My Lessons with Kumi

Psychological skills and principles applied to performance and presentation, taught through narrative and lessons/exercises.

Author Biography

My Lessons With Kumi is a novel based on ideas I’ve gathered from experts in many fields over a period of three decades. Special credit goes to John Grinder and Richard Bandler, the original co-creators of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), whose ideas are woven into this teaching tale. I have learned much from NLP developers Steve and Connirae Andreas, Leslie Cameron, Judith DeLozier, Robert Dilts, David Gordon, Michael Grinder and Steve Lankton. The ground-breaking work of family therapist Virginia Satir and hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson also inspired me. Affectionate thanks to Toronto psychiatrist Raymond D. Leibl, M.D., in whose study group I first experimented with many of the ideas that led to this book. Also to Paul Madaule, director of The Listening Centre in Toronto, for his speech therapy techniques. My worldwide theater studies have shaped much of My Lessons With Kumi. I want to thank Stanislaw Brozowski of the Polish Mime Theater, and Richard Cieslak and Jerzy Grotowski of the Polish Theater Laboratory for their techniques in physical training. To actor/teacher Bill Hickey and voice teacher Eugene Brice of the H-B Studio in New York I owe my acting and vocal training. Thanks also to the actors of New York’s Open Theater for teaching me the laughing excercise. My sources for natural healing through nutrition are numerous, including Adele Davis, Lavon J. Dunne, Julian Whitaker, M.D., and James and Phyllis Balch. From my wife, Ulla, I learned how to translate their nutritional knowledge into delicious meals. Many professionals and friends read my manuscript and gave valuable suggestions or technical information: computer specialist Alan Hahn; violinist and student of psychotherapy Janie Kim; actor/theater manager Jens Kohler; composer and teacher David Maslanka; computer software manager Bruce Anderson; graphologist Gloria Lokay; occupational therapist Roula Makhlouta; neurosurgeon Samuel Brendler, M.D,; performer/teacher/educator Kenneth Radnofsky and book producer/literary agent, Sandra J. Taylor. Special thanks to editor Steve Andreas for his incisive edits and suggestions, and for understanding what this book is about. I enjoy the mixed blessing of living in a family of professional editors. I am grateful to my wife, Ulla, whose ruthless red pen made this book more readable, and to the laser-eyed scrutiny of my screenwriter son, Neal, whose suggestions added life to My Lessons With Kumi. Most of all, my appreciation for Ulla’s patience in sharing her life with this book for eight years.