Judith writes under the pen name J. A. Lagana. She is the author of the poetry collection Make Space (Finishing Line Press, 2023) and a forthcoming chapbook Edge of Highway. A fiction and memoirist, she has written numerous essays on the craft of writing and living the writer's life. She is a founder and former co-editor (2018 - 2023) of River Heron Review where she also facilitated poetry, fiction, and memoir writing workshops. A retired educator who holds an M.Ed in Educational Administration from Rutgers University, Judith headed art, music, and English departments within the largest high school district in New Jersey for nearly 25 years. There, she was instrumental in developing numerous arts-based, writing and poetry resources and events for that community. She began her career in that same district as a high school English and creative writing teacher.