Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
I am 3/4 way through "Space Between the Stars".  I keep having to
catch my breath.  Great writing style--thanks for the website and the
roller-coaster drama...I'll be back!

;-)
  

    
slip...me, too!  I'll be back!

Deborah, thank you for the opportunity to have your book to read.  I
apologize as I have just gotten past the first few chapters.  Life gets
busy and there are days my reading time becomes smaller (I know this
needs to change).  

It pleases me as the other day I walked into a chain book store in my
area and the first book I saw in the new book section was your book! 

Yes, your quotes are lovely and can ring true in most of our lives,
especially those that pertain to family.     
  

    
Deborah, you are prominently displayed at every Barnes and Noble I've
been in - bout 8 of them in the past week. You are on the first table
as you walk in the door. You should do an Events Tour with them.
  

    
We're 2/3rds through now and my wife had me read a couple of chapters to her
last night before we dozed off.  We're really savoring every chapter.  I'll
try and hold off on the exclamation marks.  

Around the time you hooked up with Sri Chinmoy, there were quite a few
holy men forming communities.  Some of the folks that started up the WELL
were just getting a bus caravan together and touring around the country
with their guru, Stephen (Gaskin) around this time.  I remember going to a
Holy Man Jam in Vancouver with Swami Satchidinanda, Pir Vilayat Khan,
Schlomo Carlbach, Stephen, and others.  Was this the golden age of
spiritual community and have these good days passed?  Or maybe they
weren't so good? What is your view of some of the other spiritual
movements that were forming around this time and are there movements
forming now that you are aware of?
  

    
<"to ....(my family) who holds my
heart". >

I am deeply attached to Carlos, Salvador, Stella and Angelica.  When I
wrote that they hold my heart, I was stating how I feel about the
fragile yet infinitely strong connection I have with these amazing
people and how my heart is truly in their hands.


<What sorts of things help you to transcend, change focus, and expand
your dreams?>

The silence of meditation and visioning has always helped me transcend
who I am.  Reading great works of spiritual seekers (The Four
Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz; Power vs Force by Dr. David Hawkins) and
researching the latest thoughts on business and learning how others
have succeeded, has changed my focus at Santana and Milagro, as well as
expanded my dreams for what is possible in life.  

Spending just an hour in Archbishop Tutu's presence showed me the
great worth of living my faith with joy and maintaining a positive
spiritual outlook, even in the face of dry reality.
  

    
<Was this the golden age of spiritual community and have these good
days passed?  Or maybe they weren't so good? What is your view of some
of the other spiritual movements that were forming around this time and
are there movements forming now that you are aware of?>

I do think that was the golden age of spiritual community in the sense
that Eastern teachings were new and exciting to our age group/that
time, so the stimulation of thinking we were "onto something unique and
special" gave us a jubilation previously unknown.  

I am not aware of this type of excitement now about spiritual
movements;  I hope that there is a maturity of spirituality that has
become invisible - we deeply live the commitment to all that is
spiritual through our work, our families, our communities.  

There is the reality that no spiritual teacher can give us more than
we can receive ourselves from Spirit and Truth.  However, we can join
together to celebrate our oneness and speak about peace and other
ideals that are not readily seen in daily media.
  

    
Deborah, I also have had the good fortune to meet Desmond Tutu, back
in 1973, when he was organizing the seminaries as to how we could turn
South Africa around. What a force.

I love your take on the maturity of spiritualilty. That's certainly my
experience, "you who are on the road...." etc.  My own started from my
mother's involvement with Parmahansa Yogananda, brief detour with the
Hare Krishna's in Seattle, then on to I Ching, Tao, Lao Tsu, etc.
Pretty much like most of us i think? 

Then a reintegration after Alan Ginsberg came to Seattle and we all
had our Marxist/Panther bath and shower. Very much into Stokely and
helped out a bit with Bobby Seale's brother. Hooked up with Michael
Lerner and friends, passed on that one real quick and got involved with
SNCC, added Dissident Students to the front of that for my group and
we all put the brakes on the 'revolution'. Thank Gopod for the
Beattle's , "Say you want a revolution". most of us were into Street
Fighting Man at the time. Tough call really. SDS and the Weathermen
split, IYC showed up and it all got a bit tense.

Once we figured out "you can't throw stones at tanks" it was fairlyl
simple to wind it all down. Absolute Surrender tied to Chief Joseph's I
Will Fight No More, Forever worked for me and I left the scene to
start over.

Rethreaded my Christianity with all the new awareness and got a bit
excited. Now, 32 years later, everything is cool.

Your book is such a thirst quencher.
  

    <scribbled by gerry Mon 11 Apr 05 10:35>
  

    
Hello, Deborah.  I'm enjoying your book immensely, and I can relate to
your story in a number of ways.  It's strange, but I almost feel as if
I've known you personally for a long time.  I'm moved by your openness
and I love your writing style.  It comes across as so conversational.
  

    
Deborah, you mention spending an hour with Bishop Tutu. Was this when
you and Carlos make the amazingly generous contribution to ANSA
(Artists for a New South Afriday) to fight HIV/AIDS in South Africa?
You donated the entire proceeds from your 2003 summer tour, yes?
Something like $2.5 million?

Have you had any feedback as to what ANSA's done with the money? Is
ANSA and the involvement of famous non-South Africans making a
difference, ie, persuading President Mbeki to pull his head out of the
sand in regards to HIV/AIDS?
  

    
Thank you Gerry and Nukem for identifying with my life and feeling
kinship on the journey.  I am happy that my book seems like a
conversation - that was my intention - to write as though we are all in
a room together.

Re: Archbishop Tutu -  we've been in his illustrious presence a few
times, but the delightful time I referred to above was when we met in
LA before the announcement of the donation to ANSA.  He came into the
restaurant carrying his blue plastic "donut"  to sit on, as he'd just
had prostate surgery.  The impish smile, his joy at being alive,
although we knew he was tired and not feeling well, his unbridled
optimism - this time inparticular gave me energy to be me.  Sometimes I
want to be edgier, less in my heart, more like the critical world so
that I won't seem so tender ...

But, when this force of world-changing humility burst into the room
and captivated us with his light, I didn't want to be like anyone but
him.  And, of course, I know that strength does not reside in meanness,
but in kindness.

Yes, ANSA has given us tremendous detail on the donation of Shaman
tour monies:
They established the Amandla AIDS Fund to support South African
organizations working on the frontlines to combat HIV/AIDS and care for
children orphaned by the disease.


90% of the money  goes directly to programs; 10% to administrative
costs which include the efforts to determine to whom the money should
go.

$1.25 million have been allocated to comprehensive care for AIDS
orphans, AIDS treatment and medical care for activists working to save
lives; grassroots AIDS treatment literacy education and prevention/
work for improved government HIV/AIDS programs and policies
  

    
His Franciscan joy is quite contagious.  I met Bishop Tutu between
1980 and 1982 at a lunch in Huntington New York.  

Deborah your writing touched my heart almost at every page.  At the
scariest part I read quickly hoping that you would emerge from the
danger, which you did.

It fills me with so much energy I almost shake.  

In many poignant situations, as reading your book, I think of the
tears in my eyes as that which Jesus promised to quench our thirst.
  

    
The scary parts of my life were indeed scary.  I applaud the dynamic
optimism and courage of youth - I definitely had resilience and fierce
strength during that brief year and a half of dangerous experiences.  

Perhaps it was my parents' ingrained courage that lived in me...
  

    
God's grace is sufficient to the sin in the day thereof...whether we
bring it on ourselves or not.

Sort of that old folk song, "So high you can't get over it, around it
or under it" God's love is that all-encompassing. It's always
surrounding us, but a lot of times we don't see it. The hallmark of
your book is that you write as if you now see it throughout your past
and have the joy of living in it consciously, right now.

Blessings.
  

    
So, Deborah, not to be too crass, but what about a movie? Your story
has it all, from the depths of despair to the heights of joy, not to
mention, sex, drugs and rock and roll. 

Is it something you've considered? Has your book been optioned? 
  

    

And, just for fun, who would you want to play you, Deborah?
  

    
Ahhh - the movie/TV question -
I had not considered the possibility of SBTS being made into a movie
or a TV special because of the need of Hollywood to turn most stories
into sensationalized tragedies.  I also do not watch much TV and ALWAYS
read the book before I see the movie (from which it came) so I can
know the real story.

However, I was invited to meet with some TV agents and writers early
this week.  The writer was inspiring and genuine and the agents very
nice.  But after the meeting my body rejected the idea - my jaw went
out of alignment and my head was spinning - I don't think it's my
medium of expression, although I thank you for asking.

I am content and challenged to improve my writing skills and continue
working on my next book with gusto!
  

    
Deborah,
I Love the reflection in your book relating to how you and your
husband might handle possible ventures/paths your children might cross.
 I especially cherish "the breath" as a way of putting 'that spark of
Divinity within all which is a personal invitation to the Lord'.
{Pardon my paraphrase,please.}

You put many items in your musing that tell a more complete story than
already told, most gracefully.
  

    
Thank you, thank you.

I read something this morning by author, Stuart Dybek, which rang true
for me:
"A primary function of the arts is to memorialize, to defy time by
using the medium -- whether it's painting or photograph or poetry -- to
preserve the past not by storing it in a museum, but by making it come
alive in the present."

This was my intention in writing SBTS - to memorialize my experiences
in San Francisco, in the Civil Rights movement, in love and in family
-- by reflecting  my memories as part of the whole of every person.

 
  

    
oh, I'm disappointed that there won't be a movie of your story. 

But onward. Are you planning another tour to promote your book? Will
you be doing more radio and TV?

And how are sales going?
  

    
Deborah, you are having entirely too much fun. It seems to be
catching, there's a lot of that going on here. I'm selling a lady a
book today at the store and we are laughing and talking and I say, "you
know, if you like this book, you would really like Deborah Santana's
book, SBTS." And she says, "oh, I would, I've been following an
interview with her online." Guess where?

Small world. We had a good laugh.
  

    
Small world and getting smaller!

Perhaps this is a good time to remind those of you reading along at
home that this is a participatory event open to everyone. If you're not
on the WELL,  Send your questions or comments to:
inkwell-hosts@well.com to be posted.
  

    
What did you leave out of the book?  Obviously not everything, but what came
close to making the cut?  Stuff that you liked but just didn't have room to
fit in?

What's your next literary endeavor?  Any thoughts of self made movie,
documentary, podcast, etc?  Seeing that you recoiled in horror at the idea 
of a mainstream media project.
  

    
<Are you planning another tour to promote your book? Will
you be doing more radio and TV?>

I will be at Folio in Larkspur tomorrow and then going to Albuquerque,
Santa Fe and Taos at the end of April.  We are adding book events
daily, so please continue to check my website: www.deborahsantana.com

There will be more radio and TV - (Chicago on June 3rd) --
  

    
<What did you leave out of the book?>

I left out 200 pages about the years with Sri Chinmoy - we did so many
crazy things!  I ran another marathon and a 47 mile race around a
Queens, NY neighborhood, finishing in 8 hours and 47 minutes (with a
brief stop at home for a bathroom break); Carlos and I were asked to
perform together by the guru at public meditations- I always say this
alone shows the depth of Carlos's humility!!  I played the harmonium
(small Indian organ) while Carlos played acoustic guitar.

Although I am very musical, it was difficult for me to keep time while
Carlos played solos - yet he always played so beautifully and never
got angry or upset.  However, I remember those times as very, very
funny.  We sat on the floor, me in a sari, Carlos wearing white,
soulfully playing songs (how did I even remember the chords??) and then
we'd tiptoe offstage for SC to begin his meditation.  

I also left out many travels around the world, experiences with other
musicians Carlos played with... but I will continue memoir at some
point, too.