Michael Shoemaker was raised in Southern California. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and a Master’s of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. He has served Utahans in the field of Vocational Rehabilitation for 26 years. Michael is happily married to Tamary Shoemaker and is the father of three adult children.
Michael served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Argentina and is a temple ordinance worker in the Taylorsville Utah Temple. He relies on Jesus’s mercy and grace to change every day.
Michael is a poet, haikuist, writer, photographer, and editor from Magna, Utah where he lives with his wife and son. He enjoys hiking in the canyons of Wasatch Mountains and exploring the natural wonders of Southern Utah.
He is the author of Rocky Mountain Reflections, Grasshoppers in the Field and Sacred Strains of Praise, three poetry/photography collections.
His Japanese and Korean short-form poetry has appeared in Haiku Commentary, Presence Haiku Journal, Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal, Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, Sea-shores Haiku Journal, Cold Moon Journal, Bamboo Hut: a journal of tanshi, The Solitary Daisy, Fireflies’ Light: A Journal of Short Poetry, Under the Bashō, Chrysanthemum, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Haiku of the World, Autumn Moon Haiku Journal, The Pan Haiku Review, and Inkpot Literary Journal. Michael is as an Editorial Consultant for Cantos: A Literary and Arts Journal and Michael serves on the board of the Utah State Poetry Society as Historian/ Librarian.
Michael has been writing since childhood, but started publishing in 2023. Since then, his work has been published in journals and magazines 150 times and appears in 32 anthologies.
International recognition includes the publication of his poetry in Boundless 2026, Boundless 2025, Boundless 2024: The Anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival, Petals of Haiku: An Anthology, and Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku which were haiku anthologies that were #1 top Amazon Releases. Three of Michael’s poems have been short listed for The Letter Review Prize for Poetry. He is a three-time nominee for the Best of the Net Anthology awards and for a Pushcart Prize Award. Michael received an honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest 94th Annual Competition.
He creates to uplift and delight others and share beauty, truth, loveliness, purity and human connectedness. With so many people worldwide living in isolation Michael wants to help others to connect with others and the world around them. He is excited for the future and firmly believes that the best is yet to come.
Paperback: 98 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (June 5, 2026)