About Joe
I was born and raised in southern New Jersey, in a small town called Pitman. I'm the oldest of five children in an Italian-Irish-English (Mayflower Compact-signing) family. After high school, I went to the University of Delaware to study biology, but after three semesters and a traumatic encounter with Organic Chemistry, I decided to follow my strengths in the humanities and study history. Mostly central European history, with a smattering of American thrown in for patriotic purposes.
After graduating from the University of Delaware in 1995, I began graduate work at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. I studied theater with concentrations in dramaturgy and directing. I loved living in New England, but felt a little isolated in western Massachusetts. So after graduating with my MFA in 1998, and an additonal year of back and forth between New Jersey and Massachusetts, including a semester as a guest lecturer at UMASS, I decided to take the plunge and move to New York City, and I've never felt more at home.
I love living and working in the city, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now. I've achieved my goal of teaching theatre at a university while pursuing my artistic endeavors as a director, writer, and performer.
In May 2001, I found a great guy named Craig Hamrick to explore this crazy world with, and it's been a joy to have him in my life. We moved in together in July 2002, and then in October of the same year Craig was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 36. Two surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy have helped, but his battle continues.
In September 2003, we added a kitten to our family. We found Buster at a local shelter, and he's been a great companion for both Craig and I. Then in August 2004, we decided that Buster needed a brother for his first birthday, and Dusty joined the family. Both boys are featured on Craig's website, www.craighamrick.com, so take a look!
In August 2005, after six years of living in the Windsor Terrace section of Brooklyn, Craig and I moved to Manhattan's East Village. We are living as Faculty Fellows in Residence in Third North, a complex that houses 950 first-year NYU students. Our apartment is beautiful, and we're having a fantastic time working with the staff and students in the building.
Sadly, Craig passed away on September 24, 2006, 15 days shy of his 40th birthday. As I write this, I'm approaching the 10-month anniversary of his death, and it's still challenging. I miss him and wish that he could be here with me still. There are so many things that happen each day that I wish I could tell him. I feel that he knows, but I miss his colorful commentary. Craig had a special way of putting things into perspective, and I miss his insights, his intelligence, his eye for beauty, his sense of humor, and his love.
Make sure you stop back every once in awhile to see what I'm up to. I'll try to keep adding more pics, stories, and tidbits of information about my life and work.
Until then, be safe and well.
joe
Craig and I at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, Summer 2005
