JUDITH OFFER, POET

Judith Offer has had two daughters, five books of poetry and dozens of plays. (Eighteen of the latter, including six musicals, have been produced.) She has read her poetry at scores of poetry venues, but is particularly delighted to have been included in the Library of Congress series and on “All Things Considered”, on NPR. Her writing reflects her childhood in a large Catholic family—with some Jewish roots—her experience as teacher, community organizer, musician, historian, gardener, and all-purpose volunteer, and her special fascination with her roles of wife and mother. Her most recent book of poetry, called DOUBLE CROSSING, is poems about Oakland, California, where she lives with her husband, Stuart.

You will find more detail in the Poet’s Comments sections of each of the books.

JUDITH OFFER, PLAYWRIGHT

Judith Offer has had eighteen plays produced in various community theatres in the San Francisco Bay Area: three full-length musicals and three children’s musicals (libretti; composers write the scores); eight one-acts; three full-length non-musicals. The most recent, COMPARED TO WHAT?, is a full-length work about the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters produced at the MIRA Theatre in Vallejo, California in July 2012 and independently in Oakland in May 2013.

Ms. Offer’s most consistent themes are American history, women’s issues, and the vagaries and ironies of daily life in Oakland. She especially enjoys including in her work characters from the various cultures and nationalities so visible in Oakland, where she has lived for almost thirty-five years.

Judith did volunteer work in the schools for a quarter century and as a result has written two teachers’ workbooks: CALIFORNIA HISTORY PLAYS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE and SHORT PLAYS FOR NEW AMERICANS. She is also included in a book of plays for seniors, SENIORS ACTING UP (Pleasant Hill Press) and is a poet with five books of poetry to her credit.

At present Judith has several plays looking for collaboration, readings or productions. Check the Unfinished Work section for details.