Biography
Janna has a master's degree in Teaching and Creative Writing from Cardiff University and teaches at Rutgers University. She teaches Expository Writing and Composition courses and previously taught ESL and Literature courses at Virginia Commonwealth University and SUNY Farmingdale.
Her short stories and poetry have been published online and in print and her debut novel will be published in 2021 through Quill, an imprint of Inkshares. She tutors students of all ages and levels and is available for freelance and ghostwriting.
Janna also has a BA in English and a BS in Psychology and has studied at various international universities, including University College at Oxford. She combines her experience as a crisis management counselor and workshop leader with at-risk youth and homeless teens to explore the relationship between creativity and empowerment.
Poetry
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Wide Eyes Press, the sad bitch chronicles, forthcoming anthology:
"Trigger Warning": It's Perfect! Now, Add a Filter
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Ghost City Press, Fences and Ancient Womb Bones
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The Woman, Inc., Selected for "Emerging Poet" and "Poem of the Week":
10mg, two times a day, with food
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The Opiate, This is Not a Power Play
Why do Snapchats Disappear? (Volume 18, print)
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Déraciné, I Cry the Brain Decrepit,
Ice Fishing with One Hundred Thousand Eyes
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Nine Muses Poetry, I am just as angry as you
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Otoliths, John Kerry Isn't the Anti-Christ
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The Rye Whiskey Review, When stepping on an Extraterrestrial
There is a cellar estaurant in Rome
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The Black Shamrock, print, Mycellium
The Bogart Specter
"The cancer has spread to the bones"
The moon dropped out of the sky tonight
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Eunoia Review, Stealing/Sending Sex Trunks
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Red Eft Review, Life and Death Manners
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Alpha Female Society, Reflecting Bottles
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Tale Spinners, Mine
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Plastik Magazine, 6 tweet length poems
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Short Fiction
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Horla, The Girls Who Die at Night
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Cut a Long Story, republished, for sale, The Goldfish Man
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Quailbell Magazine, The Goldfish Man
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Tale Spinners, selection from Indian Summer
selection from The Isle is Full of Noises
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Other
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Words on the Outside, Read by the author for Laura Bynum's Youtube series
Audio recording, chapter from The Talkers are Talking
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The Arts in Wales, 90 Straithnarn Street
Poem printed on a tote to raise funds for programming
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PUBLISHED WORK
Teaching overview
Undergraduate Courses
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
101: Expository Writing - 6 semesters
100/098: Basic Composition and Basic
Composition with Reading - 2 semesters
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Farmingdale State College, SUNY, Farmingdale, NY
097, 101, 102, 310: Developmental English,
Introduction to English Composition
Introduction to Literature, Advanced Technical
Writing - 2 semesters
Passaic County Community College, Paterson, NJ
097, 101: Developmental English, Introduction
to English Composition - 2 Semesters
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
English as a Second Language, Written and
Oral Communications, Academic Preparation,
Research Paper & Essay Writing,
Presentation/Speech Skills, Language and
Culture - 3 Semesters
August 2013 - Present
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Develop curricula and lesson plans to meet department-wide learning objectives.
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Participate in department service through presenting and participating in conferences, acting as emergency grader and special tutor.
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Proven results with students showing significant improvement on program-wide and rubric graded exams.
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Garner high level of student satisfaction and interest as measured by consistently high attendance rates in conjunction with anonymous class surveys.
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Work with students from all over the world at all skill levels in class sizes ranging from 9-30.
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Utilize creative teaching methods that step outside the textbook to YouTube/social media, community events, field trips, in-class debates, website and blog building, incorporating new technologies, etc.
Workshops
May 2012 - August 2012
Llamau's Learning for Life, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Creative Writing, Photography, Interview
Readiness & Life Skills, Painting, Gardening,
etc.
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Led series of individual and group educational and counseling sessions to homeless and at-risk teens to encourage empowerment and self-sufficiency.
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Coordinated regional art-competition and increased participants by 85%.
May 2012 - August 2012
Cathay's High School, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Creative Writing
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Developed and facilitated all workshop curricula to encourage creativity and empowerment with a focus on individualized learning and expression.
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Organized and lead educational field trip to the National Museum of Wales.
Founder
Break the Bechdel with Strong Female
Characters Syndicate
Inkshares.com
Editor-in-chief
Lamplit Underground
Brooklyn, NY
Co-Founder
Tale Spinners
Remote
February 2016- Present
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Founder of online syndicate that provides financial support to writers who highlight diverse voices in fiction.
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Group membership ranging from 15-40 members at a time.
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Raised thousands of dollars to date.
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Have helped put over a dozen books into production.
September 2013- Present
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Founder and editor of up-and-coming literary/arts webzine.
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Features works from Push-Cart Prize winners and nominees, O. Henry Award nominees as well as many other award-winning writers and artists.
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Procure, cull, edit and post all submissions and publications.
September 2013- Present
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Literary hub
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Ghost-writing and editing services
Freelance/Ghost Writer
January 2012- Present
Ariel Books LLC., Rhudy & Co., James Joyce Ramble, Erin Pray, Dr. Benjamin. Patch.com, Stand up for Kids, Overcomers Day Services etc.
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Ghost wrote chapter for 2016 Presidential Candidate
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Profiles & Biographies
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Feature Articles
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Newsletters