Our second artist at this Sunday’s gathering is writer, playwright, and poet Dr. I. Jay Asher, no stranger to our open mics nor to Synkroniciti Magazine. We published “Jobs in Dubai” in our “Empowered” issue and nominated it for a Pushcart prize, while the play “First Date” is featured in our current “Intersections” issue. Jay believes in using storytelling to teach and learn about things that have been hidden by society, giving voice to those who fall outside of “mainstream” experience.
Jay will be reading his monologue “SOLO,” about a retired judge re-evaluating his life after the death of his wife.
Please register here:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUscuqtrjMtE9DzCXzEOT1VOaCwLT-1D_-e
After 25 years in the fashion business in New York City, Irwin Jay Asher landed in Houston, Texas. Irwin to his family; Jay to his friends.
In Houston, he met six gay youth who wanted to start a support group. They asked if he would be a facilitator. That yes changed his life. Jay realized his ability to listen could change lives. In two years, he worked with 600 youth with the help of many friends. At the age of 52, he decided to apply to the University of Houston for a degree in counseling. He completed his Master’s and Doctorate in Counseling in 1997. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, where he had family, and opened his own private practice, specializing in couples counseling.
Along the way, he started a group for writers, GayWrites. He felt gay and lesbian writers needed a safe space to read their work and get mature feedback. He also volunteered to work with gay and lesbians couples at the Pride Center every other Saturday. For his work with couples and for the many articles he wrote for the local papers, he won the Pride Center’s Community Award.
Today, Jay spends his time researching and writing novels and 10-day courses. His first 10-day course is available on his website and deals with Adult Men Who Were Sexually Abused as Children. His second 10-day course deals with Relationships. Presently, he is working on a 10-day course about Victimhood. His novels are available on Amazon or on his website: https://ijayasher.wixsite.com/writer
