds. James Chandler and Jerry Thrush. Booklocker, 2010.
- The Wishing Well: Awakenings, ed. John T. Eber, Sr. Eber & Wein, 2009.
- Fit Yoga, "A Patient Practice," October 2008.
- Hospitallers: Quarterly Journal of the Order of Malta. Vol. 5: Summer 2008.
Joan has been interviewed as a writer in the following publications:
- The Stamford Advocate, "Learning to Cope with Cancer," May 24, 2009.
- Fit Yoga, "A Patient Practice," October 2008.
I try to write every day. I want to leave some part of me with my family. For Christmas, I gave each of them a collection of my 2008 stories and copies of my 2008 watercolors. I am leaving a legacy for my children and grandchildren. (July 2009)
