Hi Kickstarters ... Thank you for checking out my project. I have spent the last several years working on the manuscript of an amazing and authentic story and now I need your help to finish the writing and then self-publish it.

The Book Project

My story is about the systematic suppression of the Sixties Revolution and my Mata Hari days with Timothy Leary, the Harvard pied piper of LSD.

Many books have been written about the Pope of Dope, but other than Timothy’s autobiography Flashbacks, my story is the only first-hand account of our 1973 flight from Switzerland to the Middle East, his DEA capture in Kabul and return to the Nixon-era United States to endure 22 federal, state prisons and rural jails over three and a half years.

The Tibetan word bardo in the title is apt in that it refers to the state of existence between two Earth lives. My 49 Clear Light days with Timothy in Europe before his re-arrest, and then the three and a half years I spent working tirelessly for his release and visiting him in one sordid prison after another, represented just that: my bardo between my unexamined life prior to meeting Timothy and my new life that began after our breakup in 1977. My journey from an unconscious Jet Set life rooted in a loveless, chaotic childhood, to a rebirth starting with seven terrified years, followed by 27 years of sobriety, opened the way to overcoming my fear and having the courage to tell the truth.

This book also clarifies my take on several historical issues: the role of law and order in the downfall of the Sixties Revolution, Timothy’s years in solitary confinement, and the factors surrounding our decision to become informants.

The time to tell the story is now and I need your help to make this happen, that is why I am coming to Kickstarter. Please help me fund the time to finish writing my book and then self-publish it for print (hard cover) and digital media (eBook for iPad or Kindle or Android Tablets).

I have been collaborating with an editor and an experienced project manager handling all of the publishing/implementation-related issues while I focus on the final revisions of the manuscript. Also, we have been working with a reputable, high-quality self-publishing organization regarding the pertinent work, costs, and production schedule.

I expect to ship the hardcover books about 7-8 months after the project is funded. The eBooks will be available at the same time. The PDF will be ready approx. 2 months before the hardcover.

My black&white photo in the project image is provided courtesy of photographer Robert Altman (& is adjusted from his original into a watermark). The painting in the background of the video is from the artist, Tina LeMarque.

About Rewards

For their pledges, Kickstarter backers will receive the exclusive hardcover Limited Edition of Tripping The Bardo with Timothy Leary and/or the eBooks (single or multiple copies).

Other rewards include a scanned copy of 3 chapters from Timothy Leary’s unpublished manuscript that he gave to me. This manuscript, The Periodic Table of Energy, was written in Vacaville Prison in 1974 (see images below of manuscript and cover page). The highest level pledge will also receive an autographed DVD of an audio reading (by me) of the entire manuscript. Manuscript content is for personal use only.

Please browse through all the rewards (fully detailed on the right) and help us publish this book with your pledge .. and please spread the word and inform those in your circle that may be interested.

Manuscript: The Periodic Table of Energy

Manuscript: Cover Page

How will the money be used?

Approx. $24K will go towards the final revision work (4-5 months of my time to review, edit and finalize the ongoing manuscript work, and pay the editor). The remaining amount (approx. $25K) will be for self-publishing costs (copy editing, design layout, hard-cover volume production, order fulfillment for Kickstarter editions, and eBook related expenses).

With your help, I can publish and free this story from its cage ... no more secrets!

Please back us on Kickstarter. Share this link with your friends and family, and be a part of the exclusive community that owns Tripping The Bardo with Timothy Leary - Kickstarter Limited Edition!

Please remember: share this link with your networks, ‘Like’ our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and Help us spread the word.

Thank you.

My black&white photo in the above image is provided courtesy of photographer Robert Altman (& is adjusted from his original into a watermark).