Growing up in New York's Hudson Valley, Joanna spent her childhood scribbling poetry, short stories and sci-fi romances.
In 2002, she moved to Boston to pursue a master's degree in print journalism; she supplemented her course load by writing for The Dig (an alternative weekly), The Beacon Hill Times (a hyper-local neighborhood paper) and The Boston Globe (a feather in her cap). At night she played the drums in an indie-rock band.
Returning to Manhattan in 2004, Joanna enjoyed a six-month period as an executive gypsy, learning the ins and outs of magazine publishing before landing at PARADE. She lucked out when then-assistant copy editor Marisa Kula ran off to Portland with The Shins' frontman James Mercer. Joanna was offered Kula's old position and worked her way up from there.
From 2007 to 2011, Joanna was responsible for coordinating all food‐related editorial in PARADE, including the Simply Delicious column by Sheila Lukins; 123 Bake by Dorie Greenspan; and Cook It! by Bobby Flay. In addition, Joanna oversaw PARADE's special food‐themed issues "What America Eats" and "Home for the Holidays" as well as stand‐alone stories with celebrity chefs such as Alice Waters, Tom Collichio, Padma Lakshmi and Lidia Bastianich, among others.
Outside the food beat, Joanna brought her passion for music to the “Parade Picks” column and PARADE’s many music covers, interviewing legends such as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Heart, Cyndi Lauper, Hall & Oates, Ozzy Osbourne and Jay‐Z. At night she sang lead vocals for yet another indie-rock band.
A freelance journalist for the last eight years, Joanna has covered food, travel and lifestyle for a wide range of media outlets, ranging from OG news corporations (ABC News, The New York Post, Gannett/The USA Today Network) to startup zines (Gather Journal, Fathom) to digital giants (Yahoo, AOL). From macarons to maverick chefs, she's always on the hunt for a good story.
To follow her adventures in entrepreneurism, please visit goodwitchcoffeebar.com