WHO IS LINDA LEVEN?
Linda was born in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to a prominent lawyer and lived in the suburbs of the
city, leading a rather typical, upper-middle-class lifestyle until her move to
New York City at the age of eighteen.
At the age of five,
encouraged by her mother, Linda began studying tap, ballet, and acrobatics at a
local neighborhood school. But it was the ballet which became the driving force
of her life for the next twenty-five years, consuming all of the hours
that she did not spend in studying to maintain her almost straight “A” average
through high school, college, and graduate school.
After arriving in New York
City, Linda pursued both her ballet studies and the completion of her B.A.
degree in mathematics at New York University, followed by an M.A. degree in mathematics, also at New
York University. During this period, her time was divided between university
classes, ballet classes, and auditions for major national and international
ballet companies
At age twenty-one, although
an excellent and talented dancer, Linda, after several years of auditioning for
ballet companies with little or no success and with pressure from her family to
choose a career related to her university studies, gave up her lifelong dream of
becoming a ballet dancer and began a career with the IBM Corporation in
computer software development. Linda, nevertheless, continued taking classes
every day until the age of thirty, when, severely injured, she was forced to
give up the ballet completely. Her career with IBM -- over twenty years
-- both rewarding and challenging, brought her the financial security to
actively continue her lifelong, varied interests in the arts.
Presently, Linda lives in New York City and
is an aspiring writer, having written and published several novels, numerous
books of short stories, and a beautiful picture book of photography: The
Impassioned Escapades of Caroline W., Dissection of Desire, The Intimacy
Maelstrom, Obscure
Corners and Crevices, The Finale's Master Stroke, The Short Stories of Linda
Leven, Vol 2, Vol 3, and A False Coloring. Currently, Linda is working on another book of short stories.
Linda also works professionally with her partner, Lance Lee, as a
model and graphics artist for his photography. Their collaboration has
produced a prodigious body of work which has been displayed on the Internet,
Libido Magazine, the Salmagundi Gallery (NYC) and the Photo District Gallery
(NYC). Linda is a model for the nationally acclaimed photographer, Tanyth
Berkeley. A photo for which she modeled with Berkeley was bought by the
famous London art collector, Charles Saatchi, for his permanent collection.
Linda also models for the notable British photographer, Annie Collinge, who exhibits
her work around the world, the internet, and in art and fashion magazines. Recently
Linda also began shooting with the recognized photographer, Elizabeth Bick.
Linda has done fashion shoots with both Jamie Hawkesworth
and Luke Guilford (Italian Bizarre Nov 2018). Recently Linda shot with Blaise
Hayward, and was asked to sit for a painting by Tali Lennox, daughter of Annie
Lennox, singer-songwriter.
Linda also pursues acting as an avocation and has acted in minor roles in numerous university and independent films. In 2004, Linda
was listed in the Marquis 2004 edition of WHO’S WHO in AMERICA for
outstanding lifetime achievement.