| Alicia, hey. The show turned out well. I will be brodacasting it tonight at 6:00 p.m. on 90.1 FM out of Chico and again on Sunday at 11:00 A.M. Next Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. EDT it will be distributed to Pacifica affiliates on the KU satellite. Folks can call their local Pacifica station to find out if and when they run Eco-Talk. If they don't run Eco-Talk regularly, they can request that the station record this specific show and ask them to run it when they can fit it into their schedule. Great to meet you. I hope you are grounded and happy and dancing thorugh this tour of yours. My friend Amera Bay Laurel told me she changed her last name many years ago because of your book She is young, too, maybe 26? I never made the connection before. You are certainly well loved. Be well, my friend. Randy (June 2 note from Randy Larsen, who interviewed me for his radio show on May 24) |
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| NOTE: MY RADIO INTERVIEW WITH HARRY
OSIBIN AIRS SUNDAY, JUNE 4, FROM 7 TO 8 AM, ON LIVE 105 FROM SAN FRANCISCO |
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| glad to read that your tour is keeping
you busy, and that northern california at least lives up to its potential in small parts. also, very proud to read that you stayed in beautiful graton for a spell; this is where my family and i have lived for the past thirteen years, ourselves -- and yes, it has changed, especially in the last two or three years. now it is ... well, a little more shiny, more active, in fact a good deal shined up, and re-directed, and also a whole hell of a lot more expensive. thank you for the swell t-shirt, and i hope you liked the herbs; organically home grown! the earth gives us the flower, we just pick it. best of wishes for the great adventure ahead. vaya con buddha, john, your 'nearly pristine' sebastopol fan |
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| Alicia: What a thrill to have an e-mail from you this morning. I'm now in my law school office, where I have been visiting your Web site. Wow! Either you or someone on your behalf has done one really great job with it. As you've noticed from mine, with a few audio and video exceptions it's exclusively text with no frames. As one of your aging groupies I have, of course, printed out your picture for my wall. And I love the idea of following your travels with photos and text. It's the vicarious vacation I need. And I can't imagine a better guide to what I'd want to see. (I'm starting with the most current and working my way back in time.) Incidentally, if you haven't yet done so, check out the Ralph Nader for President Web site, http://www.votenader.com Ralph's really running this time. Last I heard he has as much as 10% of the likely California voters already. You could be helpful. You can sign up from the Web site. See where he's going to be and maybe you can meet up with him somewhere. We are trying to get him on all 50 state ballots (Green Party) if we can. You could probably get enough signatures on petitions single-handedly to accomplish that at all those events you attend! Are you using a digital camera, or scanning? If the former, which one? The pictures are excellent. And I think your tour is too much coast and too little heartland. If you are not familiar with Johnson County, Iowa, Iowa City, and the University of Iowa, let me tell you a little bit as to why you might want to set up something here. The county has the highest percentage of college graduates of any county in the U.S. The Iowa Writers' Workshop, and International Writers Program are here -- among other writing programs. Somewhere I read that we produce more poetry and novels per 1000 population than any other city in the U.S. (However, a good many of those college grads are doctors, since we also have the nation's largest university-affiliated teaching hospital in our little toy town.) Anyhow, of more directly practical interest, we have a bookstore called "Prairie Lights" which holds author presentations one or more times per week. They are broadcast over WSUI (Iowa City) and WOI (Ames) on AM, thereby covering virtually the entire state. (Iowa is, I think, the only state providing that kind of NPR coverage on AM. Of course, we also have gobs of FM educational stations.) Thus, if you are interested, and the bookstore is interested in having you, and can schedule you in, it might be a way to push some books with a compatible crowd. I have no ties with any of this. But you might have your agent or publicist give them a call. Their Web site URL is http://www.prairielights.com It has phone numbers, address, and a link to "Live From Prairie Lights" where you can see their schedule of presenters through the end of July. Of course, if you were coming to this part of the country, especially if you are driving, you might want to combine Iowa City with Madison (about 180 miles northeast), and Minneapolis (universities of Wisconsin and Minnesota respectively) where you should also be a hit. We'd love to see you here. Nicholas # # # __________________________________________ Nicholas Johnson E-mail: njohnson@inav.net Web page: http://www.nicholasjohnson.org Postal: Box 1876, Iowa City IA 52244-1876 USA Nicholas
Johnson was the Federal Communications Commissioner under
President Jimmy Carter |
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| I'm listening to "pain and love" mmmmmmm your music makes me feel so good. it's so healing to my spirit. It feels ike you are singing a white light around me. It tru;ly lifts my spirit. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING IT TO ME. IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRESENTS ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN ME!!!!!!!!!!!! I can feel your love radiating thru your words and your music, it is incredibly soothing. Hope your are enjoying your tour I'm sure it's going to be a journey filled with growth and interesting adventures. Know that I am with you in spirit and love. GERI |
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| love reading your diary Mary Garvin | |
| Go, Kerouac Girl! Liz Randol |
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| Alicia Bay Laurel, I happened to wander across the website for Living on Earth. How exciting to have such an (apparently) :) influential title back out for a new generation. I was only ten when it debuted, but I was terribly influenced by Whole Earth Catalog and other early works on what we now call sustainable living. With the expansion of the environmental crisis into the consciousness of the establishment and science, with global warming and the fair-trade movement, I wonder if the book gets a different review today, or if its seen by the press as strictly "that hippie book". Oh God! I'm sorry I even asked that question. Unfortunately, I fear the entire "hippie" context is used by supporters of the status quo as a put down -- a way of deligitimizing crucial questions that have to be asked about the sustainability of not just the natural environment, but of course of the culture that is slowly (or not so slowly) destroying it. This is what gave birth to the contemporary sustainable communities movement, which I have been involved with, and am in process of chronicaling for a website I'm creating. But regardless of the political uses of rhetoric, we still have the 60s to fool, and lean back on as a guiding model of a time -- even if its a stereotype -- in which people were perhaps less stigmatized for acting in the interest of the planet and community rather than the commercial bottom line that has erased all else around us. Do you live on O'ahu? I wonder if the book's available in Borders and others. Mahalo, rich weigel hawai'i sustainable lifestyle network //\\\//\\\//\\\//\\\//\\\//\\\//\\\//\\\/ \\///\\///\\///\\///\\///\\///\\///\\///\ |
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| hi, gosh, i've loved your book living on the earth for about 5 or 6 years and it's exciting to see it out on the market again. it was always so hard to find copies that i'd buy them up anytime i found them to give to others, now i don't have to--i can tell them to go to book people. speaking of, i am a little sad to see you aren't coming to austin, texas. you sure would be welcome here. i can't seem to find a copy of being of the sun anywhere, i saw it once, leaving a half price books in the hands of a friendly person who didn't mind being pounced by an energetic girl trying to get a look at her book. but that is the only time i've seen it. is it available anywhere you know of? i'd sure like a copy. thanks for writing such great books and i know it will be fundamental in the building of my future on earth. lots of love to you. your sister, angela. |
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| Dear Alicia, What a thrill to see our visit out there in cyber-space! Not to mention the photos! Thanks for doing me the honor. I am humbled. If your web visits double it may be because I have been telling everyone to go see your site. I am looking forward to reading about your visit with Bill Wheeler, too! I hope that was fun and successful. See you Tuesday. Love, Linda (Kane) |
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| Thanks Alicia for the news. Taking
a peek at your website now and then, when I get a chance.
Looks great. Nice to see the alternative community
is alive and kicking. Great to see Sally.
Really tied me back to a time that changed my life, a
time that started me on the path of balance, change,
adversity, and discovery (still working on it!).
Substantiated what I believed in, when Sally and I sat up
every night drinking tea and talking 'til 2 in the
morning. Listened to Josh's song, "Wheels of
Change," and sang along. Cleo/Colleen |
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| Hello Alicia
21 June 2000 It was a pleasure to be at Copperfield's Bookstore in Sebastopol, California last night... to hear your magical unfolding life story and to listen to your beautiful and touching songs... It was very generous of you to stay and sign our books, and to have a chance to personally meet you after purchasing 'Living on the Earth' in 1971, and after being influenced in a good way in the years following... When you were holding my book in your hands, the first thing you asked was where we had met before... I also had the sense that we had met before... and as I could not remember and thinking we really had not... upon reflection, perhaps on another level... we have connected in spirit... or met in the dreamtime... or perhaps, there is a familiarness or knowingness because one of our purposes in this life is the same... to help people envision their dream and to find find a way for them to have it... When you shared from a deep place, how your experiences of helping people create 'their' dream wedding... could be made into a movie... I also heard what you were saying from a similar deeper place in myself that could help you with 'your' dream... I am currently working on two wonderful scripts for films... inspiring, encouraging, sweet... about spirit and relating in a good way... and the next project similar in nature called 'Aborigine Story'... As you have given me a wonderful gift, unknowingly 29 years ago, I offer you a gift, for whenever you are willing and able to accept it. I will help you... in any way that you want and need to help make the greatest dream for your film script come true... When you are ready... let's talk... and envision the dream... Be very well on your journey... and sacred pilgrimage... Love to you... Robert Landman |
| It was really special to visit with you
and I wish it could have been longer. Looking into McKinley's big brown, deep eyes I thought of you as you might have looked as a child. The hair and the intellect and self containment. I got onto your web-site---what a good job you are doing--its interesting all you are absorbing in such a concentrated time. Liked photos of our visit---would like to see yours and my photo if you get a chance. I like the one of me and Mike and would like to put on our web-site. Ok? You have a very good memory my friend. No wonder you have to go home and down- load your daily experiences!!! Sorry I missed your book reading---I have pink eye and by the end of the day my eyes are filmy and I can't see very well -- bright lites are the worse. They say it will go away soon and I can't wait. I thought about you and bet it was really great fun being in sebastopol. Love Rasberry |
| Letter from Cliff Lang
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| Dear Alicia*** How I want to meet you and thank you in person for writing my favorite book! But, alas, I am dancing in a performance that directly coincides with your signing. Your book encompasses my childhood. I was born in 1972, and my parents were very much part of the back to the land movement, having moved to Caspar from LA. It wasn't until I discovered a copy of your book in a used book store a few years back that I realized how much your book was "the bible" of my early existence. Reading it brings me many wonderful memories. But even more than that, it has taught me, "the next generation", the skills to carry on where our parents left off. I've been carrying it with me for several years, referencing it often. I am totally thrilled to see it being re-released! How appropriate! Not to mention that my old copy is practically falling apart from such frequent use! If you would be so kind as to sign my new copy, I would be totally appreciative. Also, if you are making any other appearances, I would love to know about them, as I would be willing to drive to them. Thank you SO much, and hope your stay in Mendocino is a magical one. Brightest Blessings, Lily Parsons |
| Last evening I showed Mary your website.
She was touched and charmed by the whole thing. She loved the pictures of course, and we laughed together at them, much as her 15 year old daughter and I did the night before. Your approach to documenting your travels received some comments too, all positive: Some years ago I was working on a pretty well-known (in its field) "adult" ("dirty") comic put out by a friend of mine, Larry Welz ("CHERRY Comics"). In the course of a conversation about other cartoonists (Larry dates back to the days of, knows, and has introduced me to many of the underground greats: Gilbert Shelton, Rick Griffin, R. Crumb, Ron Turner of Last Gasp, S. Clay Wilson, Ron O'Neal, and many others my mind is blanking on) and he kind of went off on people who use their own lives as the content of their work. Harvey Pekar of American Splendor Comics is the best known of these, and I probably said something like, well that stuff is not my cup of tea, but... and Larry got a little worked up saying how he thought it was so arrogant for someone to imagine that the mundanities of their everyday life would be of any interest to the public at large, and the conversation went on to mildly debate the phenomenon, with me noting that lots and lots of people loved those works, and that they're in the literary tradition of great journalists like Johnson & Pepys, et al., so maybe just because he and I don't necessarily want to read about this guy's trip to the store, that doesn't mean the entire genre is worthless. Anyway. That night in Cesspool Mary and I watched you sitting there calmly and understatedly relating little things from your life and captivating a crowd of people by doing so, and your website is more of the same. And Sally had praised your writing style to me in email, saying something about its clarity & simplicity. So Mary and I sort of went over this together, just about how nicely and with such a light touch you managed to talk of your life in a way that said, "This was interesting, this was touching, this was frustrating; this person did this but I said that; I went here, this person was nice to me; I went there, and met so-and-so..." and so on, without name dropping or coming off as arrogant or self centered which is the hardest trick when presenting one's personal journals to the rest of the world. Hats off to you babe! Cliff Lang |
| ohmygosh! Old thymes are wafting
through my consciousness.... My e-mail > > pal, Larry from Ukiah, tried to get a gig for you going up here in > > Olympia but I guess that didn't work out! > > Re Wheeler's: I can't believe we lived in the same place... and I > > might have been there before you, or at the same time and even knew you. > > I remember how excited I was when your book was published and I saw the > > references and dedications to folks at Wheeler's, some I remembered at > > the time. We are only one year apart, me 52. Wish we could visit, know > > how busy you are on tour (hope it is wonderful, albeit exhausting. Did > > 42 states in 17 weeks myself with a national theatre tour). > > Were we there at the same time? my bits of memory (I usually only > > have bits, and strange, I didn't even indulge in mind altering recipes, > > much...) We lived in an old army cook tent, Bill, Misi and Robin/Beau at > > what I believed was the end of the road, but not down in the canyon > > areas. Robin was not yet two, fuzzy golden curly halo of hair, me very > > very blond and usually sunburned (all that berry picking au naturale!) > > and Bill Afro-American. We lived quite close, and were friends with a > > family that lived in a teepee made of an orange and white parachute. > > They were also a mixed couple, Mom had two kids, Adam and Ann, both very > > blond.... um... I remember this one guy who was the most gorgeous > > leontine looking creature I have ever seen, curly curly long > > sun-bleached blond hair, very tan, always laying on top of the water > > tower... remember when one of the horses had her filly (Star?) and > > someone came running all around yelling "Shanti had her baby, Shanti had > > her baby!!" and we all went to see the little red foal tottering on her > > long spindly legs! I remember a baby being born that was named > > Raspberry, in fact pretty sure I was there at the birthing, but not sure > > if it was Bill's Raspberry? Do you remember a baby being born down in > > the canyon somewhere and her name was Psyche Joy Anonda? Hmm, with all > > this little tidbits, were we there at the same time? Oh, and we were > > with the bunch of folks that packed up (on a whim) and went off to New > > Mexico (Taos area), had to be early 1968? > > Would love to hear from you, if you have the time. Also any other > > Alumni with similar memories/experiences. > > Peace and Love, Misi, WA State |
| Thanks for the quick response.
Love your site. Fun to see Larry Sheehy, my e-mail pal, in the pictures. Your lovely spirit has continued to grow with you and how wonderful to see you looking like a healthy-happy over 50 yo (don't cha just love being an official crone?). Blessings on your tour. Hey, Larry mentioned you may need some stopping off points along the way. I live in a serene and magical tiny cabin in the woods, on the water (Puget Sound) next to a creek etc. Only one hour from Seattle. Would love to have you come to visit, stay the night, have lunch, see Olympia, whatever. Let me know. I'm in the middle of a show right now (Stage Managing "The Secret Garden") but can bend my schedule (except for performance times) and open my door for a peaceful wayside stop... Love, Misi |
| Hi Alicia, It was great seeing you in action on tour. You are very captivating and your stories are thoroughly entertaining. I know you are busy; it must seem like "if this is Monday it must Yreka." Perhaps we can catch up on the return leg. Thank you for the t-shirts, book, and CD. I really like your new songs, too--you are obviously going somewhere. Best wishes for a continuing tour further into the Heartland Love, Erik (Frye) |
| I am just stopping by to say that I am sooooooo enjoying your travel journal. How wonderful following you here and there, while reading your colorful words and gazing at your great descriptive pictures , not to mention your wonderful moving-flowing web site. Your site, is a "happening" all unto itself. It's so nice to go traveling with you through it. It was especially touching to see your pictures of Wheeler's. How I love that place, with it's ever resounding message to "return to the Land". You are surely helping to spread that message, you always have. And in such a delightful way, too! I just launched a site I think you'll get a kick out of ~ it's got a ways to go, but I think you'll like the start.Stop on by! http://www.imaginationwebsites.com/home.html badaba! : ) ........................... Char ~* |
| Hi Alicia That was super of you to send me your updated, much heralded book. Wow! I can see why it was such a hit - great info. The book I have is the one you wrote with Ramon - *Being of the Sun*. Together, these two book contain about all anyone could need or want to live the good life. > > I've been following your online saga & am amazed & delighted. Can't wait to meet you. Hasta luego, > > Pam (Hanna) |
| Dear Alicia, Here is a picture of Panther Meadow, since that part of the mountain was not open yet when you came through [Mount Shasta] on this trip...perhaps the Mountain will call you back this way again antoher time as it does so many people (myself included!!!) Thank you so much for sharing your stories and your songs. I found it so inspiring at this point in my life, and I am grateful for the inspiration!!! How inspiring, too, to see you re-create yourself and your vision and get out there sharing your book from years ago with old fans and new ones!! It is so great to be reminded that it is never too late or too soon for dreams to unfold or gifts to be shared, and to see how life can work out miracles for us. It helps others open to this in their own lives when you share about your own experiences. What a gift!!! Blessed Journeys!!! Love, Kim Lorene |