Liza Halley
Library Teacher, Waltham Public Schools
Biography
Liza Halley works as an elementary school Library Teacher. Liza helped establish the Poet Laureate position in her hometown of Arlington, MA. She is the co-founder of Write Around Portland, a nonprofit based in Portland, OR that amplifies voices and builds community through writing workshops, literary programming, books, and readings. Liza has lead poetry workshops in prisons, schools, community centers, her living room, and under trees in city parks. She loves to build community through the written word, whether through poetry, zines, or comics.
What is the relationship between Judaism and/or Jewish culture and your poetry?
Liza’s writing practice is centered around an exploration of her Jewish past, present, and future. What is it to be a Jew today? What does it mean to be a Jewish woman? Mother? Daughter? How does God figure into daily life? What nurtures the spirit? These are the questions that Liza grapples with when she puts pen to paper.
Links to Sample Works
Sample Works
“Why I Retell My Grandparents Bubbemeises and Other Wisdoms” Braided Way Magazine: Faces and Voices of Spiritual Practice.
https://braidedway.org/author/lizahalleybraid/
“When You Don’t Know What Else to Do” & “Rubble” The Amethyst Review
https://amethystmagazine.org/2024/06/11/when-you-dont-know-what-else-to-do-a-poem-by-liza-halley/ & https://amethystmagazine.org/2024/08/09/rubble-a-poem-by-liza-halley/
“By the Light of the World.” The Calul Journal High Holiday Folio
https://calul.substack.com/p/shana-tova-a-folio-of-poems-for-5786
