Biographia Literaria
Judyth Hill, poet, performer, writing teacher, and author, lives in the splendor of the ponderosa and aspen-covered mountains of Northern Colorado.
Educated at Sarah Lawrence College; she later studied with poet, Robert Bly, and Deep-Ecologist, Dolores Lachapelle, and is the recipient of grants from the Witter Bynner Poetry Foundation, McCune Foundation, and New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities.
She served from 1994 to 2000, as Literary Projects Coordinator for New Mexico Arts, a division of the NM State Office of Cultural Affairs, and is the current President of PEN in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Judyth conducts poetry workshops at writing conferences in Mexico and across the US; she leads teacher trainings for poetry instruction in elementary and high schools, and Poetry in the Galleries workshops and teacher trainings for museums. She has authored poetry curriculum for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Folk Art Museum, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She is the annual Poet-in-Residence at various schools in the United States, offers writing classes online at www.judythhill.com , and on-going classes in San Miguel de Allende.
In partnership with Chef Kris Rudolph, she leads WildWriting Culinary Adventures around the world, www.eat-write-travel.com.
In partnership with Madhuri Martin, a master Yoga instructor, as The Dharma Queens, they combine teaching Yoga with storytelling, poetry, and the art of heart-infused eloquence.
Her nine published books of poetry include Baker’s Baedeker, The Goddess Cafe, Hardwired for Love, Presence of Angels, Men Need Space, Black Hollyhock, First Light, Dazzling Wobble and Tzimtzum. Her poems are included in numerous anthologies.
Judyth authored the cookbook for the celebrated Santa Fe, NM restaurant, Geronimo, from Ten Speed Press. A noted Food writer and journalist; she was the Santa Fe, NM restaurant critic for the Albuquerque Journal, as well as the creator/owner of Santa Fe’s premier bakery, The Chocolate Maven.
She is the author of the internationally acclaimed poem, Wage Peace, http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/09/wage-peace--judyth-hill published around the world; set to music, performed and recorded by national choirs and orchestras.
Judyth was described by the St. Helena Examiner as, "Energy with skin”, and by the Denver Post as, “A tigress with a pen”.
Career Narrative: Living the Writing Life
I often say that I'm from the "Everything Matters" school of writing.
I feel entirely blessed. I have the pleasure and privilege of devoting my time to making and performing poems, teaching writers of all ages, free-lance journalism, teaching poetry in museums, and generally making all the important, juicy mistakes of life.
I am dedicated to studying and teaching creative process as the next major phase in the development of the Future Human. All while living seriously rural, in the ponderosa and aspen splendor of the Colorado High Country, surrounded by the blessed presence of elk, deer, fox and bear; and a wealth of wildflowers!
It's a life about passion, and choices. And joy. And having fun.
Years ago, leaving NYC, my childhood home: I chose New Mexico. Chose her above all others for beauty, for the possibility of preserving still-pristine landscape, air and waters, for her swirl of tangy cultures, and green chile and melted cheese on everything.
And now, have chosen again. Chosen to live near my children, and my Beloved, to live my wild, delicious Writing Life in the sacred presence of my family, and extraordinary Beauty.
My writing, performing and teaching come from my faith in the delicate and intricate connection of our political, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, imaginational bodies, both within the self, and within the social web, to each other.
And all of this connected to our funny bone.
I am lucky: I love to write. I love the balancing of craft and passion, the work behind the work. And then, I love to read it to you.
Because that's what completes the circle of the creative act: it's not "whole and sole" without your presence.
So, Everything Matters:
Being a force for good in the world, keeping a sense of justice and a sense of humor. Knowing to fall in love with each other, good desserts, red tail hawks overhead. To notice when Clear Creek’s running high, the appearance of morning doves in June, the line breaks in Williams, the melody in Yeats, the instress in Hopkins and the way wild penstemon cover the hillsides with purple blossoms in April.
To use my mother’s good dishes because she never did, and my own gift with language, because if I don’t, who will?
Making love, dinner and connections. Getting the point. Listening deeply to the music of the ordinary, the wisdom of elders and infants, and the night wind moving through lodge pole and spruce. And singing it back, as best my innate talents and acquired skills will grant me.
Making sure my best keeps getting better.
Admiring the plain, astonishing beauty everywhere present, and not losing sight of the fallen, the Middle East, and oil spilling onto our so-vulnerable seacoasts.
Remembering to show gratitude, forgiveness and a little leg.
Remembering that if it’s true that 90% of success is just showing up, 10% of every effort goes for glory.
So, I am here, pen in hand, ready, willing, able: and going for gold.
