Jennifer Eaton Gokmen

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Jennifer Eaton Gokmen

Born January 31, 1971 (1971-01-31) (age 37)
Wayne, Michigan
Occupation Writer
Website
Tales from the Expat Harem

Jennifer Eaton Gökmen (born 1971) is an American writer and editor.

Contents

[edit] Background

Gökmen was born in Wayne, Michigan, graduated from Brentwood High School (Brentwood, Tennessee) in 1989, and received her B.A. from Western Michigan University in Creative Writing and American and British Literature from Western Michigan University in 1994.

Gökmen has lived in Istanbul, Turkey with her Turkish husband since 1994.

She is the daughter-in-law of Turkish politician Dr. Sami Gökmen, former Minister of Parliament from the Republican People's Party (CHP) for the district of Muğla during the 16th session of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).

[edit] Career

Gökmen has been a regular contributor to TimeOut Istanbul magazine and Turkish national daily newspaper Today's Zaman. Her writing has also appeared in Perceptive Travel as well as the Strange Intimacies anthology exhibited at the 9th International Istanbul Biennial.

Gökmen also co-hosts a Turkish television series focusing on expatriation issues of foreigners married to Turks, "Bir Yar Gelir Bizlere", on the state television station TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation).

Gökmen, along with Anastasia M. Ashman, created and co-edited the nonfiction anthology Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey. The collection includes the life experiences of 32 expatriate women from seven nations and five continents, whose collective experience spans the length and breadth of Turkey over the past four decades. Stories by scholars, artists, missionaries, journalists, entrepreneurs and Peace Corps volunteers relate personal assimilation into Turkish friendship, neighborhood, wifehood, and motherhood.

Tales from the Expat Harem is also published in Turkey, where it was a #1 national bestseller in January 2006. It has been translated into Turkish under the title Türkçe Sevmek, with a foreword by the controversial Turkish novelist Elif Shafak.

Seal Press (2006, North America), ISBN 1-58005-155-3

Doğan Kitap (2005, Turkish worldwide as Türkçe Sevmek), ISBN 975-293-381-5

Doğan Kitap (2005, English in Turkey), ISBN 975-293-372-6

Gökmen is currently penning EXPAT CONFIDENTIAL: A Humorous Handbook for the Globally Mobile

The author, along with co-editor Anastasia M. Ashman, was interviewed on NBC's Today Show, on its annual travel segment Where in the World is Matt Lauer in May 2008. View interview here.

[edit] Awards/Honors

  • Gökmen and her co-editor Anastasia M. Ashman were honored with the 2006 Daughters of Atatürk "Woman of Distinction Award", a title that is bestowed annually on selected women who have "demonstrated vision, leadership, innovation and professionalism" in "giving their talents to the international Turkish community". Other 2006 honorees include Güler Sabancı, Caroline Finkel, and Leslie Peirce.

[edit] External links

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