Where to start with Souljourner? Let’s start with the author - Paul Steven Stone is either a madman or a genius – probably both – and he’s written one of the most gripping and enjoyable books we’ve ever come across. It begins with a quote from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey.”– and that my friends sets the tone for everything that’s to come.David Rockwood Worthington is in prison serving a life sentence for the murder of his 3rd wife and his incarceration is not going smoothly.He’s being terrorised by rival gangs who insist he owes them each $6 million dollars – debts of which David claims to be entirely unaware. This perilous situation is complicated by the fact that the Internal Revenue Service wants to talk to him about the $18 million dollars he has stashed in secret Cayman Island accounts – accounts which David also claims to be entirely unaware of. On top of all that, his prison psychologist doesn’t seem to like him very much. The central premise of this novel - if it is indeed a novel (the narrator insists it is in fact a warning letter from your soul’s previous incarnation) - is that our souls make their eternal journey towards enlightenment in the company of a single unchanging ‘karmic pod’ of companion souls who take on different roles in each of our incarnations.In one life a soul may appear as your mother, in the next your best friend, in the next your sworn enemy, in the next your lover and so on for eternity.The identities of the souls in your ‘karmic pod’ are hidden from you in life – this letter/novel seeks to wise you up to who’s who in your karmic pod to help you avoid making the same mistakes that landed our David in prison.Souljourner is a cult-classic in the making. It is by turns bizarre, bewildering, hilarious, infuriating and utterly engaging – strap yourself in and prepare to be swept up in this extraordinary karmic rollercoaster of a book.
Somerville Community Access TV Show "Poet to Poet/Writer To Writer" (Tuesdays Channel 3 5 PM ) Host: Doug Holder. Many of these shows are archived at the Lamont Library Poetry Room at Harvard University, for scholars and the general public to view. We explore the creative process and the work of local poets and writers. Each guest will get a video of the show upon request. Contact: dougholder@post.harvard.edu Directions: http://tinyurl.com/2btevt