Joseph Lewis Heil

Joseph Lewis Heil was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was educated at Marquette University High School and received his bachelor of arts degree in the Great Books Program (now known as The Program of Liberal Studies) from the University of Notre Dame.

Inspired by family stories his parents and grandparents told, his love of history and literature, his observations of trends in American society, politics and culture, he began writing his first novel, 'The War Less Civil,' in the late 1990s. The Faulkner-Wisdom Novel Competition named it a finalist in 2011. Kirkus Reviews said of 'The War Less Civil,' "...a powerful, moving tale reminiscent of John Steinbeck's 'East Of Eden' in its scope and artistic aspiration."

Mr. Heil's second novel, 'Judas In Jerusalem,' was published in September, 2018. Kirkus Reviews described it as "A creative historical dramatization...." His third book, 'The Universal Heart & other Essays, Stories, Vignettes and Poems,' was published in July, 2024.