The University of Alabama

Associate Professor

Malone University

Associate Professor, Director of Creative Writing

I direct the Program in Creative Writing at the Univeristy of Alabama, and am founder of The Long Schoolroom, a learning community devoted to creative achievement and personal development. 

I am author of several books and a certified holistic arts coach with over 30 years of experience guiding others to write well, think deeply, and enact spirited transformation in their lives and work. 

Everything is invention and revision.  

You might not read poetry (I won't judge!), but we all need the poetic (a word which in Greek simply means “making”): beauty, connection, inspiration, wit. 

I team with high performing creators, founders, leaders, and groups to spur them to new levels of clarity and direction, to workshop ideas and innovations, to integrate the personal with the professional. 

Wonder is at the heart of all artistic enterprises—and everything is an art!—so let’s court more of it in all we do. The imagination is our highest faculty, and dreams are the heart of reality. 

Let me know if I can help.

Linkedin, You Beautiful Scam

I had three meetings this week with three incredible souls dispersed across the earth with whom I have the privilege to work. 

We discussed their writing, sure, but the writing is not separable from the life, and it feels most real—and useful—when our conversations reveal how each informs the other.

I would not know them without Linkedin. 

Even though it's a pain in the a**, what makes the work worth it is the relationships this hot, steaming, pile of computer code makes possible. 

On the business side, while my success is not the type people brag about (not that anyone believes those numbers!), I am gratified with progress. 

• I've run private workshops for over a year, and they've all been terrific!
• Everyone has thrived and grown (including me)!
• I'm building a community of creatives who are also seekers!

All billion of us are here, ostensibly, for work-related or work-adjacent or work-centric reasons. 

Yet—and here we get to the click-baity title—selling remains awkward and feels, on several levels, punished.

I get the lowest reach and engagement on posts where I'm most explicitly offering something that costs money. 

Maybe it's a virtue that Linkedin is a marketplace masquerading as a social network.

Establishing oneself here takes emotional and intellectual capital measured in human life-hours—the legwork of the dream—yet there is shame around making it payoff. 

At the core of every enterprise, one way or another, is one rule. 

Always
Be
Closing

(of course it took an artist, David Mamet, to surface this gem)

And if anything, what impedes us is that we are not sealing enough deals, not making decisions, not moving on/upward/etc. 

Many are stuck, lacking clarity and motivation one way or another. 

I decided awhile ago that I would work on feeling no shame about asking for "an investment" to work with me.

✨I am worth more than I ask for because I can change your life. ✨

Now that the semester is over I'd like to help more people in more ways. 

Below (and on my feature page) you will find a link to my Calendly, where you can have me for 30 minutes and I will guide you toward a solution (or the right question).


The cost is $125. 


I call it "Clarify Your Vision," but ask me anything.

Wisdom and direction are needed everywhere. 

𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹.


PS I only work with one longterm coaching client at a time, so if you've got some interesting work-life challenges you're struggling to solve alone, we can talk. 

John Estes⚕

Writer | Poet | Professor | You Must Change Your Life

What is the importance of asking for investments in work?

What impact does selling have on professional success?

The Secrets to Creative Reinvention (#4 will surprise you)

You shouldn't believe anyone who claims to know anything certain, but if you're OK with mysteries, and don't mind it being free, you might like to read The Long Schoolroom newsletter, which drops tomorrow. 

In it characters such as Lazarus, Steve Martin, a flame-throwing robot dog, Lydia Davis, Lola, and Stanley Kubrick among others, contend with the challenges (and ravages) of living in space-time.

𝘉𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘯𝘵. — Steve Martin

𝘉𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦, 𝘨𝘰 𝘪𝘯! — 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺 𝘑𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱, 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄. 

Until then, happy Saturday! 

#comedyisnotpretty

What impact does creative reinvention have on professionals?

Treat yourself at the spa of reinvention

“One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.” —Oscar Wilde


Normally, we only hear "in recovery" in the context of addiction.

I find this too limiting. 

We are ALL already (always) recovering.

We all, every one of us, are:

• struggling with thoughts and emotions
• coming back from loss(es)
• healing from heartbreak
• building constructive dreams and habits
• seeking to feel and do better
• processing and learning from the past
• working to grow and mature
• Other

Starting next Wednesday afternoon (3:30 p.m. Central), I will host a new kind of support meeting, called Creative Recovery, on The Long Schoolroom platform. 

Doing your best work is not just about the work. It happens in the midst of creating a higher version of yourself while living life every day. 

This meeting will support the ongoing mental and emotional recovery work necessary for reinventing ourselves, with the specific aim of helping and nurturing creative people.


I am not a therapist (yay!), but in addition to being a poet and teacher (is that not enough?), I am a certified transformational coach*, so hold space with a heart full of love and a variety of practical frameworks (haha).

I don't want to post a link publicly, but if this sounds intriguing and you're interested in attending but not yet part of the community, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗠 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁. 

The path is long anyway, so may as well go with fellow travelers.


*IFS-, trauma-, psychedelic-, addiction-informed
#creativerecovery #moisturizeforlife


🔔 to be notified of posts (with any luck, anyway)
♻️ repost if you want to! 

How important is reinvention for personal growth?

What can I expect from the Creative Recovery meeting?

You are what you — pay for? 

If you wonder what you actually value, check your credit card statement. 

I have lately been canceling subscriptions, and considering where my portion goes. 💸


As one experimenting in the shill-your-shillworthy services space, and angling to create an online community worth charging admission to, it's a live question. 

What will who pay for why?

(and the how isn't exactly easy)

What is the Minimal Viable Product, how much stuff, and activities, and culture must be regularly present, what are the outcomes promised, and (one hopes) delivered?

And what does it mean, when you are, in part, the product? 🕺

Last week I configured a new thing on Substack, and had to set prices vs. features. 

A subscriber gets to comment, and a subscriber gets the hottest content. 🔥

• 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 will l be useful/informative?
• 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 will I be entertaining/provocative?
  
• 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴(𝘀)

But is any of that 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 worth $11/month? or $111/year). What is anything worth?

(Maybe! I'm pretty awesome—sounds like a bargain.)

But, that's the thing. 

The exchange isn't about what you 𝘨𝘦𝘵, but 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩. 

We must put our symbols where our hearts are. 💕


As one who routinely 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 subscribe to paid newsletters (where would it end?), I decided that if I was going to ask others to, I needed to float some skin into the universal game. 

I chose two writers I follow, whose work I value, and ponied up. 🎠

Karma, come and get me. I've got the receipts.

So, there's your challenge. 

Money is but a form of energy, so put some energy into the system. 

It will come back to you. 

Please at least subscribe for free (see below). 

And if you don't give me money, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲. 

(Not quite like owning shares in a racehorse, but not entirely unlike owning them either.)

Oh what pretty words they'll write, and you will have a stake in it. 💫


This is how we do our part to make the world as we'd like to see it. 

If you don't, it will be someone else's world you live in. 



PS If you 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 want a blessing from the gods, become a foundational member.

What is the significance of energy exchange in professional relationships?

How can online communities impact professional growth?

Why is the Minimal Viable Product important in business?

Why You Should Never Write

I've started "The Jinx, Part Two," so reliving all the cringe-worthy, binge-worthy Durst-drama (God help me).

He was arrested the day before the finale of part 1 aired, on March 14, 2015. 

In that episode (which law enforcement had seen) he is confronted with two samples of handwriting, and asked to comment. 

One is from a letter he sent to his best friend, and the other from a letter sent to the Beverly Hills Police Department alerting them to the presence of a cadaver at his best friends house. 

(look away now if you must)

It didn't take a handwriting expert to see the resemblance, or that they both conspicuously misspell it "Beverley" in the address.

Durst, still hot-mic'd, then goes to the restroom and mutters under his breath, his infamous phrase: "Killed them all, of course."

So, the takeaway. 

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. 

(Or, if you prefer, just don't murder). 

________________

Ok, I'm kidding. You should write! 

Even though writing is itself riddled with images of violence: cutting, slashing, widows, orphans, killed darlings, dead metaphors, blood-soaked keys, graveyard words. 

It took an artist to bring Robert Durst to justice, where the legal system continually failed. 

Andrew Jarecki, the filmmaker, had not only the chops but the vision. 

I like to quote Flannery O'Connor, sometimes on the first day of class. 

𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.

So, the takeaway. 

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿. 

________________

I'm kidding again! You should take a writing class.

Actually, if you want to be a visionary writer, I have one for you. 

I have a couple spots left in my Summer Workshop (link below).

The problem with most writing classes is that they focus on technique, because it’s teachable, its effects mostly measurable.

But you don't teach the writing, you teach the writer, and my job is to help YOU develop while seeing you grow as a writer and artist.

Check it out. DM me for more details. P̶u̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶r̶i̶g̶g̶e̶r̶.̶

T̶o̶g̶e̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶b̶u̶l̶l̶s̶e̶y̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶g̶o̶a̶l̶s̶.̶ ̶
T̶o̶g̶e̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶l̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶.̶

You get the point! Peace and love.

What impact does visionary writing have on storytelling?

What can participants expect from the Summer Workshop?

How can taking a writing class benefit aspiring writers?

People Like Stuff & Want to be Happy

It's a fair question why a bookish writer-type has spent much of his career building institutions and producing events.

This ancient tension, between the life of contemplation and the life of action, is not ultimately resolvable. 

One does the best one can, with the time allowed, and one part periodically rages at the other. From "The Choice" by WB Yeats:

The intellect of man is forced to choose
perfection of the life, or of the work,
And if it take the second must refuse
A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark.

Some parts inside of us are not perfectly reconcilable, but can learn to live together under the auspice of a common purpose. 

Some parts learn to serve others in turn. 

____________

The kernel of the idea for The Long Schoolroom was an insight born of my own desire for a life of richer friendships. 

Ideally, we could all walk down to the pub and find our tribe, as they say, talk philosophy, or writing, or quilting, or whatever. 

But for many of us, that's a tough ask, and we are busy, committed, know we need more connection, but who? where? 

We are all mostly misfits, anyway. 

Here's the current draft of a definition: 

The Long Schoolroom is an experimental community of practice for writers and makers seeking creative growth in art, love, spirit, work, and the world.

It's the who-its-for that I'm still thinking about most.

I am not wanting to host 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 a writers collective. 

• creatives and misfits?
• artists and mavericks?
• lovers and adventurers?
• dreamers and shapeshifters? 

What will people pay for? 

What promises love, money, smarts, fulfillment. 

✅ All of the above! 

Anyway, I'm working on this, starting to have some events, and inviting people in who are looking to change their lives and be a little less alone in doing so. 

I'm going to start hosting weekly Office Hours, and this morning is the first one. We have a our first monthly book club this Sunday (Rick Rubin's The Creative Act), and more to come. 

When: Today, 10 a.m. Central (USA) (GMT -6).

But if you want to meet me, and hang out with some smart people seeking to live well, be their best selves, and make what matters, I'll drop the link below (and will give more notice next time!).

Why is creative growth important for writers and makers?

How can misfits benefit from The Long Schoolroom?

An employee asked me if he can WORK from HOME permanently. Here is what I told him.

𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗼𝗿.

• The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.
• Whatever your life's work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁?

• Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. 
• Every noble work is at first impossible.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗜𝘀

We stand in the rain in a long line
waiting at Ford Highland Park. For work.
You know what work is—if you’re
old enough to read this you know what
work is, although you may not do it.
Forget you. This is about waiting,
shifting from one foot to another.
Feeling the light rain falling like mist
into your hair, blurring your vision
until you think you see your own brother
ahead of you, maybe ten places.
You rub your glasses with your fingers,
and of course it’s someone else’s brother,
narrower across the shoulders than
yours but with the same sad slouch, the grin
that does not hide the stubbornness,
the sad refusal to give in to
rain, to the hours of wasted waiting,
to the knowledge that somewhere ahead
a man is waiting who will say, “No,
we’re not hiring today,” for any
reason he wants. You love your brother,
now suddenly you can hardly stand
the love flooding you for your brother,
who’s not beside you or behind or
ahead because he’s home trying to
sleep off a miserable night shift
at Cadillac so he can get up
before noon to study his German.
Works eight hours a night so he can sing
Wagner, the opera you hate most,
the worst music ever invented.
How long has it been since you told him
you loved him, held his wide shoulders,
opened your eyes wide and said those words,
and maybe kissed his cheek? You’ve never
done something so simple, so obvious,
not because you’re too young or too dumb,
not because you’re jealous or even mean
or incapable of crying in
the presence of another man, no,
just because you don’t know what work is.

• The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.
• The real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now.  And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹.

What are the benefits of doing great work?

What is the current situation of the job market?

(get this newsletter by email next time) When asked why he made "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Larry David answered this not-very-interesting question with w

Open article: The Next Thing by John Estes⚕ • 4 min read

What *Might* Improve Your Quality of Life? More...

10 Notes En Route to a Short Essay

I know, clicking out is hard. 

Clicking out is discouraged. 

But the whole point of being heretical is to break rules. 

Here's the first note, as a preview:

1. Trying to invent an exception to the rule: we default to what is doable.

If you like rules, go and subscribe: it will show up in your inbox. 

And if you resist rules: do whatever feels good. 

But I hope this does.

Link below...

How can breaking rules positively impact professional growth?

What significance does being heretical hold in professional settings?

How does embracing individuality contribute to professional development?

How can the Art of Reinvention impact professionals?

What is the significance of Reinvention in the workplace?

(get this newsletter by email) While watching the new Morgan Neville documentary about Steve Martin ("Steve!," Apple+), I was reminded, and continuous

Open article: The Art of Reinvention by John Estes⚕ • 5 min read

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