John Patrick Starling was hatched on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, near Baltimore, Maryland.  

 

After serving in the United States Air Force, he studied Professional Writing and Publications, concentrating on poetry, at The University of Baltimore, where he won the Homeland Three Arts Award for Creative Writing.  

 

John was plucked out of Baltimore's poetry scene in the early '90s and mentored by renown classicist Joseph Harrison III, where he figured out (and later printed on a t-shirts) that "Free Verse Isn't Free!".

 

While still in college he began teaching at the (Cal) Ripken Center for Adult Literacy and after graduation taught English and outdoor education to at-risk youth at The Rosedale Center for Alternative Studies.  In 1996 John was named Writer in Residence at the Carver Center for Arts and Technologies, where he taught poetry, fiction and playwriting to gifted young writers.  And in 1997 he spent a year abroad teaching English, where, being a life-long martial artists, he trained with and fought for a renown kickboxing school in Daejon, South Korea under Master (and former bantam weight professional champion) Song Eun Sop.

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Always writing, in 2001 he co-founded the first pure commercial copywriting (content development) company in the United States (Smith Content, Inc.)  with his best friend and writing partner, Rob Macdonald, where they employed and mentored a company of talented young commercial copywriters writers.

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Committed to his home city of Baltimore, Maryland and its young people, John founded "The School of the Way" a free MMA (Mentoring & Martial Arts) Dojo in Baltimore, Maryland in 2010.  It still operates in his absence, while he lives abroad abroad, offering free martial arts training and professional and life coaching to low income kids in exchange for community service.  

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In 2016 he co-founded Pride Girls Soccer, so that young girls in Korea would have the opportunity to play "the beautiful game" and grow from the lessons it has to offer.

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Today John lives with his wife, daughter and two dogs in South Korea.  

 

He advises, trains, and coaches companies and individuals through his advisory practice "Starling Growth Advisory". 

 

On the weekends he coaches girls soccer, and performs his original roots music, both solo and with his band (John Patrick Starling & Drownin' River).  

 

In his "spare time" he is writing the prequel and sequel to "Flight of the Platypus".

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John is a platypus.