I’m a writer, and I write about life and love at the intersections of literacy, learning, and existing as a human being in bodies, minds, and spirits.
My publications include books, blog posts, educational research, opinion pieces like op-eds, resources for writers, and more. My latest book, Inkwell, guides readers through writing practices that help us connect to our spiritual selves. My small business Write On, State! LLC aims to help folks use writing and other creative acts to live, learn, love, and listen.
I’m also an educator. My classes, workshops, retreats, and groups are invitations to engage writing and other creative practices for reflection, learning, connection, and contemplation. By day, I’m Professor of Education at Penn State University, working with current and future teachers.
Since I’ve been super unsuccessful at living any other life than my own, I write from my own experiences and identities: Reader. Former kid, present and future adult. Mom. Seeker. Researcher. Teacher. Overthinker. Queer. Survivor of sexual abuse. Autistic.
It’s been a lot, y’all. And life keeps on happening. I’m basically just trying to keep up.
I know for sure that writing and other creative practices are strong tools for reflection, learning, self-understanding, and healing. After all, everything I know about how to be a person has in some way emerged from a lifetime of reading and writing.
All any of us really has to offer is what we have. What I have is writing, a deep-down conviction that we’re all born to be loved and known, plus some stories about what I am learning along my way through it.
I’m pretty sure that’s enough.
Engage with Anne’s work:
- Read a book or article
- Invite Anne to speak or lead a workshop
- Browse blog posts
- Find Anne at Penn State
Get in touch!
For those who like a more normal bio:
About Anne Elrod Whitney
Anne Elrod Whitney is a writer and educator. She is the author of books including Inkwell and Teaching Writers to Reflect, and she is the owner of Write On, State! as well as Professor of Education at the Pennsylvania State University.*
A native Texan and lover of hot weather, Anne inexplicably now lives in central Pennsylvania with her two children, two parakeets, and piles and piles of books. When not writing, she can be found learning the piano and ukelele as an adult beginner, singing in local choirs or in the shower, overcommitting to projects that sound fun but are then overwhelming, or reading next to a body of water (whether it’s the ocean or the neighborhood pool).