About Joan

Joan Nockels Wilson is a writer and lawyer. A native of Chicago and a forever-learner, she has studied at Northwestern University, University of California Berkeley, Lewis and Clark College, and the University of Alaska. She holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction, is a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist award winner, and is a member of the Bread Loaf community of writers. Her work has appeared in literary journals and audio shows, most recently Entropy Magazine, Cirque and Arctic Entries. She lives with her husband, daughter, and a vizsla named Vivian in Anchorage, Alaska. This is her first book. 

 

In addition to her work as a writer, Joan Nockels Wilson has practiced as a civil and criminal litigator in Alaska for twenty-five years. She spent half her career in private practice working as a health care lawyer in Anchorage. Her passion, however, is in public service, where she serves today.  As an Assistant District Attorney, Joan primarily prosecuted felony domestic violence in the Violent Crimes Unit, but also developed a specialty in prosecution of animal cruelty cases, a subset of domestic violence since perpetrators often use animals as extensions of their family victims. Joan achieved the longest sentence for animal cruelty in the State of Alaska and contributed to the State of Alaska’s successful effort to elevate animal cruelty from a misdemeanor to a felony in the most egregious of circumstances... READ MORE

​

​