Phil Cousineau

PHIL COUSINEAU is a writer, teacher, editor, independent scholar, documentary filmmaker, travel leader, and storyteller. His life-long fascination with the art, literature, and history of culture has taken him on many journeys around the world. He lectures frequently on a wide range of topics--from mythology, film, and writing, to beauty, travel, sports, and creativity. He has more than 25 non-fiction books and 15 scriptwriting credits to his name.

Born at an army hospital in Columbia, South Carolina in the 1950s, Phil Cousineau grew up just outside of Detroit, once known as the "Paris of the Midwest," as he’s fond of saying. While moonlighting in a steel factory he studied journalism at the University of Detroit. Before turning to writing books and films full-time in the 1980s, Cousineau’s peripatetic career included stints as a sportswriter, playing semi-professional basketball in Europe, harvesting date trees on an Israeli kibbutz, painting 44 Victorian houses in San Francisco, and teaching screenwriting at the American Film Institute.

BOOKS

A new book of word stories, Wordcatcher: An Odyssey into the World of Weird and Wonderful Words, and a book on storytelling, The Oldest Story in the World, are both out in Spring 2010. Cousineau's long-awaited book on creativity, Stoking the Creative Fires: 9 Ways to Rekindle Passion and Imagination, released in 2008. Other recent works include two books of poetry: Night Train and The Blue Museum. Other important works include A Seat at the Table: Huston Smith in Conversation with Native Americans on Religious Freedom, The Way Things Are: Conversations with Huston Smith on the Spiritual Life, and The Olympic Odyssey, an original book about rekindling the fire that sparked the ancient Olympic Games.

Once and Future Myths: The Power of Ancient Stories in Modern Times, and The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred, both appeared on several bestsellers’ lists. The Soul Aflame: A Modern Book of Hours, and The Book of Roads, a volume of Cousineau’s travel stories and reflections, are also acclaimed titles.

Cousineau's other books include Design Outlaws: On the Ecological Frontier, Soul, An Archaeology: Readings from Socrates to Ray Charles, The Soul of the World: A Modern Book of Hours, The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work, and Deadlines: A Rhapsody on a Theme of Famous and Infamous Last Words, which won the Fallot Literary Award. Cousineau also worked with the drummer John Densmore on his bestselling autobiography, Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and The Doors, and is a contributor to more than 25 other books. Cousineau's books have been translated into nine languages.

FILMS

His screenwriting credits in documentary films, which have won more than thirty-five international awards, include: A Seat at the Table, Ecological Design: Inventing the Future, Wayfinders: A Pacific Odyssey, The Peyote Road, The Red Road to Sobriety, Your Humble Serpent: The Life of Reuben Snake, Wiping the Tears of Seven Generations, Eritrea: March to Freedom, The Presence of the Goddess, The Hero's Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell, and the 1991 Academy Award-nominated documentary, Forever Activists: Stories from the Abraham Lincoln Brigade.

An expert on mythology and film and the "hero journey" structure of screenplays, Cousineau consults on many types of writing and film projects, from quirky independent documentaries to big studio productions. The “omnipresent influence of myth in modern life” is a thread that runs through all of his work.

APPEARANCES and WORK ON-SCREEN

Cousineau is an inspiring speaker. He has been the keynote presenter at major conferences as diverse as the Ansel Adams Centennial Celebration in Yosemite National Park, and the European Unitarian Universalist’s Fall Retreat in the Netherlands. He has been invited to lecture at distinguished venues such as the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Los Angeles; Stanford University; Pacifica Graduate Institute; the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago; the Swedenbourg Library; Syracuse University; and the University of Tennessee. He has collaborated and appeared with many of the great thinkers and philosophers of our time, including mentors Joseph Campbell and Huston Smith, as well as Robert A. Johnson, James Hillman, Brian Swimme, Robert Bly, Brother David Steindl-Rast, Marija Gimbutas, Angeles Arrien, and many others. He enjoys collaborating with musicians and artists such as David Darling, R.B. Morris, and Gregg Chadwick.

Currently the host of Global Spirit, an "internal travel" television series launching its second season on Link TV in 2010, Cousineau has also appeared as an expert on CNN, The Discovery Channel, and Fox News. An on-camera expert for BBC-2’s Joseph Campbell: Hollywood’s Myth Master tribute and the Fox Network special, Star Wars: The Legacy, Cousineau has also been featured on Public Radio's The Savvy Traveler, PRI's The World, CBC's Tapestry, Cross Country Check Up, and many other syndicated radio programs. He has been interviewed for articles in Time and Newsweek magazines as well as The New York Times. He appeared on the Hallmark Channel's New Morning Show sharing his views on topics such as the "soul of place" and "the creative fire." Look for his expert commentary and mythic take on movies among the special features on the DVDs of Constantine, Double Indemnity, the deluxe Superman boxed set, The Natural, Wonder Woman, Justice League, and The Supernatural, among others.

CURRENT PROJECTS

Cousineau is currently the host and co-writer of Global Spirit, a new cross-cultural and transnational television series. The series explores global issues ranging from sacred music and spiritual activism, to the search for ecstatic experience, forgiveness, and attitudes toward death and dying. Guests include Robert Thurman, Karen Armstrong, Deepak Chopra, Joanne Shenandoah, Chief Oren Lyons, Andrew Harvey, Azim Khamisa, and more.

Additionally, Cousineau is crafting two new nonfiction works, on the topics of atonement and beauty, for publication in 2011.

He lives with his wife and son on Telegraph Hill in North Beach, San Francisco, and is looking forward to leading a small group travel program to Ireland in Fall 2010, and a trip to Paris in 2011.