Meet: Ann Heinrichs

When I think of people I have met through NFPW, one interesting person who comes to mind is Ann Heinrichs of Chicago. Ann is not only bright and interesting, she is also a warm, gracious, and an all-around nice person. She is a talented writer who is taking a break from writing after leaving a legacy of 240 plus published books. I hope you will take the time to learn a little about her.

Name: Ann Heinrichs

City and State: Chicago, Illinois

Ann Heinrichs at the Tuareg camel races in Agadez, Niger. The Tuareg are known as the “blue men of the desert” because the indigo dye in their turbans soaks into their skin.

Affiliate and any leadership positions: Illinois Woman’s Press Association: Communicator of Achievement (2006); Board Member (2007–2009); Communications Contest Chair (2008–2009); Illinois’s FAN (First Amendment Network) Representative

Years a member of NFPW: I was a member from 1998 through 2014. If I ever again write anything besides emails and meeting minutes, I will happily join again!

Tell us a little about you.

I never meant to be a writer. I became one only when I was living in a $25-a-week hotel and needed some way, however wacky, to make checks come in the mail. First I was a music critic, then an advertising copywriter, then I began writing juvenile nonfiction books. In 2001 I finally quit my day job to write books full time. Then came the recession, and my book-writing career hit the wall. So I went back to school and got a library degree. Now I’m a cataloging librarian, though I still think of myself as a writer … masquerading. Happily, I have left a “legacy” of 240+ published books.

Ann in her element: On the Erg Chebbi, a massive dune in the Moroccan Sahara.

World travel is my pleasure. I’ve been … well … all over. The Middle East was my favorite destination until it became too dangerous. Now Africa is my favorite; I’ve been there eight times. Several places I visited, I was able to parlay into book contracts. Here at home, my current creative outlet is ebru, the Turkish art of paper marbling.

Any career advice you would give?

This will probably not appear on any Best Practices list, but my real-world-tested advice is: Push, hound, beg, grab, leap at openings, keep calling and emailing, until they cave and give you an assignment. That’s what I did at a time when I was low on experience but desperate for income. Pretty soon I was a seasoned, in-demand professional.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Fearlessness. Sure, I’m macro-fearless—scaling Kilimanjaro, trekking out into the Sahara, bouncing across the South China Sea in a rickety motorboat, climbing Mt. Sinai at 3 a.m. on a camel plodding along a narrow path with a sheer drop-off, and so on. But what I need is micro-fearlessness—to not be afraid of my own shadow, sounds in the night, cold weather, big black dogs …

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Morocco—in either Marrakech, with its fragrant souks full of fresh breads, veggies, mint, olives, and dates; or Merzouga, on the edge of the Sahara, where you can procure a camel and a Berber guide and just take off.

What book are you reading?

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts, by Joshua Hammer; and The Seven Storey Mountain, by Thomas Merton.

 

“Ebru Starry Night with Comet”— one of four of Ann’s ebru paintings selected by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to be displayed throughout 2017 in their Springfield offices.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

(1) I have a bachelor’s and master’s in piano performance. (2) I am a desert freak (probably pretty obvious already!). Not the kind of desert that’s “teeming with wildlife,” but rather the empty, desolate type, the epitome of nothingness.

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?

Although I’m not an active member at the moment, the people I’ve met through IWPA/NFPW remain very precious to me. They continue to inspire me, delight me, and provide support for whatever I’m going through.

Way to follow you on a website, Twitter, Facebook, etc. 

You can find me on Facebook.

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Award winning writer and editor Julie Campbell shares passion for history through leadership

She is the NFPW student membership chair and is looking for students to join affiliates and participate in the communications contest. The post is a natural with her experience at Washington and Lee. When I think of Julie Campbell I think of her first book “The Horse in Virginia: An Illustrated History,” and the much deserved honors awards she won for the effort. She is a talented writer and editor and I am honored to be able to call her a friend.

Name: Julie Campbell

City and State: Lexington, Virginia

Julie Campbell

Affiliate and any leadership positions:

Virginia Press Women, now called Virginia Professional Communicators. I have served as the affiliate’s president, vice president for membership, and now treasurer. For NFPW, I’m the student membership chair and a member of the Education Fund board.

 

Years a member of NFPW: 15

In a couple of paragraphs, tell us a little about you.

I was born in Boulder, Colorado, and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I have a B.A. from Arizona State University and an M.A. from the University of Arizona, both in history.

I started my publishing career in Denver, Colorado, working first for a lifestyle magazine and then for trade magazines for the plastics industry. With that valuable experience, I moved on to a satisfying career in historical editing, first at the Arizona Historical Society, in Tucson, and then at the Library of Virginia, in Richmond. After state budget woes led to the demise of the magazine I edited, Virginia Cavalcade, I wound up at Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia. I started out editing the alumni magazine and am now the associate director of communications and public affairs.

I love the communications field, but I had my favorite job ever during my college years: three summers as a camp counselor in Prescott, Arizona. I have stayed in touch with the owners, and if I ever need a summer job again, I’m calling them up. I still remember the goofy songs and how to make biscuits in a Dutch oven over a campfire.

Any career advice you would give?

Keep in mind that anything can happen. I sure never expected to be working in university communications, but then I sure never expected to be laid off. The transition into a new field was rocky at times, but my unexpected career eventually blossomed into something I truly enjoy.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Singing. Or dancing. How about both? On Broadway.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

New Orleans from November to April; Santa Fe the rest of the year.

What book are you reading?

I just finished The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver. After I read the last page, I closed the cover and marveled out loud, “Barbara Kingsolver, how do you do it?” Next up is Family Linen, by Lee Smith. I have been on a Lee Smith kick this year.

Julie Campbell, right, with her good friend Marlene Cook at an NFPW conference.

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I am a proud graduate of the Katharine Gibbs School, the once-famous, now-defunct secretarial school. After college, I took a two-month course at the Gibbs branch in New York City that provided practical job skills for liberal arts graduates. You were supposed to get an entry-level job as a secretary in your desired field and then move up. It worked; my first publishing job was as a secretary at Colorado Homes and Lifestyles magazine, in Denver.

 

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?

The educational content of our state and national conferences is useful and interesting. My involvement on the boards of both organizations is helpful to me professionally, and I like working to keep us strong and relevant. The best part, though, is the friendships. At this year’s NFPW conference, I made it a point to spend extra time with people I see only once a year, to get to know them a little better. That gave the conference an extra glow that I’m still carrying with me.

Way to follow you on a website, twitter, Facebook, etc.

Website:       JulieACampbell.com

Twitter:         @anniemac1900

Facebook:    The Horse in Virginia: An Illustrated History

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Indiana journalist Rita Kohn shares passon for books, plays and TV documentaries

Journalist Rita Kohn

She is a journalist for all media. She has to her credit 20 books, more than 25 produced plays, five television documentaries, and thousands of articles for print and on-line publications. After I was elected NFPW president last year, she was one of the first to send me a note of congratulations and then was gracious enough to share recent writing samples with me. She is modest (suggesting someone else deserved to be highlighted instead) but as you can see, she is another unique, unbelievable NFPW member. Meet outstanding journalist Rita Kohn.

Name: Rita Kohn

City and State: Indianapolis, IN

Affiliate and any leadership positions: Woman’s Press Club of Indiana and last year’s Indiana Communicator of Achievement

Years a member of NFPW: going on 4

Tell us a little about you.

I’m a full time writer [re-writer–since I tend to ‘edit’ myself a lot] in diverse fields of journalism, playwrighting, non-fiction, fiction, poetry, picture books, ballet librettos, documentary-making, exhibit-creating; editing, theatre directing. I spent many years as a teacher and writer, before taking the plunge into supporting myself as a writer.

Any career advice you would give? Be an interesting person with an inquisitive nature so you always want to learn something new/fresh so you’ll have lots to write about and never suffer bloc.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Green thumb to have a flourishing foodways and flower gardens.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

Thinking of moving all these books keeps me content to be where I am. I like to travel so it’s nice to be where there’s a hub of highways, flyways, byways

What book are you reading?

“The Richmond Group Artists” by Shaun Thomas Dingwerth [Indiana University Press, 2014]; an engaging ‘untold story’ of the overlooked 19th Century Indiana artists whose mark on the art of plein air/landscape and studio painting needs a ‘shout out.’

What would people be surprised to learn about you?

I write a weekly craft beer column and have published two books about  craft beer: ‘True Brew: A Guide to Craft Beer in Indiana” [Indiana University Press, 2010]; and “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Beer Tasting” [Alpha Books, 2013]. I’m working on a third along with books in other fields of interest.

Why is your affiliate and NFPW important to you?

WPCI membership brings with it delightful associations across a wide spectrum; NFPW brings attention to the importance of all points of view in the various fields of journalism–the feminine gender adds depth and breadth to the fifth estate–let’s make that grow.

Way to follow you on a website, twitter, Facebook, etc.

I’m a terribly derelict  social media selfie– but you can find my journalism at nuvo.net and exploredance.com; just google Rita Kohn for titles of books published, plays produced.