John Patrick Starling

John Patrick Starling is a platypus.

John was born in Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from The University of Baltimore with a B.A. in Professional Writing and Publications. While at UB he won The Homeland Three Arts Award for Creative Writing. He has written, published and taught poetry and fiction and writes original songs (blues, country, bluegrass, folk and rockabilly), which he performs both solo and with his band John Patrick Starling & Drownin' River.

After a lifetime of juxtapositions that left friends and family (and John) often bewildered and sometimes amused, John finally (at 45 years old) accepted himself for who he is and wrote Flight of the Platypus - so other kids like him could have the same understanding... that it's okay to be yourself.

John lives with his wife, daughter and two dogs in South Korea and visits the United States each Summer to visit the koi in his pond back home. He hopes to someday write a story about them too and read it to them as they look up at him expectantly... hanging on his every word waiting for him to drop some wisdom on them. Or at least some fish food.