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It has been said that in this life we often
start out writing one book and end up with quite another. That is
certainly true of Ann Hauprich. Although her byline has accompanied
more than a thousand articles and essays in regional and national
periodicals across the USA and Canada, Ann originally had designs on
a career as a commercial artist.
“I guess you could say the portfolio that once contained works of
art is now filled with words of art,” muses Ann, who decided to
switch college majors after several essays describing her
experiences as a Rotary International exchange student were
published in a small weekly newspaper serving her hometown near
Saratoga Springs, New York.
The literary tapestry Ann has woven over the past quarter century
includes threads spun from interviews with such celebrated
personalities as Andy Rooney and David Hyde Pierce. In addition, Ann
-- who founded Saratoga Living Magazine in 1998 and served as its
editor and publisher until 2004 -- has drawn readers into the lives
of legions of lesser known, but nonetheless fascinating,
individuals.
“I learned early on in my first job as a general assignment reporter
at The Canadian Champion in the 1970s that every person has a story
if you just take the time to listen,” says Ann. “I was intrigued to
discover that seemingly ordinary people were often doing rather
extraordinary things with their lives.”
Subsequent staff writing and editing positions in the Toronto area
(including serving as News Editor of The Oakville Beaver in the
early 1980s) only served to reinforce Ann’s desire to polish her
skills as a wordsmith. “A blank sheet of typing paper became the
canvas . . . key strokes replaced brush stokes.”
By the late 1980s, Ann had earned awards in publication categories
ranging from Best Editorial to Best Feature Article to Best Front
Page Design. She also served for several years on the Journalism
Advisory Committee of her beloved Alma Mater, Sheridan College of
Applied Arts & Technology.
A new chapter in her life began after the demands of motherhood led
Ann to launch a career as a communications consultant. Working
primarily from a home-based office, Ann became a columnist and
feature writer for Today’s Parent (Canada’s national parenting
magazine) and a public relations consultant for the Halton Regional
Children’s Aid Society (a division of the Ontario Ministry of
Community & Social Services). The latter position required that Ann
host a monthly cable TV program called “CAS Cares” as well as
writing media releases, editing newsletters and assisting with a
host of innovative community outreach projects designed to boost
awareness of child abuse and neglect issues.
Ann also tackled several projects for a division of the Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture & Food. These included creating “Quest for
Success” (a career planning workshop for 4-H members and their
leaders) and some literary endeavors linked to the province’s then
ground-breaking “Agriculture In The Classroom” program.
Wanting her children to grow up closer to their grandparents and
what seemed like cousins by the dozens, Ann (who is one of ten
children) decided to move back to the Saratoga Region at the dawn of
the 1990s. This time she chose to freelance from home and soon had
bylines in such publications as Adirondack Life, Bluegrass
Unlimited, GRIT: American Life & Traditions, New York Thoroughbred,
Writer’s Digest and Women’s Circle. Ann also gave workshops in which
participants received a copy of Marketing Your Words of Art -- a
motivational workbook she wrote for freelance writers who are
serious about getting published.
Ann subsequently welcomed a third baby and began penning what would
become the opening chapters of Deadlines, Headlines & Porcupines:
The Laugh Lines Behind the Bylines. The writing of the book's final
chapters was put on hold after the tiny magazine Ann started from a
spare bedroom in her home (originally called Saratoga County Living:
The magazine that showcases the faces behind the places) grew from a
hobby to a full-time job. “By the time I sold the magazine in 2004,
I had worn the hats not only of an editor and a publisher, but also
of an advertising director, a circulation manager and everything in
between. That left precious little time for what I loved most about
the business: writing. I missed being a full-time writer more than
words can say.”
These days Ann draws inspiration for stories and essays from a broad
variety of sources. She hopes the resulting collection will warm
hearts, lift spirits, and tickle funny bones.
While researching and writing a book in conjunction with the Village
of Ballston Spa, NY's Bicentennial in 2007 (Ballston Spa: The Way We
Were, The Way We Are), Ann happened on the idea for a third title
(Ballston Spa: Legacies Unlimited) AND a new business: LEGACIES
UNLIMITED. The learn more, please visit www.LegaciesUnlimited.us. |
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