Page 7 - The Wayne Dispatch

TRAVELER, Continued from page 5 Olympic Odyssey” with Dr. Ruth at
the table on his left and his boyhood
Joseph Campbell,” a documentary hero Ray Bradbury at his right.
discussing the nature of the hero in Phil appreciates that he has been
mythology. “Over and over,” in his ca- able to write and tell stories for 50
reer says Phil, “I was in the right years. With the Detroit work ethic in
place at the right time.” his bones, he is able to work 12-14
He would spend his days writing, hours daily, inspired often and grate-
reading and working, fitting in 3-4 ful for the lucky breaks he has had
hours sleep before starting all over along his career journey. Books and
again. “I came to love life. There’s so libraries “teach you how to think for
much out there.” He now has books, yourself,” said Phil.
documentary films and has worked From a small-town boy to interna-
at movie studios, including Warner tional traveler to big city resident,
Brothers. Phil has many experiences to share.
Phil currently hosts “Global For more information, visit his web-
Spirit,” a PBS series that explores site www.philcousineau.com or
global issues ranging from sacred check out his books available at the
music and spiritual activism, the library.
search for ecstatic experience, for-
giveness, and attitudes toward death “It’s very important to be
and dying. Some of his guests have
included Carlos Santana, Deepak grateful for all the people
Chopra, a prominent figure in the A montage of Phil Cousineau's many books created by his wife, Jo Cousineau.
New Age movement, and Robert said. worked on his book “Who Stole the who help us along.”
Thurman, an expert on Tibetan Bud- Before his visit to Wayne, Phil Arms of Venus DeMilo?” an Indiana
dhism (and father of actress Uma spent the previous month as the Jones type story covering art, Phil Cousineau
Thurman). 2019 Writer-in-Residence in Colum- mythology, sculpture and travel. Dur-
Phil makes it a practice to thank bus Ohio at Thurber House, the his- ing his residency he also did public
everyone who has helped him along. toric home of author, humorist and events, met with local residents, and
“It’s very important to be grateful for New Yorker cartoonist James did readings.
all the people who help us along,” he Thurber. Using this solid month, he In April, Phil will be leading an
11-day tour “La Dolce Vita: The
Sweet Life of Mythic Italy” to experi-
ence the art and architecture of Italy.
According to Phil’s website, he
has had other eclectic jobs including
“playing semi-professional basket-
ball in Europe, harvesting date trees
on an Israeli kibbutz, painting 44
Victorian houses in San Francisco
and teaching screenwriting at the
American Film Institute.” He has
also worked with The Doors drum-
mer John Densmore on his autobi-
ography “Riders on the Storm: My
Life With Jim Morrison and The
Doors.” At a book fair in 2003, he Phil Cousineau with Carlos and Cindy
was promoting his book “The Santana.

The Wayne Dispatch · January 2020 · 7