Author Bio
Joseph Cardillo was born in Norwich, New York, a small town between Binghamton and Syracuse. "People always ask when I started to write. I have always enjoyed writing and the excitement of sharing the journey. When I was a pre-teen, I used to look forward to spending nights at my Italian grandmother's house for two prime reasons: her great Italian cooking, and I got to have my own bedroom where I would write stories and then make them into little books I'd keep in a dresser drawer there."
As an undergraduate he attended Siena College, in Loudonville, New York, where he received degrees in English and English Education and later the University at Albany where he received an MA in English and Educational Methodology. A substantial part of his studies included in-depth work in philosophy and theology which could have easily comprised his major, however, he had set his sites on education. "I graduated with degrees in English because they were the closest to philosophy. I've always seen creative writing and literature as blood relatives to philosophy. Interestingly enough, my first teaching position included classes in Creative Writing and English, as well as classes in Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and Taoism."
He has held the post of head advisor and instructor for the Hudson Valley Community College Martial Arts Club for over a decade. He earned his black belt in Kenpo Karate and is a longtime practitioner of several martial arts including Kenpo, Kali, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, and Dumog. As a writer, he has taught creative writing for twenty-three years at several colleges, including the University at Albany, where he served as visiting professor in the school of Educational Theory and Practice. At present, he is a full professor of English and Creative Writing at Hudson Valley Community College of the State University of New York.
He lives in Averill Park, New York with his wife Elaine and their household of little creatures: Sharona, Mignonne, Russé, Jolie, Elsa, Albinoni, and Celia.
He travels around the country regularly, giving seminars and workshops based on his writings.
Right now, his favorite author is Joseph Campbell and his favorite website is Amazon.com.
Read an article posted by The Alaska Club