Mark grew up in Washington state in Spokane Valley and moved to Cheney, Washington in 1980. He received a BA in Spanish and an MSW from Eastern Washington University. He was a social worker for about 20 years and the owner of Bicycle Time bike shop in Cheney for another 20 years. He was active in various musical and arts groups in the area, including the Heart Follies, Spokane British Brass Band and StageWest Community Theater.
In the mid-90s Mark was visited by a Muse and wrote forty or so poems and composed around fifty songs. The highlight of his years as a poet was being asked to do a poetry reading at Auntie’s bookstore in Spokane, Washington.
In 2020, he and his wife, Marisa, retired and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona to trade the Eastern Washington cold for the Arizona heat. He spends a lot of time volunteering at the Arizona Humane Society where he works with dogs who have behavioral issues, and helping match them with good families.