About Joe

After receiving his B.A. from Brooklyn College and his M.A. from City College of New York (City University of New York), Joe Shakarchi went on to a thirty-five year teaching and career. Joe taught creative writing, literature, composition, reading, and basic skills at San Francisco State University, the University of Colorado, Southern Oregon State University, and San Jose City College.  He also taught at King Mongkut's University of Technology  in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009.  His essays, reviews, and interviews have appeared in various publications.

Raised in New York, Joe was part of the San Francisco poetry scene from 1982 until 2012. His writing has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Poetry Flash, The Berkeley Poetry Review, and North Beach Journal. He was the winner of the 1999 Common Ground poetry contest. Joe was also one of six San Francisco poets chosen for the "Poetry in Public Display" exhibition throughout the city. Along with frequent appearances on radio and TV, he has helped produce poetry videos, and has often performed with musicians. His book of poems, "Sunrise in the West," is accompanied by a poetry/music CD featuring John Densmore (founding member of The Doors) on percussion, Stephen Kent on dijeridu, and Manose on flute. Most recently, he has performed in Bali and in Bangkok. His influences include Rumi, rock ‘n’ roll, Zen, the temples of Bangkok and Kathmandu, and the cafes of Banglampoo,  North Beach and Greenwich Village.

Joe is currently living in Bangkok with his wife Daru, and has been traveling to Israel and throughout Asia. In addition, he has been writing new poems. He has also been writing travel stories and short memoirs, two of which have already been published in "To Thailand with Love" (available from Amazon).