Joel Smith

Joel Smith lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona. In 2007, he joined AmeriCorps NCCC. That year, his team served in Beaumont, TX, Denver, CO, St. Paul, IN, and St. Bernard Parish, LA. His time in AmeriCorps led him to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Arizona, where he first met his illustrator Ryan in 2009.

In addition to teaching for the UA's Writing Program, Joel is fiction editor for Spork Press and has published short stories in Witness, [PANK], Word Riot, and elsewhere.

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In praise of The Parish:

"The Parish captures the urgency and hope that defined so much of volunteerism linked to post Katrina clean-up effort. Bringing a deeply personal narrative to a story of idealism, hardship, and action, The Parish: An Americorps Story reminds how much the story of Hurricane Katrina became a personal crucible for volunteers drawn to a city in crisis."

-- Julian Chambliss, urban and cultural historian, co-editor of Ages of Heroes, Eras of Men:

Superheroes and the American Experience

"The Parish's ride may not be as rough as hurricane Katrina itself, but the cast experiences their own storms working to bring relief to one of the hardest hit areas while searching for something inside of themselves. It's a ride worth taking with them."

-- Roland Mann, comics author of Cat & Mouse, & The Remaining.