Living on the Earth and Beyond
At the Phoenix Biltmore Hotel, January 17, 2010
Presented by Crystal Achey of Phoenix Body, Mind and Spirit
More information here and ticket purchase here.

Morning…

Arrive by 9:30 to participate in a HEALING CIRCLE on the LAWN:
Followed by a NETWORKING CARD EXCHANGE

ORGANIZING SEMINAR
at 10:00 “Overcoming Overwhelm”
hosted by Zen Guru & Productivity Expert, Jen Furrier of Essential Organizing
Attendees to this seminar can enter a drawing  to win organizing products!

Luncheon & Special Presentations

INTRODUCTION SPEECH
“Social Movements of the 60’s & 70’s” in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
given by Dr. Jeanine, Coach for Women Worldwide of Simply Divine Solutions

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE & TALK
“Living on the Earth & Beyond” given by Alicia Bay Laurel author of the 1971 New York Times best selling guide for life on a hippie commune, Living on the Earth.

Followed by a PRIVATE CD & BOOKSIGNING  with Alicia Bay Laurel available EXCLUSIVELY to ALL DAY TICKET HOLDERS

Afternoon…

MERCADO on the VERANDA! Resources for Balanced Living
Go to PhxBodyMindandSoul.com for the most updated list of presenters

FITNESS SEMINAR at 1:30 “It’s a New Year!”
Time to update your knowledge of the best fitness practices! Lead by Pro Fitness Trainer, Brian Peitz
of FUZION Fitness in Scottsdale

CHEF DEMONSTRATION at 3:00 Select sweet samples from The Ice Dream Cookbook by Chef Rachel, The Healthy Cooking Coach. Attendees to this seminar can enter a drawing to win a copy of this must-have cookbook.

NETWORKING CIRCLE

September 20, Mori Cafe Festival in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture.

September 24, Teach class at Fujino Steiner School. Make art books with 12th grade English class. Private.

September 27, 4 PM Concert at Shu Cafe in Fujino.

September 29, Dual interview with novelist Banana Yoshimoto. It will appear in the November issue of Switch Magazine.

September 30, Art Show Opening Party and Concert at Roppongi Hills Club. 5000 JPY admission. For reservations, please contact Kurkku staff at 03-5414-6273

October 2, 6 to 8 PM Art Show Opening Party and Concert at Gallery Speak For in Daikanyama, Tokyo. Admission is free, but you need an invitation.  Please email me if you'd like to be on my guest list.

October 2 to 14, Art Show at Gallery Speak For. Framed original drawings from Living on the Earth, plus the artwork from the new CD Beyond Living.

October 6, Interview with Soto Koto Magazine at Under The Light Yoga Studio in Yoyogi, Tokyo

October 11, Concert at Teisha Garden in Komoro City, near Komoro Station, Nagano Prefecture.

October 13, Interview with Murmur Magazine in Haragyuku, Tokyo, including a fashion modeling session in Yoyogi Park.

October 16, 6:30 to 9 PM, Concert and talk session with special guest, actress and environmental activist Ikue Masudo (aka Saya Takagi) at FU-RYU in Minami-Bousou City. 1800 yen (free for kids under 12). For more information call 090 7202 9590 (Ishii) or 0470 38 3606 (on October 16 only).

October 18, Art class, making small books at Genesis Art Lounge in Okachimachi, Tokyo. CANCELLED

October 19, Concert at Naked Loft, at the Loft Project, Shinjuku.  7:30 to 8 PM, Bobin (Nepalese Reggae singer/guitarist).  8:10 PM to 9 PM, live talk show, with Bobin and Alicia, hosted by Kikuchi. 8:10 to 9 PM, Alicia plays.  Closest train station is Shin-Okubo.

October 23 or 24, Concert at Happy Flower Beach Party festival, Nago, Okinawa. Joe Dolce and Lin Van Hek from Australia will join me.

October 27, Concert at Café Unizon in Okinawa. Alicia Bay Laurel, Amana band, and Joe Dolce and Lin Van Hek from Australia.

October 30 Concert at Yukotopia live house in Umejima, Tokyo. Joe Dolce and Lin Van Hek will join me.

November 1 Concert at Yukotopia live house in Umejima, Tokyo

See the full sized Yukotopia poster here.

Please check back; other events are still being planned!

Here's my schedule in Japanese; many thanks to Reiko Ashidate for translating it!

 9月20日からアリシアの日本ツアーが始まります。

9/20 mori café フェスティバル（山梨）でのコンサート。2時開始

詳細はＭｏｒｉ-ｃａｆｅフェスティバル事務局まで
080-6738-3125（電話）または0551-35-4663（ｆａｘ）
9/24 シュタイナー学校（藤野）で小さな本を作る授業を英語のクラスで行います。（生徒のみ）

9/27 Shu ライブハウスでのコンサート（藤野）

9/29 11月のSwitch誌のために吉本バナナとのインタビュー取材。

9/30 六本木ヒルズクラブでのアートショーのオープニングパーティとコンサート。入場料5000円。予約はKurkku 03-5414-6273まで。

10/2 Gallery Speak For（代官山）でのオープニングパーティとコンサート。 18:00-20:00

10/2-10/14　 Speak For　ギャラリーでのアートショー。

”地球の上で生きる”からのオリジナルイラストを額装したものと新作アルバム“Beyond Living”からのアートワークのオリジナルを展示・販売します。

10/11 Teishaガーデン（長野県小諸駅前）

10/16 アリシア・ベイ＝ローレル～トーク＆ライブ　セッション～ スペシャル・ゲスト　益戸育江（高樹沙耶）

10/18 　Genesis Art Lounge(御徒町）での小さな本づくりのアートクラスを行います

10/19 ネイキッドロフト（新宿）でコンサート。
SHINJUKU NAKED LOFT
http://www.loft-prj.co.jp/naked/
phone:03-3205-1556

19:30 Bobin, 20:10 Live talk with Bobin, Alicia, Kikuchi, 21:10 Alicia

10/23 または 24, Happy Flower Beach Party festival(沖縄の名護）

でのコンサート。アマナバンドと、オーストラリアから来たJoe Dolce と Lin Van Hekとの共演。

10/27 Café Unizon（沖縄）でのコンサート。 アマナバンドと、オーストラリアから来たJoe Dolce と Lin Van Hekとの共演。

10/30 Yukotopia （梅島）でのコンサート

11/1 Yukotopia （梅島）でのコンサート

Yukotopia コンサートのポスターイメージ：

http://www.yukotopia.jp/pc/contents/flyer/2009flyer/09.10.30_11.1.alicia.jpg

May 18, 2009

I’m having another art show in Japan of the original drawings for Living on the Earth, opening right now. It’s at the Birdo Flugas Gallery in Sendai. Here are some photos on Flickr of the framed drawings hanging in the gallery.

The show was set up by Keisuke Era of Artist Power Bank in Tokyo, an environmental activist arts organization. We’ve been collaborating on projects over the past few years. The latest is a couple of souvenir items for Artist Power Bank’s annual outdoor rock festival. Above is my drawing on their 2009 festival t-shirt.

Here’s how it looks on the order page of the festival web site.

I also adapted a drawing of a sea turtle I made for a yet unpublished book for their souvenir towel. Here are both sides of the towel.

This is from the festival web page that sells the towel.

Here are two children at the festival wearing the towels as shawls!

One thing I encounter over and over in Japan is the request that I explain what I am attempting to communicate with my art, music and books. “What is your message?” After receiving the art, Keisuke sent me a questionaire on that very subject:

Hi Alicia-san, Would you give your messages to ap bank fes audience? It will be on web shopping site with your T-shirts and Towel graphics.

Question 1. Please tell us the concept of the design.

The swimming sea turtle shows that the ocean is healthy. Sea turtles die from drift nets and from choking on plastic bags (which look like food to them). We must stop polluting the ocean and using drift nets. In Native American and East Indian myths, the turtle is said to hold up the earth. The sea turtle’s slow circular movements make waves in the water, which I drew in the design.

The t-shirt design shows the divine energy all around us coming forth as life (the tree grows out of emptiness). The tree of life expresses its energy as love (leaves like hearts). The bird is the joy of making music. The rabbit is the sweetness of innocence and connection to the earth. The sun’s smiling face is the divine energy of compassion for all.

Question 2. What do you believe for making the environment better?

In our own daily lives, we need to do many small things that help. Take public transportation instead of drive a car when we can. Turn off lights we are not using. Insulate our buildings. Buy foods from farms near where we live. Try to use less packaging. Use recycling services.

In the bigger, political world, we need to elect leaders and vote for laws that stop industry from polluting and from killing wild animals, and from manufacturing things that pollute. This takes organizing. This is difficult, but it must be done in every country in the world.

Question 3. Message to ap bank audience please!!

Thank you for caring about the earth and for caring about each other. You are creating the future. Enjoy the music and the festival!

Listen here for a wide-ranging 38-minute radio interview with me by Alastair Gordon, author of Spaced Out: Radical Environments of the Psychedelic ‘60s (2008, Rizzoli), in which he featured illustrations from my books Living on the Earth and Being of the Sun, which I co-wrote with Ramon Sender. Alastair Gordon also interviewed Ramon Sender for this radio series, which was part of Art Basel Miami Beach 2008; you can listen to his interview on the same page. You can pick up a copy of Alastair’s wonderful book here.

The original drawings and layouts of Living on the Earth are still for sale! Kurkku has had two successful gallery shows in Tokyo in 2008, one at its own Jingumae Lab in Harajyuku, and one at Mirai Garou in Roppongi Hills. Another show is in the works for 2009. There are 178 framed pieces all together, and only 30 to 40 pieces can be displayed at one time in a gallery.

Click here for Kurkku’s online store where they are making the pieces available outside of a gallery show.

The images are gorgeously ensconced in handmade driftwood frames. Half of the proceeds from the sales benefit Artist Power Bank, a Tokyo not-for-profit using art and music to teach environmentally conscious living principles, and which is the parent organization of Kurkku.

Kurkku does not ship internationally, so, if you are interested in buying a piece and you are not in Japan, you will need an agent to come to Kurkku’s office in Haragyuku, Tokyo, pay for the piece in yen, and ship it to you. Please contact me via the Feedback button on this site, and I will ask the staff at Kurkku to find a buying and shipping agent who can help you.

December 12, 2008

“Floozy Tune,” the opening cut of my blues/jazz CD, What Living’s All About, has garnered a runner-up position in yet a THIRD songwriting contest, this time as a Finalist in the 100% Music Songwriting Contest.

In summer 2008, “Floozy Tune” received Honorable Mention (7th place) in the World division (which includes jazz), in the Indie International Songwriting Contest. Here’s their profile page on me.

The first award for “Floozy Tune” was in the Top 20 Finalists in the Jazz Division of the Unisong International Songwriting Contest, in 2007.

Black background wool jersey Living on the Earth print 

August 7, 2007
Now is the time to order Tokyo fashion designer Aya Noguchi’s fabulous Fall 2007 Living on the Earth clothes; the limited edition line is going into reprint, and most likely will not be available later in the year.

Click here to see the clothes. They are all one “free size,” fitting sizes 2 through 10, although anyone can wear the shawl/scarf, and the smock is very generously sized.

Here are the prices (based on today’s exchange rates at xe.com), not including shipping and handling:

In black, brown or beige background Living on the Earth print: 

Wool Jersey Ankle-length Dress with shoulder straps: $278

Wool Jersey Square Shawl/scarf $102

Wool Jersey Kneelength Dress $245

Wool Jersey Peasant Blouse $169

In Ivory, gray or pale pink with Living on the Earth single illustrations: 

Organic Cotton Smock $185

Organic Cotton Hoodie $102

Organic Cotton T-shirt $85

Please email me at alicia (at) aliciabaylaurel.com if you’d like to order any of these limited edition garments. Please indicate which of the three available colors you prefer. I’ll be placing my order for them by August 20, and will need your advance payment to clear before then. There are no returns on these garments.

7/9/2007 4:38:10 PM
“Floozy Tune”
Status: Selected
Congratulations, you have been selected as a Top 20 Finalist in the Jazz Category of the 11th Annual Unisong International Song contest. Results are at http://www.unisong.com/Winners11.aspx.

This year featured the highest overall quality of songs, lyrics, and writers ever submitted by far, with the most diverse and varied entries from a multitude of countries representing every continent on Earth except Antarctica (and songwriting penguins out there).

The judging therefore was extremely competitive and to be singled out anywhere in the top 15% of all songs submitted was no easy feat.

NOTE: "Floozy Tune" is the opening track of What Living's All About: Jazz, Blues, and Other Moist Situations. 

Alicia Bay Laurel performing a story and music show at the Natural High Festival at Doshi, two hours into the mountains from Tokyo, on May 20, 2007, while being filmed for a show on Asahi Broadcasting Station. She's wearing Aya Noguchi's Living on the Earth dress and scarf.

A five-part show about me, my book, Living on the Earth, my music and storytelling performances and my future works will appear on the Eco-Talk Show (Midori no Kotonoha in Japanese).

The show is on from 8:54 to 9:00 pm on Monday through Friday (June 11-15, 2007) on Asahi Broadcasting Station.

The show was created by my friend Setsuko Miura, a producer specializing in environmental documentaries at TV Man Union in Tokyo, with direction by Sayaka Matsukawa and camera work by Jun Maruyama, during my two performances at the Natural High Festival at Doshi on May 20, and also at Setsuko’s beautiful home in the mountain town of Fujino, one hour away from Doshi by car, where I was a guest.

Below: Setsuko Miura flashes a peace sign at the Natural High Festival; Jun Maruyama and Sakaya Matsukawa prepare to film at Fujino. 

Cover layout with bleed borders and the original drawings for Living on the Earth.

Wow, here they are, the original drawings from which all of the books, CDs, t-shirts, fabrics, magazine illustrations and other printed images from Living on the Earth were born. Partially lettered in Press Type, yellowed with age, and stained with rubber cement and correction fluid (ah, the tools of the graphic design trade back in the late '60's), they are wabi-sabi, shabby-chic, framable, and absolutely authentic.

I will be having a gallery show at which the entire layout will be auctioned during the months of May and June 2008 at the Kurkku Arts and Environmental Center in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. 

I created the drawings, lettering and layout for the first edition of Living on the Earth in 1969 and 1970, at the ages of 19, 20 and 21. The Bookworks, Bay Area distributor Book People’s publishing imprint, released it in September 1970 as their second title ever. They sold out the initial printing of 10,000 copies in two weeks. The Whole Earth Catalog’s review: “This could be the best book in this catalog. It is a book for people. If you are a person, it is for you.”

In April 1971, Vintage Books/Random House released the second edition, which became the first paperback ever on the New York Times Bestseller List. Publishers Weekly had never seen a book design like this one before, and published a handlettered review with illustrations from the book to note this. Dozens of books with derivative book designs, illustrations and themes appeared on the market within a year, and continue to appear to this day.

I am preparing to sell the original layout as an archival manuscript (I retain the copyright of the content), and thought you might like to see what the artwork looks like now, after 37 years in the same little blue suitcase inwhich I delivered it to The Bookworks in the spring of 1970. It’s moved to Hawaii from California with me twice.

The pages in the center of the book aren’t as yellowed as the cover and front pages, probably because they weren’t as subject to the acidity of the packaging in which they were stored. The rubber cement used in layout work in those pre-computer days left stains, as did the white correction fluid.

When I updated the information in Living on the Earth for the Villard/Random House third edition in 1999 (which, with minor changes, was also the 4th edition in 2003), I clearly could not re-use the original layout, so I took apart two pristine copies of the Vintage/Random House second edition and used the pages to lay out the revised edition, still using Rapidograph pen, scissors, rubber cement and correction fluid as I did in 1970.

One of the most noted updates in the revised edition was the layout on marijuana and hemp. I realized soon after moving to Maui in 1974 and inhaling the extra-strong product available there, that it made my nasal passages swell shut, obliging me to breathe through my mouth and wonder how long until this uncomfortable side effect would wear off. So I quit smoking pot. When I updated the text twenty-five years later, I had to find and interview someone who still grew it commercially to improve the instructions. I also learned the usefulness of hemp, even without the medicinal effects of tetrahydrocannabinol.  Hemp preceeded petroleum as the material of choice for manufacturing almost everything useful. Canvas, which propelled ships across the ocean, derives its name from cannibis. Some environmentalists think we'll be back to using hemp on a large scale after Peak Oil.

Living on the Earth was initially shelved in the Library of Congress under Home Economics, Handicrafts and Outdoor Living, but the 2000 Random House edition was categorized under Spirituality and Healthy Living, and the 2003 Gibbs Smith edition as a Reference Book. All of the above, would be my guess. I didn’t create it for a publisher. I made it as a gift to my fellow communards at Wheeler Ranch. However, the Universe had other plans.

If you would like to make a bid on the collection (221 8.5 inch by 11 inch handlettered and illustrated pages plus the cover layout), please contact me via the feedback on this website.