Joan Goldstein
above: high noon in the park with Yogi--who's been named the Marshmallow Dog by people on the street--and his pal Puppy...
I wasn’t going to write one of these, but something made me do it! So here goes:
After receiving a BA from Hunter College in 1960, I moved into a Greenwich Village “pad.” Thus my journey began. I landed a job in publishing, which led me to an 18-year-career as the editor of TV and Movie Screen, Movieland, Movie Mirror and Modern Screen. The fact that my sales figures soared above others in the field was as puzzling to me as to anyone else. I was always sure that one day “they” would find out I really didn’t know what I was doing. I also thought, “today the powers that be are smiling on me, tomorrow they’ll smile on someone else.”
Meanwhile I partied with the stars, received red carpet treatment when I went to Hollywood once a year for on-set and off-set interviews and actually got up-close and personal with some of Hollywood’s hottest names. I also almost got sued by Cher Bono for a cover line that jumped off the page with a Shocking, Sensational title: Pregnant Cher Hooked on Dangerous Drug. (The drug was nicotine. The NY Times had announced that nicotine was a drug and could cause harm to a fetus. Those facts are what got me off the hook.) I admit, I was unconscionable in those days.
Against this backdrop, my personal life took on the dimensions of a grand soap opera. My marriage to an Athenian provided enough drama to keep us together for 10 years after our divorce, and covered three different continents. After that I took up residence with a fellow journalist whose thirst for adventure rivaled my own. Although I never had any children of my own, I was entrusted with a few surrogates, each of whom I was charged with caring for at different times in my life. The biggest challenge was a 15-year-old boy whose guardian I was in India. Believe it or not, there was always an area of groundedness and stability that warranted people’s trust.
Also sandwiched into this time-frame were travels to Japan where one of my partners who was a theatrical booking agent, booked the entertainment at the Air Force base in Yukusco. This was in 1975, and what amazed me was that the Americans living on the base appeared to be stuck in the ‘50s. Even more amazing is the fact that maybe a handful of them explored Japan, which I found to be fabulous in its array of majestic temples and its intriguing Buddhist influence. Gardens, brooks, floral arrangements all reflected a profound respect for beauty and detail.
In 1978 everything changed. What I had failed to realize in my frenzy for living and my search for the ultimate experience was that I was, in fact, a seeker. In 1978, I ran into a miracle; something I could never have imagined: I was touched by Grace in the form of an enlightened master. The result of this is revealed in the book I co-authored, “The Joy Within: A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation,” published by Simon & Schuster and translated into 3 foreign languages. You can view it on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. Double click on the image of the book and check out the reviews. And if you ever were curious about meditation but didn’t know how to go about finding a teacher, “The Joy Within,” is user friendly and filled with meditation techniques that take you to the experience of your true inner nature. If you do want to find a teacher or a path, go to: Siddhayoga.org and explore the mysteries of your own inner Self. I wish you all the bliss of discovery. If you like, you can e-mail me at the above address, and if you live in NY, perhaps we can meet over a cup of coffee.
With great love and respect, I remain your one-time classmate,
Joan Goldstein