About the Author

Judy has taught creative writing to all education levels for 30 years. She has been an instructor and presenter at literary workshops, international conferences on poetry, writing and women's studies. She is internationally published. She was an editor of Artemis, Artists and Writers from the Blue Ridge for 13 years and was a Blue Ridge Writers Conference founder. She has a BA from Marshall University, an MA in Liberal Arts and MA in Creative Writing from Hollins University. Her published books are First Recital, Smuggled Seeds, Mud River (poetry), Creative Writing across the Curriculum, Easy Ideas for Busy Teachers, The Writers' Express (writing texts co-written with the author, Rebekah Woodie), Nothing but Time (memoir of triumph over trauma) and Some of My Ancestors are Ottomans and Turks (children's picture book illustrated by Dr. Vedii Ayyildiz). She has many literary publications in such as New York Quarterly, Mickle Street Review, the new renaissance, Sow's Ear, Pig Iron Press, Hawaii Pacific Review, Black Water Review, Northeast Journal, Kalliope. Honors include Va. Com. Of Arts, various poetry prizes (see www.judylightayyildiz.com) Daughters of Ataturk, Turkish Forum, Who's Who, Virginia. College Bookstores Best Book Finalist, Gusto Poet Discovery Winner, VCCA Fellow. She has completed a novel based on the evolution of the Turkish Republic as seen through the eyes of her mother-in-law. Her essay, "Weaving This Woman's Life and Work" with excerpts from her books is in the 2008 international anthology, Women inDialogue: (M)uses in Culture. Judy has been married for 47 years and the mother of three children and two grandchildren. She enjoys her flat in Istanbul and travels widely, continues yoga and constantly seeks to reinvent herself and to mentor others who wish to find their highest potential. She is in 2009 working on a memoir about her life as a creative survivor.