Dr. Dorothy Headley Israel, Professor Emeritus, Stony Brook University, New York, is a social worker and psychologist by profession. A native of New York, she grew up during the time of the Harlem Renaissance when artists such as Langston Hughes, Count Basie and Duke Ellington were free to express their creativity.

Dr. Headley has lived and worked in St. Augustine, Florida for the past fifteen years. Writing has become a passion. Her memoir is titled: From Harlem to the Sea, A Life Well Lived was published in 2006. Awards for the book have included the American Association of University women, Two Friends Publishing Company and in 2009 the Recognition by Women in the Arts.

Dr. Headley enjoys writing historical fiction, mainly about life in Lincolnville, Florida. She is in the process of writing her second memoir entitled: Four Score and Some about her experiences living in St. Augustine. She developed a brochure on the Presence of African Americans in St. Augustine to help promote tourism.

She serves on the board of Fort Mose Historical Society, Excelsior Museum and Cultural Center and the Foot Soldiers. She is a member of St. Cyprians Episcopal Church and  is involved in the city's expressive art center.

Dr. Headley, 87 years young, watches the sunrise every morning as she walks her charming Beagle named Destiny.