Cult Confessions in the Somerville Patch

Now that I’ve put on the ex-cult-member-poster-child cape, and created this artistic anti-cult campaign, I have to promote it. Churning out the material was my recovery — it’s what I did, as catharsis, to understand my bizarre and surreal 5-year misadventure. I’m wired to process experiences this way: through writing, songwriting & presenting.

The next level is activism and advocacy. During the creating part, I didn’t think too much about p.r. Needless to say, it’s a double edged-sword. It’s hard enough to promote an artistic endeavor, but promoting yourself as the anti-cult, ex-cult-cog poses another layer of challenge. SO a dear friend penned and distributed a press release for me. The Somerville Patch tweaked and posted it. When I saw it published, on a site that wasn’t this blog, I thought, “Oh my gawd, it all sounds so dramatic!

Let’s start with the title: Cult Escapee Performing Somerville One-Woman Show. Sometimes my fellow “disgruntled ex-students” and I call ourselves “escapees” with a little bit of snark;  most of us, essentially, walked away from “school”. Concluding that a group is a con-jon and flipping it the middle finger is an escape of sorts. But there’s a serious bigger picture: beyond my ridiculous foray, I now know people who did, literally, escape cults — run away with nothing, no money, no destination, leaving behind family, friends & kids. It’s hard to believe that this happens, but I’m certain that as I write this, someone somewhere is struggling with such a decision and its implications: stay or go? There’s no short way to describe all the levels of pain involved in such a decision. I was lucky to have been in cult lite — I did not experience the worst in cult-i-ness.

Okay, and then there’s this: “She will perform her one-woman show Saturday, June 9 at 7 p.m. at the Burren, 247 Elm St. The show will coincide with her CD release, and she will perform alongside acoustic duo The Lied-to’s.”

Lemme correct one miscommunication: this June 9th gig is the CD release, not the entire one-woman musical; that is still in the writing/editing process. Some of you have slogged through several private 3-hour pilots with me. (yes, blog monitors, many folks do know about the invisible world. Truth is, it never was invisible) I promised myself that I would’t put any of us through that again! At this gig, I am singing the songs, with the help of my good friends, The Lied To’s, Susan Levine and Doug Kwartler, who will open the night as special guests — if you love great songs, smart lyrics and beautiful music, you will LOVE The Lied To’s! Allow me to provide one sample of this amazing duo.

I admit that I am biased, because Doug & Susan are dear friends. But if you listen to their music you can assess their talent level yourself 😉 Doug produced Cult Confessions, the CD, at Hollow Body Studios, which I’ve renamed Kwartler Magic, because when he’s in the room, I magically become a better musician. I’m thrilled to say that he and Susan are going to be my band, as I trot out the soundtrack to my cult lite tale. And I’m going to have a couple of other surprise musical guests 😉 More to come on that!

So, Dear Readers, please consider this my personal press release — yes, to be transparent — it’s marketing! And I hope that you can join me, and The Lied To’s, and my mom (yep, mom’s coming) at The Burren in Davis Square, Somerville, on June 9th. Buy your tix here and use the coupon code, 24HOUR, for $2 off the price. If you come, please introduce yourself to me!

 

 

 

2 thoughts on “Cult Confessions in the Somerville Patch

  1. Wish I could be there, the music sounds wonderful and the message fantastic, Australia is just a little too far away to get there!! .. but best of luck for the show.
    The more ‘fun’ and ‘freedom’ expressed by those who have left a cult … the more it can show those who are still caged in an invisible prison that freedom and support is available.

    • The Gentle Souls Revolution says:

      Hi Roslyn Ann Hodgkins – First of all, let me say thanks for reading this blog from AUSTRALIA!!! How cool. I wish you could be at the show, too, but your encouragement means more to me than I can say. YES! ex culties like me can have fun! You are free now! Drink it in!!!

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