Inspired by the prose and poetry of such distinguished nature writers as John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olsen, Loren Eiseley, Rachel Carson and many others, Joseph describes the natural beauty around us, as well as connecting it to the human relationship to nature. Born and raised in central Illinois, he moved West when he went to the University of Idaho, studying to become a wildlife biologist and land manager. He has lived in Colorado, California, Idaho, Washington, Utah, and South Dakota over the past 55 years.
Joseph began his writing in high school as sports editor for the local weekly newspaper, The Tuscola Journal, and was co-editor of the school newspaper, Old Gold and Black Echoes. In the mid-1970s, he wrote a weekly column, anonymously, for the Del Norte Prospector (Colorado). He continued to write essays and poetry for the next twenty years, and after retirement in 1997 from the US Forest Service, decided to organize his old writings as well as pen new ones. Training himself to rework his bureaucratic-career writing style, he expanded beyond essays and poetry to explore fiction.
In 2001, Joseph wrote the novel manuscript he called Sands of Time, his first work in fiction, which came easily for him. Upon the advice of another writer, he set it aside for a one or two year fermenting period which turned into fifteen years. During that time he attended a short-story writers' workshop, lead by award winning short story author, Phil Deaver. Joseph spent several years writing short stories, many about his Forest Service experiences, all autobiographical fiction.
Taking the plunge into self-publishing, Joseph selected a group of essays and poems for his first book, Canyon Breezes. The next year, he put together another couple dozen, most involved with his favorite subject—time—and published Zephyr of Time. All the while he was polishing Sands of Time, which he submitted to the hybrid publisher, Page Publishing. Page accepted it, and in March, 2018, Sands of Time was published. During the year long edit and publishing process with Page, Joseph polished a novella and a group of short stories, linked them thematically with the help of his new editor (wife Katherine) into a novel of short stories. Titled Tales of Ravens Nest, it was published in May, 2018. Heeding the advice of many, including writers groups, he joined Facebook as one aspect of marketing. Realizing he was gaining a new audience, he started writing short essays about current adventures and discoveries. Those essays will be included in his newest book, Flight of the Raven, scheduled for publication in late 2024.
Joseph focuses on what he sees (and hears) around him. “There is so much interesting detail in nature, I cannot spend ten minutes outside, whether on my own property or on a hike somewhere, that I don’t start composing an essay in my head. I want to capture that fascination and try and share with everyone else.” Living so many years in the slickrock canyon country of Utah and Colorado, he has become entranced by the concept of time, especially geologic time. “I have lived in many places that are very old geologically , such as the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Colorado Rockies, even my home state of Illinois. But the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau is the ultimate in geologic time. When we talk about millions and even billions of years this rock has been here, it humbles me about our miniscule time frame we live with for our own lives.”
He is available to do book signings, or give readings on any of his books. Combined with his experience with the Forest Service, and other summer jobs with state and national parks, he has a lot to share concerning the environment, his perceptions and experiences.
