Newsletter
SIXTEEN STEPS RE-ISSUED
I’m republishing the book Sixteen Steps...
Over the years, many people have asked me when I am going to reprint my book Sixteen Steps (originally published by Starlight Press) which has been out of print for some years.
They have said that it is a good book to give to people who are interested in Subud because it is a collection of Subud stories told in a very natural and human way by the people involved. It is clear and simple and also has a very comprehensive introduction to Subud.
Well, the good news is that I am republishing Sixteen Steps as an e-book. That is, you will be able to download it from my website and then read it off your screen or print it out. This new edition includes an updated introduction about the developments in Subud in recent years.
I am also republishing as an e-book Stella (originally published by Subud Voice) which I co-authored with the artist Stella Duigan. It tells the dramatic story of her recovery from atrocious childhood abuse through the process of the latihan and other forms of help. It sounds grim, but it is actually a story of hope and recovery.
If Sixteen Steps is a collection of short stories about Subud experience, then Stella is a novel based on one particularly striking Subud story.
Not Only but Also...
While you are at the site, you may also like to sample the other offerings. I have recently developed as a musician and songwriter and if you are curious about this development, my first CD, precious morning, is also available on the site. There are some sample tracks to listen to for free.
precious morning is a collection of songs in popular idioms like jazz, rock, gospel and blues. There are a couple of "sacred" songs, and quite a few "secular" ones. There are some humorous ones and some more deeply felt ones. I am very much into the full-on emotion of soul music.
You will see from all this that I am endeavouring to become more enterprising by marketing my products in a professional way using the Internet. I guess this is one of my expressions of trying to become more enterprising at this point in my life. I hope you will support my endeavours. I will give 10% of all income to Susila Dharma.
What if...?
As well as the items for sale, you will also find some freebies on the site.
You can listen to my song What if...? which is a plea for peace. A lot of people are writing songs about peace and protest again these days. I guess our world situation is becoming so bad that it is impinging on everyone's consciousness.
You will also see a link to another Subud song for peace. (See item in this issue.)
And there is also a link to a video of a very wonderful song by Chris Kristofferson about the need for peace and reconciliation.
No charge for listening to What if...? But you may like to do a good deed or donate something to Susila Dharma.
Blog
On the site you will also find my blog. Do you know what a blog is? Well I didn't until fairly recently. A blog is like a diary of writing that you keep on the Internet. So I have started one and you can also access it here.
In my blog I will regularly post stories, poems and little essays, my reflections on life, distilling the wisdom of my years (Wisdom? If any, I hear you say!).
My intention is that when they have reached a certain volume I will republish the best of them as a book. Some of you may think it cruel presumptuous of me to inflict my effusions on an unsuspecting public, but I feel that after having lived on the planet for 64 years, if I do not have something useful to say by now, then what was the point of the whole exercise?
Anyway, see what you think.
