About John

John L. Swainston

I never imagined that I would embrace the title of “poet,” but writing and reading poetry as well as studying the craft of poetry and connecting with other poets has become the mainstay of my life.

My life has been a journey, which I shared in poetry in my first book, The Memory Box, starting out growing up in San Francisco where I was a child model for Buster Brown clothes for Emporium and Macy’s. My father was a professional horse trainer, my mother a professional dog trainer, and I learned a lot about caring for animals, especially my horse Charlie.

I returned to college at California State University – East Bay, on the G.I. bill and graduated with a degree in Psychology with a major in Philosophy. I then became an arts manager, managing various symphonies and opera companies in California and Hawaii. 

My first adventure in the world was a gift to myself. Upon graduating from high school, I gave myself a 62-day student tour of Europe with 30 women, 8 men (and that’s all I’m saying about that). When I returned home, I worked as a go-for for Bay Area Transit (I even walked the entire line with the survey crew). I didn’t like the work, so I decided to migrate to Australia, where my grandfather met his bride.

In April 2020, looking for support after being diagnosed with my third cancer, I enrolled in a writing workshop with Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, at Turning Point, a center for people living with serious illness. Since that time, I have taken extensive writing workshops and sought out various poetry groups, learning all I could along the way.

I enjoy spending time with my grandchildren, and I like watching the birds and other wildlife in my yard, listening to classical, opera, and country-western music.

Now I want to give back by helping others experience the healing power of poetry.