Asli OMUR

I was born in Tampa Florida May 31 1983 to a Turk father and Dominican French mother. I began writing poetry at the tender age of 9 and started testing the waters of journalism when I was 16 years old once I was asked to join the staff of the TEENSLIFE page at the Tampa Tribune newspaper. Since then the TEENSLIFE page has been done away with and I signed a contract to stay on the payroll as a freelance journalist. I do everything from CD reviews to features.

Growing up I was very involved in schools musicals, dance, piano, gymnastics, modeling and writing. I won first place for my piece "FROM ANATOLIA" in the New Tampa Regional Library’s Third Annual Teen 2000 poetry  contest in October.

Last year, I was honored nationally as a National History and Government Award winner, nominated by my teacher and the United States Achievement Academy (USAA).

I was yearbook editor of my school yearbook for 1999-2000. In August of 1999 I started a fund  for the aide of Turkish earthquake victims, raising nearly $800 from school and religious affiliations.

Currently, I am submitting poems for the Southern Voices poetry contest and my current school’s, (Blake High School for the Performing Arts,) literary magazine, SYNAPSE.

I am also going to do some freelance journalism for the TURKISH TIMES newspaper publication. I have been published on line at POETRY.COM. Some poets and authors that have influenced my work include: Orhan Veli Kanik, Nazim Hikmet, Yunus Emre, Anais Nin, Shakespeare, Anne Sexton, Gaye Hicyilmaz, Peter Meinke, Ataol Behramoglu, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, and writers in the BIBLE.

I am currently a junior at Howard W. Blake High School for the Performing Arts, where I am studying Creative Writing and Journalism.

15 years Later: Asli OMUR

I am photojournalist/poet/restaurant-b over. I started my career very young.

By the age of 20, I had published 3 books of my poetical works, “When I leave home.” “Emres Bookshelf”, “Who Are We? while working at 3 professional newspapers and writing two novels, “Black Snow” and “What Ertugrul Left Behind.

While working for these papers I interviewed Saddam Hussein, Gorbachev and Castro. I have started in 4 films, such as Toxic Pink” and “Sleeping in Bursa in Bursa”.

I have traveled to over 40 countries with my photojournalist study. I joined the Peace Corps after university. They sent me to Iran and Paris, where I stayed for 2 years.

I have worked at a total of 8 newspapers across the globe, in Istanbul, Miami, Paris, Athens, Santo Domingo, New York City, and Izmir.

I speak 10 languages; Turkish, English, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Greek.

My poetical works have been translated into 45 languages. I have just finished producing my third documentary of Fourth Century Turkey and Religion and Music.

I won the Pulitzer Prize last year, and opened my clothing store called ‘DILOSH”.

I now reside in St. Petersburg, Florida, by the sea, with my husband, the photographer-painter-actor, Ayhan Bermek, and our two children, Paris Antalya ve Mehmet.

E-mail: canim_asli@yahoo.com

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