Dena Higley

Dena Higley (born September 26, 1958) is an American television soap opera writer who lives in Los Angeles, California. She was head writer of Days of our Lives.^[1] During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, she chose financial core status (resigning from the union but still receiving the benefits of a union contract) with the WGA strike and continued working shortly after Carolyn Hinsey outed her on January 25, 2008. [1]

Positions held

Days of our Lives

• Head Writer: April 23, 2008-August 25, 2011
• Script writer (September 2003 - November 26, 2004)
• Associate Head Writer (1985 - March 6, 2003) and (August 19, 2003 - October 2003)
• Co-Head Writer (August 11, 2003 - August 18, 2003)
• Head Writer (March 7, 2003 - August 8, 2003)

Criticism

Six-time Daytime Emmy Award winner Erika Slezak gave voice to frustrations with Higley's OLTL tenure. In the March 2007 edition of Slezak's fan club newsletter she stated, "Dena doesn't care about the rich history of the show, which is evident in what she writes," and that Higley "wants to write stories that she thinks are interesting but nobody else does." ^[2] Higley's termination was announced on June 4, 2007.

Awards and nominations

Daytime Emmy Award

• Nominations: 1987, 1994, 1997–1999, and 2006, Best Writing, One Life to Live

Writers Guild of America Award

• Nominations: 1987, 1991, 1993, 2001, and 2005, One Life to Live
• Wins: 1999, Days of our Lives

Preceded by Paula Cwikly and Peter Brash	Head Writer of Days of our Lives March 7, 2003 - August 8, 2003	Succeeded by James E. Reilly
Preceded by Michael Malone	Head Writer of One Life to Live December 13, 2004 - September 10, 2007	Succeeded by Ron Carlivati
Preceded by Hogan Sheffer Meg Kelly	Head Writer of Days of our Lives April 23, 2008 - August 25, 2011	Succeeded by Marlene Clark Poulter and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr.

References

1. ^ Michael Damian to Rock On Y&R | Michael Damian | SOAP WATCH | News + Notes | Entertainment Weekly
2. ^ Erika Slezak statement

External links

• ABC-TV: OLTL
• Dena Higley at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
Name	Higley, Dena
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Date of birth	September 26, 1958
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