Life & Work with Mr. Joshua Shaw of 16th street

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mr. Joshua Shaw

Hi Mr. Joshua , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I got started writing under some pretty challenging circumstances. After a difficult breakup with my fiancé, I found myself homeless, living on 16th Street in Denver. During that time, I went through a psychotic break fueled by substance abuse. It was a dark period, but thankfully, my family found me and brought me back from the brink. It took years of battling addiction and even falling into a coma before I truly began to recover.

Once I was clean and sober, I knew I had to channel those experiences into something meaningful. That’s when I started writing the trilogy of poetry books titled DEAD IN DENVER. I wanted to transmute the pain I’d been through and offer hope to others facing similar struggles. The first book, “My Own Ghost”, was released in February 2024, and it gained traction on social media as I consistently posted quotes several times a day.

This Halloween, I released “I Took a Plane to Die in Denver”, and it was incredibly rewarding to see it hit number one in the Poetry category for Places on Amazon. I think the raw honesty and the shared human experience in my work resonated with people. Writing these books was a way to heal and connect with others who might be battling their own demons, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my story.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the scariest experiences was waking up in a hospital bed after being in a coma, with no memory of what happened, where I was, or even who I was. I had suffered a traumatic brain injury. After being released from the regular hospital, I had to go to a rehabilitation hospital to relearn how to walk and talk. Getting that second chance at life motivated me to finish writing and releasing those books.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a writer with four published books, and I’m passionate about connecting with others through words. I specialize in crafting stories and messages that resonate on a deep, personal level. My social media presence is a space where I share daily quotes and reels, creating a supportive community where people can relate to our shared experiences with pain. It’s a place where I offer encouragement and help others find beauty in their lives again, particularly those on their own recovery journeys.

What I’m most proud of is the genuine connection I’ve built with my readers. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see my words inspire hope and healing in others. What sets me apart is my commitment to authenticity and empathy; I strive to truly understand the complexities of the human experience and convey that understanding in everything I write. Whether through my books or social media, my goal is to offer a caring and heartfelt perspective that helps others feel seen, heard, and supported. I never want anyone to feel as alone as I felt back when I was homeless, strung out, and losing my love.

Any big plans?
Next for me is to release the third book in my trilogy called “1000 Miles Away”. It’s a story of hope and redemption. With all the things I’ve repaired in my life, the relationship with my kids and ex-wife is the most important. I’ve been given the opportunity to rebuild what I’ve damaged with my children there through my substance abuse, and it’s what I’m looking forward to the most. I also have plans to go on a book tour, and I’ll be releasing the audiobooks for the trilogy next summer. There’s been talk of making a movie/documentary for I Took a Plane to Die in Denver, and I’m excited to work on that in 2025 as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mrjoshuashaw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjoshuashaw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrjoshuashaw
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrjoshuashaw

Image Credits
The studio photos were taken by Mercedes Castro with MC Photography in Chicago, IL.
(I own the rights)