Hey folks, This is going to have to be a short post because I’ve got to get packing for a novel writing retreat. I’m one of those writers who writes

The following speech was given to Honors Students and Service Leaders on Founders Day at Mount Mary College on March 4, 2011. Weaving the individual threads of self into the

I’m getting ready for a mid-March novel revision retreat where I’ll be working on a novel that’s almost finished. Over the past week I’ve thought my primary character sounded dippy,

Coming up with novel ideas often begins for me with an art project – a collage of images that speak to me about a particular character whose voice begins as

Good morning, January 19. Welcome to Janis Joplin’s birthday. She would be 68 today. I suspect she’d still be singing. But she is still singing — just listen to the radio

How wide can I smile??????The announcement was made early Monday morning and I was there to hear them say, “And the winner is….”  The entire ALA experience was mindblowing and

It was hard to play this Christmas and New Year’s despite loving the holidays. I hate to tell you how much I’ve obsessed on all things Janis, but I have. I learned

Get ready for an Imagination Celebration! This morning I had the honor of sending more than 150 Mount Mary College graduates into the community with a commencement address. I can’t tell

Hi all, It’s late but I don’t want to neglect those who peek in on my blog. I promise, promise, promise to post a more coherent blog when I have

Guess who got tenure AND a promotion at Mount Mary College? I did! I did! I returned to my office from a serious and scary meeting that ended with smiles in

Get ready for an Imagination Celebration! It can’t already be November! It’s the month of my favorite celebration. Thanksgiving — our celebration of family. Oh, yay! Yay! It’s TURKEY MONTH —

Myra Friedman, Janis Joplin’s publicist and one of her closest friends, passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2010, forty years to the month after Janis’s death. Myra’s passing creates silence

 Hey Mrs’ Crebbin’s class — I forgot I had my camera while you were there. But I took Mrs. Crebbin’s photo after you’d already left. This is your shout out!

Why Janis? I’m getting asked that a lot. Why write a biography of Janis Joplin? And why for teens?    As one children’s writer, who doesn’t understand why I can’t

Janis Joplin Rise Up Singing is officially launched. Photos from the big night are posted here and on facebook.  Abrams Books’ /Amulet Books for Young Readers will feature the book’s cover

EXCITING  NEWS School Library Journal gives JANIS JOPLIN:  Rise Up Singing by Ann Angel,  (Amulet Books; ISBN  978-0-8109-8349-6; $19.95; ON SALE: October 2010) A *STARRED*  review in the October issue!

I know, I know. I KNOW the social networking rules — if you’re going to blog, you need to do it once a week to gather a following. But I

Hey folks, I’m preparing to teach new grad students how to workshop short stories and so I”ve been scrabbling around the internet to find articles on workshop.  I think scrabbling

Oh, wow! I can’t believe how fast this summer went. I have meetings at school tomorrow and just spent the last few days updating syllabi and preparing one of the busiest