LINDA GRAY SEXTON Anne Sexton's daughter, dog lover, and one of my long-time blog followers and dear colleagues, Linda inspires men and women around the country through her weekly newsletter, highlighting her life and love of her dogs. Her most recent book,
Bespotted was incredible. Congrats to Cody for his "High in Obedience Trial Award." Linda is also working on a novel,
Sunday's Magician which I look forward to reading!
NANCY LEFFERT, Ph.D. An inspiring, enthusiastic, positive-minded and forward-thinking woman who knows how to bring out the best in others; Nancy empowers greatness. She won the 2014 Woman of Achievement Award. As President of Antioch University, Santa Barbara, her vision includes access to higher education, and to encourage collaborations and partnerships within the university and the community. Thanks to Nancy, there will be a new MFA in Writing Program beginning in 2017. I'm thrilled to be a new member of Antioch University Santa Barbara's Board of Trustees.
JULIE GOHMAN, Ph.D. Julie is a dear friend and colleague.
Together we navigated the same Transpersonal Psychology journey at ITP (a.k.a. Sofia University). I am proud to acknowledge her latest book release based on her dissertation research, "
10 Sacred Questions for Every Woman" by Clearwater Publishing House. The book highlights questions every woman has the right to ask herself, illustrating a journey to discuss her own sacred presence. I am so proud of you, Julie!
TRISTINE RAINER, Ph.D. This dear friend and I met at a gathering at the Hammer Museum in 2008 for what would have been Anais Nin's 105th birthday. For many years, Nin had been a huge inspiration for me and I was honored to be in the presence of a woman who knew her and had been her confidante. Since that meeting, Tristine and I have become close friends and colleagues. We have been following one another's writing progress and I am happy to report that she just signed on
with a New York agent for her book about her relationship with Anais Nin that she has been writing and rewriting for many years. I share and celebrate her joy in this endeavor and have my fingers crossed that this agent finds a wonderful home for her words.
PERIE LONGO, Ph.D. As Santa Barbara's Poet Laureate Emerita, and a Santa Barbara Marriage and Family therapist, Perie continues to inspire and teach poetry in various venues in Southern California. She is a vibrant force in the community; offering her time and expertise when needed, most often with a focus on writing poetry for healing. We all love Perie's merging of the poetic form with the psychological, and often sprinkled with her contagious sense of humor.
LAURE-ANNE BOSSELAAR This amazing woman poet, teacher and speaker, whose enthusiasm and zest for life is simply contagious, has been traveling a great deal, giving talks in Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia. She also teaches poetry in the Low-Residency Program at Pine Manor College, and works privately with students in Santa Barbara. Laure-Anne is working on her fifth book of poetry. So exciting!
DORIT NETZER, Ph.D. As a member of my Ph.D. committee and as an art therapist, Dorit sees empowerment in terms of "inspiration," which is really the language of Spirit in the realm of creativity. Through creativity, she says, we make our own unique contribution into the world.
At Hofstra, she'll facilitate a workshop on multi-sensorial imaging in the aftermath of trauma. She's guest editor of the special issue of The Int'l J. of Transpersonal Psych. (arts & consciousness). In June, she'll also be presenting at the First Transpersonal Research Colloquium in Milan.
AMY FERRIS I'm honoring Amy just because of all the wonderful things she does, and how she writes with such candor and poignancy, empowering any woman who reads her work. Her writing, sensibilities, sense of humor, and views on life have been a huge inspiration for me. Check out her blog:
SUSAN HAYDEN An inspiring and loving woman, Susan is a creative poet who created Library Girl in Los Angeles after losing her soul mate and spouse, the actor/musician, Christopher Allport some years ago. Library Girl is a reading series that delivers and uses poetry for healing. She rents out the Riskin Theater every second Sunday of the month at 7 p.m. and attracts the highest caliber of poets and individuals that Los Angeles has to offer. The event is always sold out. Susan's positive energy and love permeate the small venue and people convene from all over Southern California.
ROSEMARIE ANDERSON, Ph.D. Rosemarie is one of the most inspiring luminaries in the field of transpersonal psychology, a field she has been working in for the past 40+ years. Delighted to have reconnected in Crete last year, and it looks like we will meet again in Milan in June, as her committee just accepted my paper
to be presented at the
First Transpersonal Research Colloquium (TRC). Rosemarie is a transpersonal consultant and also works with post-doctoral scholars online to design and conduct transpersonal
research projects.
K
EREN TAYLOR Keren is a highly driven, motivated and enthusiastic woman who is making huge changes in the literary world of young girls. She is the founder and Executive Director of WriteGirl, which was the
recipient of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, presented by Michelle Obama in the East Wing at the White House. She was also named a CNN Hero in 2014. She is currently working on strategies to bring WriteGirl beyond California. (NB: I am very proud to be on her Board of Directors).
KATIE GEYER This brilliant, creative and positive-thinking 32-year old woman is a heroine. She was just recently diagnosed with Stage 1 metastatic breast cancer and needs extensive surgery and long-term chemotherapy. She's single and there are many issues she will have to deal with moving forward. Also an employee for WriteGirl, she became empowered by practicing what she preached to the young girls--write your story. She also stumbled upon my book,
Healing With Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey, which she said empowered her to start writing a blog about her journey. We had lunch this past week and I am struck by both her story and strength. Please read her blog, and if you are as inspired as I was, consider donating to her healing journey:
