Joy Leftow
Encyclopedia
Joy Leftow, born in Washington Heights
in New York City
, is an American
poet, fiction
writer
, and essay
ist. Leftow's poetry
is narrative
and lyrical
, and each poem tells a complete story
. Some poems have gained critical acclaim, such as Tupelo Honey
, Advancing on Satori, and the more recent, Being Jewish, My Mother, and I Sing The Blues For You Today, all of which have been published in several journals
. Her poems are often gritty and raw urban
tales based on her unique observations and experience. Familiar theme
s in her work encompass analysis of identity and inclusion and family and social issues. She covers themes of overall inclusion and exclusion into various groups in general (the nuclear family) and organization
s. Her Jewish identity has become another developing theme.
After dropping out of high school
and living for some time on welfare, Leftow restarted her education under the auspices of the New York State Higher Education Opportunity Program and obtained a B.A. from Columbia University
. During her undergraduate studies, she began writing again by taking elective writing courses. Leftow claims to have written her first poem on snowflakes when she was four years old. Leftow continued her studies and obtained a post-graduate Masters of Science in Social Work
degree from Columbia University
in New York City and a Master of Arts
in Creative Writing
from City College of New York.
Leftow frequently appears on New York City radio
shows, such as the Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Radio Show, Everything Goes, Poetry Central, The Sounds of Poetry on Adelphi Radio WBAU
-FM, Jazz Poetry Café with Phillip Gregory on WFLO
, Cool on the Groove on Rockland World Radio Program and Indiefeed Performance Poetry. She has also been featured on television programs such as The New Yorkers,. She has read her poetry at CBGB
's, the Wetlands, Cornelia Street Cafe
, Bowery Poetry Club
, the Back Fence, Palmer Vineyards and the Paris Cafe. She organized and hosted the spoken word
event at the 4th, 5th and 6th Annual Uptown Arts Stroll event. Leftow still lives in Washington Heights
. She is a member of Poets & Writers
and is listed at their site. Leftow has also worked with Anthony Whyte
and Augustus Publishing Dream Team as editor for several years.
In addition to working as a clinical social worker, Leftow taught youth literacy
classes for young children through the Beacon program and is also a production editor
for Augustus Publishing.http://www.AugustusPublishing.com and The Cartier Street Review.
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
poet, fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist. Leftow's poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
is narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
and lyrical
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
, and each poem tells a complete story
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
. Some poems have gained critical acclaim, such as Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey
Tupelo Honey is the fifth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs on the album in Woodstock, New York before his move to Marin County, California, except for "You're My Woman", which...
, Advancing on Satori, and the more recent, Being Jewish, My Mother, and I Sing The Blues For You Today, all of which have been published in several journals
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
. Her poems are often gritty and raw urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
tales based on her unique observations and experience. Familiar theme
Theme (literature)
A theme is a broad, message, or moral of a story. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and are almost always implied rather than stated explicitly. Along with plot, character,...
s in her work encompass analysis of identity and inclusion and family and social issues. She covers themes of overall inclusion and exclusion into various groups in general (the nuclear family) and organization
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
s. Her Jewish identity has become another developing theme.
After dropping out of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and living for some time on welfare, Leftow restarted her education under the auspices of the New York State Higher Education Opportunity Program and obtained a B.A. from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. During her undergraduate studies, she began writing again by taking elective writing courses. Leftow claims to have written her first poem on snowflakes when she was four years old. Leftow continued her studies and obtained a post-graduate Masters of Science in Social Work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City and a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
from City College of New York.
Leftow frequently appears on New York City radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
shows, such as the Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Teachers & Writers Collaborative
Teachers & Writers Collaborative is a New York City-based organization that sends writers and other artists into schools. It was founded in 1967 by a group of writers and educators including Herbert Kohl, June Jordan, Muriel Rukeyser, Grace Paley, and Anne Sexton, who believed that writers could...
Radio Show, Everything Goes, Poetry Central, The Sounds of Poetry on Adelphi Radio WBAU
WBAU
WBAU is the now-deleted call sign of the student-operated radio station located at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. The new web-based radio station is PAWS Web Radio....
-FM, Jazz Poetry Café with Phillip Gregory on WFLO
WFLO
WFLO is primarily a Bluegrass formatted broadcast radio station with talk programming during the afternoons. Licensed to Farmville, Virginia, the daytime-only AM station serves Southside Virginia. WFLO is owned and operated by Colonial Broadcasting Company....
, Cool on the Groove on Rockland World Radio Program and Indiefeed Performance Poetry. She has also been featured on television programs such as The New Yorkers,. She has read her poetry at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's, the Wetlands, Cornelia Street Cafe
Cornelia Street Cafe
The Cornelia Street Cafe, in New York City's Greenwich Village, first opened its doors in July 1977. It quickly became a magnet for the artistic and highly creative folk who loved their art just off the beaten path. On any given night, one might hear writers, poets, or musicians, spilling their...
, Bowery Poetry Club
Bowery Poetry Club
The Bowery Poetry Club is a New York City poetry performance space founded by Bob Holman in 2002. Located at 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston Streets in Manhattan's East Village, the BPC provides a home base for established and upcoming artists...
, the Back Fence, Palmer Vineyards and the Paris Cafe. She organized and hosted the spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
event at the 4th, 5th and 6th Annual Uptown Arts Stroll event. Leftow still lives in Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
. She is a member of Poets & Writers
Poets & Writers
Poets & Writers, Inc. is one of the largest nonprofit literary organization in the United States serving poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers...
and is listed at their site. Leftow has also worked with Anthony Whyte
Anthony Whyte
Anthony Whyte is an African American writer of urban literature and Hip hop Literature who began his writing career while still working for The New York City Administration for Children’s Services...
and Augustus Publishing Dream Team as editor for several years.
In addition to working as a clinical social worker, Leftow taught youth literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
classes for young children through the Beacon program and is also a production editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for Augustus Publishing.http://www.AugustusPublishing.com and The Cartier Street Review.
Writings
Leftow's first book, A Spot of Bleach & Other Poems and Prose (Big Foot Press, 2005), was praised by the Aquarian East Coast Rocker as
"bringing a bold energetic humor to the matters of everyday life. Growing up in a not so “Leave It To Beaver” household, she reflects on her relationships with family members and friends with more sarcasm than you could find in a whole season of “Seinfeld.” Her prose is like a catchy tune, keeping the reader engaged within every line and pause, allowing her words and loud voice to linger around in your head. Her observations and analysis of human nature represent the cynicism with which we think but never have the guts to say out loud."
Poetry
- Asheville Poetry Review
- Poetry in Performance # 34, #35 (City College of New York)
- New Press Literary Quarterly
- Medicinal Purposes
- Grist on Line
- Poetry Magazine of the Lower East Side
- A Spot of Bleach & Other Poems and Prose (Big Foot Press, 2005) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0917455509/
- Poetry Kite Anthology
- Soul Fountain
- RainTiger.com
- Wings Magazine
- Online Wings Magazine
Prose
- Menopause: (essay) Online Wings Magazine, Summer 2005
- Esmerelda's Gift: Spot Of Bleach, November 2005
- False Pride, short story in the anthology, Lipstick Diaries (Augustus Publishing, 2007)