Clarissa Pinkola Estés (; born January 27, 1945) is a Mexican-American writer and
Jungian psychoanalyst. She is the author of ''
Women Who Run with the Wolves'' (1992), which remained on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list for 145 weeks and has sold over two million copies.
Life and career
Estés was born in
Gary, Indiana
Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
, to Emilio Maria Reyés and Cepción Ixtiz, who were from
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. She was later adopted by Hungarian immigrants. She is a certified senior Jungian analyst. She earned her doctorate from the
Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University (UI&U) was a private online university that was headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It also operated satellite campuses in Florida and California.
In early 2023, it began to experience severe financial challenge ...
981in ethno-clinical psychology on the study of social and psychological patterns in cultural and tribal groups. She is the author of many books on the journey of the soul. Beginning in 1992 and onward, her work has been published in 37 languages. Her book ''
Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of The Wild Woman Archetype'' was on the ''New York Times best seller list for 145 weeks, as well as other best seller lists, including ''USA Today'', ''Publishers Weekly'', and ''Library Journal''.
Estés began her work in the 1960s at the
Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital in
Hines, Illinois. There she worked with World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam War soldiers who were living with
quadraplegia, incapacitated by loss of arms and legs. She has worked at other facilities caring for severely injured children as well as shell-shocked war veterans and their families. Her teaching of writing, storytelling and traditional medicine practices continued in prisons, beginning in the early 1970s at the Men's Penitentiary in
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
; the Federal Women's Prison at
Dublin, California
Dublin is a suburban city of the East Bay in California, United States. It is located within the Amador Valley of Alameda County, California, Alameda County's Tri-Valley region. It is located along the north side of Interstate 580 (California), ...
; the Montview Facility for Youth in Colorado; and other institutions.
Estés served as a board member of the Maya Angelou Minority Health Foundation (now called Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity) at
Wake Forest School of Medicine. Estés served as appointee by Colorado governors Romer and Owens to the
Colorado State Grievance Board of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (D.O.R.A.) from 1993 to 2006. She was elected as chair and for thirteen years worked with the state of Colorado Attorney General's lawyers, as well as a board of legal experts and helping professionals, to focus on public safety regarding mental health practitioners. She has been an advisory board member for the
National Writers Union
National Writers Union (NWU) is a trade union in the United States for freelance and contract writers founded on 19 November 1981. NWU is affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Authors Forum (IAF), a ...
, New York; and an advisory board member of the
National Coalition Against Censorship
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), founded in 1974, is an alliance of 50 American non-profit organizations, including literary, artistic, religious, educational, professional, labor, and civil liberties groups. NCAC is a New York–b ...
, New York. She is an advisor to
El Museo de las Americas, Denver, Colorado, and a contributing editor and storyteller-in-residence for ''The Bloomsbury Review''.
Estés debuted in spoken word performance at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
, New York (2000), along with
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...
and
Toni Morrison
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist and editor. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically accl ...
. Together the author-poets wrote lyrical song-poems for a libretto of ''woman.life.song.''.
Carnegie Hall website.
Estés is managing editor for TheModeratevoice.com. She has written for the ''Huffington Post'', the ''Washington Post'', ''Publishers' Weekly'' and ''The Denver Post''. Estés' Guadalupe Foundation has funded literacy projects.
Estés was a recipient of the Keeper of the Lore Award, a Gradiva Award (from the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis), a Catholic Press Association award, the Book of the Year Honor Award, American Booksellers Association, and Colorado Authors League Award. She received the Las Primeras Award, "The First of Her Kind", from the Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexico, Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the Unite ...
Women's Foundation, Washington D.C. She is a 2006 inductee into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame
The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the ...
which recognizes women who are of international influence. Estés is the recipient of the President's Medal for Social Justice.
Books
* ''Untie the Strong Woman: Blessed Mother's Immaculate Love for the Wild Soul'' (Sounds True Books, USA, 2011)
* '' Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype'' (Ballantine, 1992/ 1995/1997, New York, USA)
* ''The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About that Which Can Never Die'' (Harper, 1996, USA)
* ''The Gift of Story: A Wise Tale About What is Enough'' (Ballantine, 1993, USA)
* ''Tales of the Brothers Grimm''; 50-page introduction by Estés (BMOC/QPB special edition, USA)
* ''Hero With A Thousand Faces'', Joseph Campbell
Joseph John Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987) was an American writer. He was a professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College who worked in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work covers many aspects of t ...
; 50-page introduction by Estés (Princeton University Press, 100th anniversary edition 2004, USA)
Audio works
* ''Untie the Strong Woman: To Know and Honor Holy Mother & La Nuestra Señora, Our Lady of Guadalupe'' (2011) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''How To Be An Elder: Myths and Stories of The Dangerous Old Woman, Volume 5'' (2012) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Late Bloomer: Myths and Stories of The Dangerous Old Woman, Volume 4'' (2011) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Joyous Body: Myths and Stories of The Dangerous Old Woman and the Consort Body, Volume 3'' (2011) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Power of the Crone: Myths and Stories of The Dangerous Old Woman and Her Special Wisdom, Volume 2'' (2010) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Dangerous Old Woman: Myths and Stories of the Wise Woman Archetype, Volume 1'' (2010) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Mother Night: Myths, Stories and Teachings for Learning to See in the Dark'' (2010) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Seeing in the Dark: Myths and Stories to Reclaim the Buried, Knowing Woman'' (2010) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Warming the Stone Child: Myths & Stories About Abandonment and the Unmothered Child'' (1997) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Radiant Coat: Myths & Stories About the Crossing Between Life and Death'' (1993) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Creative Fire: Myths and Stories About the Cycles of Creativity'' (1993) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''In the House of the Riddle Mother: The Most Common Archetypal Motifs in Women's Dreams'' (1997, 2005) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Theatre of the Imagination: Volume I'' (1999, 2005) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Theatre of the Imagination: Volume II'' (1999, 2005) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Red Shoes: On Torment and the Recovery of Soul Life'' (1997, 2005) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Bedtime Stories: For Crossing the Threshold Between Waking and Sleep'' (2002) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Beginner's Guide to Dream Analysis'' (2000) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''How To Love A Woman: Myths and Stories about Intimacy and The Erotic Lives of Women'' (1996) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Faithful Gardener: A Wise Tale About that Which Can Never Die'' (1996) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''The Boy Who Married An Eagle: Myths and Stories About Men's Interior Lives'' (1995) (audio cassette)
* ''The Gift of Story: A Wise Tale About What is Enough'' (1993) (mp3s/CDs)
* ''Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories about the Wild Woman Archetype'' (1989 audio bestseller, released before the completed manuscript was in book form ) (mp3s/CDs)
References
External links
Estés is the Managing Editor and a columnist at The Moderate Voice political-newsblog
mavenproductions.com - Calendar of Estés' keynotes, seminars, professional trainings
Her columns are archived at ''The National Catholic Reporter'' online
"Do Not Lose Heart, We Were Made for These Times: Letter to a Young Activist During Troubled Times" by Estés
* ttp://www.uscatholic.org/church/2010/05/slaughter-innocence "Slaughter of Innocence" by Estés in ''U.S. Catholic'' magazine.
Blog Entry: "Don Imus And Bernard McGuirk re “Nappy-Headed Hos”" by Estés'
Archived Google Video of 2000 ''Charlie Rose Show''
about woman.life.song. performance/ production at Carnegie Hall featuring Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Jessye Norman
Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but did not limit herself to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...
, Judith Weir and Toni Morrison.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estes, Clarissa Pinkola
Living people
American spiritual writers
American feminist writers
1945 births
American psychoanalysts
Jungian psychologists
American women poets
20th-century American women writers
20th-century American poets
American women non-fiction writers
American writers of Mexican descent
Writers from Gary, Indiana
Union Institute & University alumni