Category Archives: Joan’s Book

A Meaningful and Long Overdue Exchange…

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I spotted him standing in line a few yards from where I sat. “Now’s your chance,” I thought to myself. Mimicking those same thoughts were ones spoken aloud by my husband, Mike. “You better go now or you’ll lose your chance to talk to him,” he urged. That was all the motivation I needed.

I stood next to him and blurted out, “Howdy!”

He turned. I smiled.

He then greeted me with similar enthusiasm and a smile that warmed my heart.

I showed him my name tag, compliments of the Great North Innocence Project (GN-IP). This evening was their annual gala which had finally brought the two of us together.

“Does this name look familiar?” I inquired. He responded with a curious “No.” It was not too surprising, given that what I was about to share with him happened ten years ago in 2015. This exchange we were now sharing was long overdue.

I explained how I had recently come across correspondence he and I had while he was still incarcerated. “I was sifting through names of all the people who’ve reached out to me over the years through my website, A Matter of Facts, and I came across your name,” I explained.

Recollection was still absent from his face.

I continued. “I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw your name, especially after hearing about you in the news following your exoneration. And then…I freaked and wondered if I had bothered to respond back to you. So…I went digging through my emails and sure enough, I found the correspondence between us. I have to be honest. Back then I received a lot of messages from people looking for help and sadly, I was overwhelmed. As much as I tried, I could not respond to everyone. Your message was so kind and respectful so it was a huge relief to know that I hadn’t ignored you.”

Marvin Haynes* stood there reconciling the details of this long lost connection. “I do remember writing to you!” Familiarity flooded his memory. “Can you send those emails to me? I’d like to see them,” he said.

“Yes, of course,” I reassured him.

“Please, I’d like you to meet some of my friends and family. They’re just over there at that nearby table.” I said. “Plus I have something I’d like to give to you.”

“Sure,” said Marvin. I introduced my husband, Mike, my sister, Clare, a friend, Mark Charron, and finally, Keith Kutska, all of whom were delighted to meet my new friend.

I then pulled my last copy of Reclaiming Lives out of the cloth bag that was hanging on the backrest of a nearby chair. Marvin glanced at it. “You wrote this? I want to write my own book, too,” he said excitedly. “Well, maybe I can help you with that, give you a few pointers,” I offered. That would be great!” Marvin’s excitement grew. I explained that my contact information was inside the book and we agreed that we’d be in touch.

I asked Marvin if he’d pose with me for a photo. He agreed and Mike took the first picture. “Oh, I should be holding your book up for the next one,” Marvin declared.

An entire month passed before I finally got around to gathering the contents of those emails onto a word document which I sent to Marvin in a private message. I reiterated who I was and included the photo Mike had taken of us (with him holding my book) at the Benefit.

To my surprise, almost immediately, Marvin tagged me in the following post on social media:

*Marvin’s story.

Donate to Marvin’s GOFUNDME Campaign

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Leaving my ‘mark’ at the 2025 Mile of Music…

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Those who know me know that I never shy away from an opportunity to talk about my book and mission. My husband, Mike, is always amazed and yes, a little uneasy at times about my ability to walk up to total strangers and engage in, shall we say, stimulating conversation. But…identifying important and meaningful connections with people is my main focus.

During our time in Wisconsin this past summer, we traveled to Appleton, WI for the twelfth annual Mile of Music Festival. According to their website, the “Mile of Music is a free music festival featuring original music from hundreds of emerging artists each summer. The festival is located in the heart of Downtown Appleton, a walkable mile of restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, bars and more.”

For anyone who has not experienced this festival, it really is just that, an experience.

After listening to a few of the festival’s artists, I did my thing…

Our first stop was the historic Lawrence University Memorial Chapel. We stopped to chat with Jerry who was stationed at the Appleton Community Music, Inc. donation table. Jerry explained that this organization provides fundraising support to sustain the Mile of Music festival. He also explained that in addition, the Mile of Music Festival supports all of their featured artists through what’s known as the Artist Care Program.

My generous husband pulled out his wallet and made a donation. And when Jerry learned that we were from out of town, he asked if we’d be willing to do a brief video describing why we came to the festival. I volunteered…because why not? And because of what I do, I can always use the extra practice! I then left a bookmark with Jerry while explaining what my book is about.

Joan Treppa, Katie Boeck, and Clare Martinson

The musician at this venue was Katie Boeck, a wonderful singer and lyricist whose voice is considered “earthy and cosmic.” She spoke about the challenges of being called to write and the importance of writing meaningful lyrics. Those words compelled me to introduce myself after her performance. When she stepped off the stage to greet her supporters, Mike, my sister, Clare, and I approached her. I shared that I was a different kind of writer and handed her a bookmark. I explained that this was a book about my meaningful journey. She appreciated the gesture and posed for a photo with us. 

We then listened to Jacob Fannin on the Jim’s Place/Wooden Nickel Back patio. Fannin, an energetic Folk vocalist and guitarist, shared what an underachieving student he had been in grade school. Full disclosure; so was I. And the message behind the words to the final song of his set, Bulletproof, deeply resonated with me because of what I had experienced as a child and my journey of overcoming bullying: “Cause I am Bulletproof and nothin’ that you say could ever hurt me. Take your shots I’ll still be standing here…”

Jacob Fannin’s latest CD: Lemonade

Afterward, I approached the table where Fannin was selling/signing merchandise. I shared my thoughts on his final song and how much I appreciated his candor as a student. I then said, “In 5th grade, I received my first really bad grade; an F.” I added, “I didn’t know then that it stood for things like Feisty, Free, and Fabulous.” I handed him money for the CD, then one of my bookmarks, and told him that this was my accomplishment despite my failing grades.

                                                                              Natural Satellite in Tito’s Song Lounge Hilton Appleton Paper Valley hotel, 12th annual Mile of Music Festival Saturday, 8-2-2025, Appleton, WI. Photos courtesy of Dan Powers, USATodayNetwork

Regrettably, not on the schedule the only day (Friday) we were able to attend was one artistic duo we had hoped to see. Karli and Jason Reisdorf of Natural Satellite had performances scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. Their music, which they describe as an “indie folk sound with lyrics centering on themes of self-love, reflection, and personal growth” is exceptional. In fact, they recently won a well-deserved  WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) award for Classical, Jazz, New Age Album! Bravo!

In the coming months I will be collaborating with this dynamic duo on an event that we all are very excited about!

And in other somewhat  related news, I included the below comment in a donation to 91.1 The Avenue during their recent pledge drive. This image was posted on their FB page:

With this response:                                                                                                                               Thank you, Joan ❤️ We can say the same about you! There’s none better than Avenue listeners

This non-profit radio station is located in Appleton and is unique in its programming. I recommend that you check them out when you have a chance. And…know that they sometimes support their listeners in various ways…😉 

Please stay tuned…

Connecting With Quality Friends at Eden Vista…  

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Good friend and fellow advocate for six innocent men, Shirley DeLorme now resides at a senior living community in Green Bay called, The Village at Eden Vista. Through her efforts, I was scheduled to give a book talk to its residents on Thursday, July 31, 2025.

When doing these events, I always keep in mind that sometimes it is more about the quality of my audience than the quantity. That was certainly the case with this event which summoned a modest group of 15-20 attendees made up of both residents and staff. It was held in the basement theater space and was a mixed group of those who were aware of the Monfils case and those who were not.

Photo courtesy of The Village of Eden Vista

Our exoneree, Michael “Pie” Piaskowski, joined me for this event. And this time, I provided a slide show to accompany my usual presentation of introducing myself, summarizing the case, announcing him as my guest, and finally, fielding questions from the audience.

Locatelli family circa 1964 (Joan Treppa’s immediate family)

Shirley was the first to arrive downstairs. Aside from her welcomed presence, one other woman stood out quite prominently. Judy is a retired attorney who grew up in Green Bay. She had practiced elsewhere and was not in the area when the Monfils case saturated news headlines. In fact, she had only recently returned to her hometown of Green Bay.

I asked what her level of understanding of the case was. “I was kept abreast by colleagues in this area during that time,” she explained. “I wanted to attend today to hear more details and to learn what has happened since. If you have extra books with you, I’d like to buy one.” I signed her copy and showed her the four additional signatures near mine. “I was able to get some of the six guys to sign the books as an added bonus for these events,” I said to her. She was thrilled.

Following the presentation, Judy’s background became apparent when she asked a number of very technical questions regarding appeals, procedure, etc., which Mike Pie handled with ease. She was also interested in knowing whether or not the other five men were still in prison. Shirley asked a number of questions as well, as a way to help the rest of the audience gain an appreciation of the flaws in this case.

During questions, I shared Shirley’s role of hosting the Family and Friends (FAF) meetings at her home. I shared photos taken of her with various family members of the six men. The photos also included John Gaie and Denis Gullickson, authors of the book, The Monfils Conspiracy.

Back row L to R: Denis Gullickson, Lee Basten, Mike Pie, Clayton Kutska Front row: Shirley DeLorme, Gina Martin, Claire Micoliczyk

John Gaie, Shirley DeLorme, Mike Hirn

After every one else had left, both Shirley and Judy hung out with us to chat further. Much more was discussed about the case. Judy also shared an impressive list of prominent people she considered as close friends. Those in the political arena such as Wisconsin Senator, Tammy Baldwin and Virginia Senator, Tim Kaine are among her closest. Judy promised to share my book with Senator Baldwin.

Both women walked with us to the front entrance and lingered for a bit longer. As we exited the building I said to Mike Pie, my husband, Mike, and Clare, “There’s always at least one interesting connection made at these events. You just never know what that connection will be and where it might take us.”