About Joanne Blakley

Joanne Blakley is from rural northwestern Illinois, a second generation Mennonite with an avid interest in family and local history. She writes a biannual family newsletter called "Howdy Do."

She is currently an education and literacy consultant for the Writer's Bench workshop series and author of "Literacy and Beyond, Cultivating Young Authors."

Joanne is also an active advocate for the disabled and serves as a board member for Illinois Assistive Techonology Project.