Joel T. Maki was born on Manitoulin Island and grew up in Sudbury, Ontario. After living a good part of his life in the United States, he recently returned to Canada, where he is presently involved in Native literacy. He has produced a volume of poetry and completed his first novel, which he hopes to have published. His goals are to become a successful writer and, through his work at Na-Me-Res, to establish the need for a Native writing school in Ontario.