Designated New Mexico Eminent Scholar by the New Mexico Commission on Higher Learning (1979). Joe was the youngest of five children. His father loved to tell stories. The family moved to Arizona where Joe learned to speak Spanish which became an integral part of his storytelling and writing. In 1979, he began to devote himself full time to sharing stories. He focuses on elementary school audiences although his work appeals to a wide range of ages. In 2001, he traveled to Cuba participate in a translation workshop sponsored by Writers of the Americas. For children and adults alike, Joe's storytelling sessions outside the tepee at the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe are a summer tradition that has continued for over 25 years. Other facts: *Youngest of five children *Graduated from University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Arts in English. *Taught at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona and also in Los Alamos, NM. *Employed in mineral exploration work, working all over the western U.S. as well as in Mexico and Spain. *Delivered the Commencement address at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at U.C.L.A. *Currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.