Joseph Hawke is the author of the new book On Earth As It Is in Heaven. He also has written the book American Justice. His career has focused on the helicopter industry.
Q: What inspired you to write On Earth As It Is in Heaven?
A: In 2023, my mother took a bad fall and had a TBI. That experience inspired
me to organize the collection of stories, most of which had already been
written, into a more cohesive whole, and to seek publication.
Early drafts of a couple of the chapters were written nearly
40 years ago, and I had somehow managed to hold onto them through multiple
moves, houses, and even more than one marriage.
In terms of the writing itself, I wrote the bulk of it in installments between
2020 and 2023. I was inspired, in part, by two different trips to Pakistan that
I took. The first one in 2020, immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic, and a
second in the summer of 2022.
The cascade of childhood memories that came back to me in the wake of my
mother’s TBI – and the fact that several of the chapters are based on the
“excavation” of childhood memories – made it seem that the moment had arrived
for On Earth As It Is In Heaven to see the light of day.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify
for you?
A: “On Earth As It Is In Heaven” is a line straight from The Lord’s Prayer (Our
Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be
Done on Earth as it is in Heaven).
So, clearly, I understand it in the first instance in and from that context;
i.e., that it is preceded by “Thy will be done,” which is an interesting
statement, taken as a whole: “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, on Earth as
it is in Heaven.”
I spend a lot of time thinking about the notion of free will. There is a saying
in some Christian communities, “Thy will, not my will,” which is meant to
signify a surrendering of one’s own will to that of the Almighty.
But it raises some practical questions: “How does one know
‘Thy will’?” and “If not through my own will, how then, in this Earthly realm,
can one carry out ‘Thy will’?” Perhaps “Make Thy will my will” would be a more
fitting request of the Almighty to convey the same willingness to subject
oneself to (what one in one’s own conscience believes to be) His will.
Whether or not free will is merely an illusion—a popular view among secularist
philosophers of mind, quantum physicists, and, in some cases, renowned
atheists— strikes me as less relevant than the fact that it certainly appears
that we have free will insofar as we have the ability to make choices within
whatever range of options might apply.
Therefore, I tend to focus on our agency as human beings, and, in that regard,
I prefer the interpretation that I have heard of this portion of The Lord’s
Prayer, which is that it is an admonition, a call to action, in fact, to bring
the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth, not that we are simply biding time to get to
Heaven in the Hereafter. In any case, that’s some insight into what the title
means to me.
As far as why I chose that to be the title, the honest answer is, it
just came to me as the perfectly fitting title. I think the reason why I
thought it was the perfect title is because when people do the most selfless
things, they become the best versions of themselves. I think the overall arc of
the story demonstrates people doing that, and I think there is a certain amount
of beauty in that aspect of their behavior.
At the same time, clearly, no one is a “Saint,” but perhaps some of the characters challenge the notion of who, or what, a Saint is.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between your
characters Mary and Muhammad?
A: The dynamic between Mary and Muhammad starts off, as all love stories do,
with passion. Then, as is also true of love, there are often consequences, not
all of which are foreseen or anticipated. How different people react to the
same circumstances or situation, albeit from his or her own vantage point, tend
to reveal more about themselves than about the situation itself.
In the case of Mary and Muhammad, they exhibit behavior that is meant to be
archetypal both for their respect genders (female and male), but also in
symbolizing their respective heritage.
In the final analysis, I would have to say that their relationship demonstrates
a love that transcends their eventual falling out of love.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: First and foremost, I hope that it entertains, makes readers laugh and makes
them cry. Perhaps not in that order.
I also hope that it serves to stimulate cross-cultural curiosity, if not
dialogue, and that it makes Pakistani culture somewhat more accessible,
particularly to Western readers.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I must confess that thus far in 2025, I have done far less writing than I
did in 2023 and 2024. On the bright side, I have spent far more time working on
helicopter transactions and building a business, rather than winding one down,
so I am not complaining.
That said, I am in progress on two different books. Redemption is a sequel
to American Justice, which I published on Amazon last year. I estimate that I
am most of the way (70-80 percent) through it, but I need to finish drafting
the plot (which I have outlined), and then probably start culling the earlier
sections to get to an edited draft.
The second is a cookbook: The Man Cave Guide to Cooking: How to Feed Your
Family – and Yourself – with Love. I would guess I am closer to only halfway
done with this one, and I keep coming up with additional recipes and cooking
tips to incorporate, which is part of the problem with getting it to
completion.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’m happy to report that my mom has been stable in her new condition, so as
not to leave you hanging regarding her status.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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