Joy Gaines-Friedler lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan with her husband Moti and three cats (Satchi, 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 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. She returned to Michigan in 1978.

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. 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. In addition to that program, Joy works with the fabulous poet and teacher, Mary Jo Firth Gillett in a weekly poetry workshop through Springfed Arts. She also 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, Gladys Cardiff, and others.

 

Joy works 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 teaches 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. That is the academic side of her professional work.  She also runs creative writing seminars around the community, including Oakland Community College, Oakwood Hospital, Eaton Academy, and 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. Her poems have been featured in various literary journals, including, The Driftwood Review, Pebble Lake Review, Lilliput, HazMat Review, RATTLE, Margie, and others.

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.