Joy Gaines-Friedler grew up in Oak Park Michigan. She spent a great deal of her childhood in and out of the children's ward at The University Hospital in Ann Arbor. Currently she lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan with her husband Moti and two cats (Max & Jeopardy.) In 1990 her best friend Jim died from AIDS. Two years later, Linda, her childhood friend, whom she called her sister, was killed in a “domestic violence” incident. Writing is the means by which she survived those tragedies and stays connected to them.

At 21 Joy traveled cross-country with a band called The Midnight Special. Her travels took her to South Padre Island, Texas, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and to Redlands, California. She stayed in California for two years to attend photography school at Artography Academy in North Hollywood then returned to Michigan in 1978 where she lived in Inkster with Jim.

In 1997, after two decades as a professional photographer, Joy enrolled in Oakland Community College. With the inspiration of amazing teachers she graduated with honors, including writing awards for both her academic and creative writing. Later, at Oakland University she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and History. She is currently in a low-residency Master’s of Fine Arts degree program at Ashland University in Ashland Ohio and a Master's program at Oakland. In addition, Joy works with poet and teacher, Mary Jo Firth Gillett in a weekly poetry workshop through Springfed Arts and also travels to Holland, Michigan where she works with Jack Ridl.

 

Joy attends at least two writing conferences a year and has had the opportunity to work with such renowned poets and teachers of poetry as, Mary Ann Samyn, Gerry LaFemina, Bob Hicok, Marie Howe, Tom Lux, Donald Hall, Nancy Eimers, Laura Kasischke, Alison Joseph, David James, Linda Gregerson, Jim Daniels, Thomas Lynch, Keith Taylor, Jane Hischfield, Dorianne Laux, Kim Addonizio, Gladys Cardiff, and others.

 

For eleven years Joy worked at Oakland Community College as a Literacy Para-Professional in a Developmental Literacy classroom for students who need help reaching their college level reading and writing skills. She taught reading and writing to students, in the classroom, and in small groups of 5-6 students. She recently received the internationally recognized CRLA (College Reading and Learning Association) certification. In addition, she tutors Political Science, and Humanities. That is the academic side of her professional work. 

 

Joy runs creative writing seminars and workshops around the community, including Oakland Community College, Oakwood Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital, Eaton Academy, and The Farmington Community Library for Springfed Arts. She is also a Writer-In-Residence for InsideOut Literary Arts Project under the direction of the founder Terry Blackhawk. In 2010 she taught poetry to 6th and 8th graders at Lessenger Junior High in Detroit. She also volunteers to teach at Common Ground. Common Ground is a core provider organization for young adults and adults "at risk." Many come from situations of homelessness, drug abuse, and/or mental illness.

Joy’s essays and poetry have won numerous awards, including, First Place in, The Litchfield Review, 2006 contest for a series of poems she wrote based on Jim’s diary he so lovingly “willed” to her, and First Place in the 2004 Mandy Poetry Contest for her poem Welfare In America. Her poems Capitalism, South Carolina was a Finalist in the 2007 Margie, poetry contest, she was a finalist in the 2008 Paunamauk Poetry Contest and a Honorable Mention in the 2010 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award. Her awards also include 6th place in The 2010 Writer's Digest Annual Poetry Awards. Her poems have been featured in many literary journals, including, The Driftwood Review, Pebble Lake Review, Lilliput, HazMat Review, RATTLE, Margie, The New York Quarterly, and others. Check out her "Awards & Publications" page for a full list.

To Joy, poetry is a natural extension of photography both in their use of images to convey what language cannot, and as art forms.

 

And now that I'm done talking about myself in third person... please contact me - I would love to hear from you.