Joanne Sullivan Silva:  

Life Steeped in the tradition of Irish poets by her father, Joanne Sullivan began writing poetry while still in grammar school. As the only child of John L. and Mary H. Sullivan, she sat at her father’s knee reading The New York Times’ magazine section with him on Sundays and paging through the Arts & Literature section, looking for the caricatures by Al Hirshfeld so she could pick out the artist’s daughter’s name, “Nina” in his line art. This first exposure to literature and the arts had an impact on Joanne’s young soul. She began expressing herself in poetry while still in grammar school. Her first poem, about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on her 12th birthday, was published in the local Old Greenwich Gazette (CT) newspaper shortly after the President’s burial. Captivated by the printed word, Joanne began writing little ditties for the paper. Weekly, she walked the mile and a half to visit the editor to present her works, many of which were published. From behind his piles of papers in the newsroom, Joanne learned about the process in which the news, and her poetry, was published—and she caught the journalism bug. Later, as a junior at St. Mary’s Girls’ High School in Greenwich, Connecticut, the budding poetess was mentored by a Franciscan nun, Sister Sharon, whose love of Shakespearean sonnets and literature, further imbued Joanne with a love for the written word. As a freshman at Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., Joanne was assistant editor of the college poetry magazine, and had two poems published in the 1969-70 editions. When the Kent State riot broke out in May of 1970, Joanne’s father cancelled her future plans for college, and she returned home to Old Greenwich to secure a job and lease an apartment at the age of 19. She continued her education by obtaining a Basic Teaching Certificate for CCD from the Diocese of Wilmington, DE. She taught CCD for eight years at St. Ann’s Parish in Wilmington. For two years, she co-taught CCD at Assumption of the BVM in West Grove, PA, with her oldest son, Ryan Petrizzi. Her two other children are John and Vanessa, all college grads. As the years passed, Joanne continued to write and publish poetry, including a full-color center-spread memorial to her mother, “My Immortal Mother,” published in Marriage & Family Living magazine, which launched her nationally. Later, while married and living in Wilmington, Delaware, Joanne continued her poetry, eventually self-publishing “Expressions: First State Journal,” for poets from all around the world. The magazine included the popular section, “New Voices,” reserved for children and teens, who wanted to be heard. A new web version and annual edition are planned for ...Expand for more