Posted on October 24, 2013 by Bev Filer in Brunswick Plantation Newsletter
Joan storytellerBrunswick Plantation And Golf Resort is home to great people with a wide variety of interests to cultivate and share. Friends and neighbors come from far and near… bringing a wealth of experiences that make living here stimulating and Fun!Brunswick Plantation … A Better Way to Live!
Joan and Joe Leotta had their house built in Edenton in Brunswick Plantation and moved here from the Washington D. C. area in 2004. They had visited friends in the area and chose Brunswick Plantation for the friendliness of the people in the setting of such beautiful, vibrant landscaping! They really love their comfortable house and express the good “Feel” of Brunswick Plantation! Joan says, “The People are just wonderful!”
Joe enjoys playing golf in the Men’s Golf League, and Joan has the opportunity to explore her passion for writing and storytelling. Joan, whose love of words and their impact on others, feels that storytelling is a big part of her life – Performance , oral telling, and writing!
Dia de Los Muertos AltarFace Painting Family Day
Jose Guadalupe Posada Altar Face Painting
Joan, a professional storyteller and writer, can be seen telling stories on November 2, 2013 at the Chapin Art Museum in Myrtle Beach. It a Free Family Day…Dia de los Muertos…A Mexican/American celebration of an important artist in history. The celebration is 11am – 3pm with a roving Mariachi Band, lectures, and activities for all ages ….storytelling @ 12:45 outside.More @ http://www.myrtlebeachartmuseum.org
PicMonkey Collage of Joan
Joan’s love storytelling for adults and children is apparent. It is part of her joy in performing! She has had the opportunity of performing at Wolf Trap, America’s National Park for the Performing Arts, located in Virginia. She has had storytelling performances in numerous locations on the east Coast …including the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
Locally, Joan is a storyteller at the Hickman Library in Calabash and has performed for the Town Center Park, Brunswick County NC CIS program. On Oct. 24 she will be performing at the Carolina Forest Non-Spooky Halloween! Joan is a member of the of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild. She also does storytelling with puppets. If there’s a story to tell, Joan can tell it well!
Joan, The Writer
Joan feels that writing is a vital part of who she is as a person. In her words, “I write because I love to share what I have found out, and I use writing, also…to explore new worlds of fact and emotion.” She understands that …Words can be beautiful or they can be hurtful – even devastating. The Life verse that guides her is Psalm 45:1c “My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.” Joan expresses her long term- goal is to…”Honor God with whatever I do.”
Miraculous messages
Joan had her first writing, a poem, published at the age of 14. It was in a national magazine. She still writes poetry, her most recent poem published was in the Oct. 15th issue of Chicken Soup for the Soul. It was about a real experience and is included in “Miraculous Messages From Heaven”. She has also had three poems published in a collection: “The Inspired Heart”…Sept. 2013 edition / Editor Bruce Kauffman.
Joan’s Shenandoah Valley Guide
Joan’s writing is as varied as her interests! Her former position as a Legislative and Policy Analysis for the Dept. of Labor led her to writing a variety of articles and position papers. She has written other non-fiction articles and books. Much of her non-fiction writing is about food, travel, & profiles. Massachusetts is a history book for elementary students, and The Complete Guide to the Shenandoah Valley in Virgina is a travel guide.Her creative writing includes romance, mystery, spy, short stories, plus writing for children and young adults.
Joan writes articles for the Sun News. She is also connected to the “Writer’s Block” in Holden Beach and “The Poetry Group” @ Brunswick Plantation. Writers do enjoy sharing their passion with others who love the written word! Write On, Folks! We love to see that creativity in action! It inspires us all!
PicMonkey Collage Joan’s books
Joan’s books & Nook Books include:
Giulia Goes to War (Legacy of Honor #1)
Letters from Korea (Legacy of Honor Book #2) (Nook Book)
Tales through Time: Women of the South (Nook Book) Co-authored with Edith Edwards
Joan invites you to check out her Blog @ http://www.joanleotta.wordpress.com
Personal & Family History
Joan and her husband, Joe, are both descendants of Italian immigrants to the United States. Both of their fathers were born in Italy. Their combined families came from the Sicily and Naples areas. Joan’s father was a World War II veteran who served as a pharmacist in the Army Air Corps. Joan grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned an MA at John Hopkins School of Advance International Relations in DC and studied for a time in Bologna, Italy. She also studied at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and for a time in Madrid, Spain & Lesotho, Southern Africa. What wonderful international experiences! Lucky Gal!
Joan and Joe met at a Bible study class. They married on October 22, 1977 in Washington DC. Vero Amore …True Love! Joe was in the Coast Guard. Joe also did undergraduate and graduate work with the Coast Guard. He earned a Masters in Business at George Marshall. They had two children…Joe and Jennie. The family made their home in Burke, Virginia in Fairfax County.
There they lived the comfortable American lifestyle that inspires much of Joan’s writing of food and love of family. Sadly, when their son, Joe, was in school at Virginia Tech, a tragic accident ended his life. He was crossing the street at night with his girlfriend when another student was returning from a class. Crossing between two parked cars, Joe did not see the car approaching, and the driver of the car did not see Joe. He died of his injuries from that accident. Losing a child…I think no words can express such grieve! After many years, Joan has been able to honor Joe with two poems to express her undying love.Our heart goes out to the whole family. God Bless!
Jennie, lives in the DC area and works for Homeland Security. They are a close family, and Joan counts them as a constant inspiration for her writing. Joan also relies on Jennie to critique her fiction. Her husband is great to critique but does not enjoy fiction, so non-fiction is Joe’s genre! It takes a Family…A Village helps, too!
Joan and Joe Leotta are another prime example of “The Great People of Brunswick Plantation” and why folks enjoy living here! There are clubs and activities to meet your needs and interests. You can always add another one if you have a new idea! “Fun with Friends for Everyon” at Br
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