Joe Carvalko

Behind the Steel: One Life—Five Epochs: ($15, 96pp, 6X9″, ISBN: 978-1-68114-005-6, Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-68114-113-8, LCCN: 2014922633, December 2014; Purchase on Amazon or Barnes and Noble): takes the reader on a journey through Twentieth Century America, its cities, its wars, the western prairies, and the poet’s encounter with death, losses of the heart, and old age, when the past stands still and time quickens, when the echoes of the past ricochet and scatter into pure energy. The poet sharply searches for meaning through action, but discovers that only in solitude does he find answers, albeit conditional, bowing to the forces beyond his sensibilities, to the limits of a self-imposed blindness, to the incomprehensibly complicated and absurd events that occur in our midst, yet exceed the human capacity for reason, moral belief and even suffering.

Between Two Eternities, Inscriptions Buried in an Awakened Heart: (Softcover: $20, 304pp, 6X9”: 978-1-68114-607-2; Hardcover: $25: 978-1-68114-608-9; Kindle: $2.99; LCCN: 2024900764; Books—Literature & Fiction—Short Stories & Anthologies—Short Stories): depict a journey of self-discovery, encompassing elements of struggle, resilience, truth, and awakening. Carvalko paints a vivid picture of life’s journey, akin to an odyssey fraught with obstacles yet illuminated by moments of profound wisdom and love. The work is a collection of semi-autobiographical essays, fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, that combine tales taken from history, heroism, romance, and loss. In its entirety, the author examines a lifetime searching for sanctuary and purpose, often in the face of adversity, often struggling with self-doubt. The work highlights a journey begun as an inner-city high school dropout to becoming a successful lawyer and humanitarian, as he represented clients from billionaires to indigents, and actively engaged in organizations such as Amnesty International, as well as its NM legislative coordinator, the Sioux City American Indian Center board member/activist, and as the Chairman of the internationally renowned Yale Technology and Ethics working group of the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Frequently he returns to the intersections of the diverse cultures that shaped him, Azorean Portuguese, Italian and New Mexican. He has lived on the East Coast, Midwest, and Mountain West, traveling extensively to South America, Europe, and Asia, encountering people from ambassadors to criminals, entrepreneurs to mentors of solemn wisdom, each inspiring his writing.

“Richly gifted in multiple disciplines, an international scholar, legal practitioner, jazz musician, and author, Carvalko has accumulated a vast reservoir of wisdom and knowledge to draw upon in sharing his life experiences. Between is not only skillfully crafted with the discerning eye of a master wordsmith but also deeply profound in its analysis and presentation of the human condition. His writings exhibit a great love for life and endurance for its vicissitudes. This evocative anthology is indeed a precious diamond.” —MG Michael, PhD

“Carvalko’s prose [We Were Beautiful Once] is wiry and wise, steely yet soulful. His tales, tethered to real life, are lived and thoroughly pondered. In the right light, he is a cross between James Paterson and Scott Turow, only wiser and much more generous.” —Da Chen, New York Times bestselling author

“Carvalko’s [Conserving Humanity] tracks our posthuman trajectory with a gripping depiction of a technological roadmap. His practice interweaves with wisdom storytelling, asking vital questions about our humanity. A must-read.” —Katina Michael, Ph.D., Professor in the School of Computing at Arizona State University, and Founding Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Technology and Society

“Joseph Carvalko offers a masterfully presented monograph, [Conserving Humanity], guiding the reader through the changing nature of ‘creativity’ and technology’s effects on human dignity. This book is a must-read for those interested in the tensions between technological progress, creativity, and ethics.” —Roba Abbas, Ph.D., Lecturer in the School of Management at the University of Wollongong, Australia

Joseph Carvalko has authored ten books, which include novels, poetry, law, science and the humanities. His articles appear regularly in a variety of publications and blogs. His poetry has appeared in Antipodes Periodical (2022, 2023), FLARE: Editorial Trance (2015), The Flagler Review, Anomalie Magazine, RE: mind (2015), Goldsmiths University of London (2015), and Manifest West (University Press of Colorado, fall 2014). He lives on the U.S. East Coast and in the New Mexico mountains. He holds an MFA in creative writing, BS in electrical engineering, and JD in law. He is a named inventor on 18 patents, and is a jazz artist, having been a member of various musical groups. For additional biographic information see: Carvalko.com/bio