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Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon and Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison, will speak about both books this evening on Sirius XM’s The Brett Winterble Show.
The interview will air in the 9 p.m. EDT hour on Sirius channel 168, and can also be heard live online. And if you miss it live, download the podcast!
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Find Working Class Mystic on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.
Find The Cynical Idealist on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.
To learn more about the author, visit his website or connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
Today, December 8th, marks the anniversary of John Lennon’s tragic death in 1980. Lennon fans in New York City will celebrate the icon’s life this Saturday at the 31st annual John Lennon Tribute concert.
You can read more about the event in this USA Today piece.
Quest Books is a sponsor of this wonderful concert, and Gary Tillery’s spiritual biography of John Lennon, The Cynical Idealist, will be represented at the event.
The Details:
31st Annual John Lennon Tribute Concert
Saturday December 10, 2011
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, NYC.
7pm show, doors open at 6pm.
- Seated General Admission- $60
- Standing General Admission- $25.00
Click here for more information and to order tickets.
The Cynical Idealist is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.
Gary’s new book, Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison, is also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.
To learn more about the author, visit his website or connect with him on Facebook and Twitter.
Online with Andrea host Andrea R. Garrison has followed up her December interview with The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon author Gary Tillery with an amazing review* of the John Lennon Tribute’s official book.
“I started reading this book very early one Monday morning and I did not move until I finished the book. The Cynical Idealist is just that compelling. It is a page turner indeed. This book does not exploit John Lennon. If any thing it is a warm tribute to a man who knew that all we need is love and pleaded that we give peace a chance,” Garrison comments in the review.
Listen to the December 8 interview here!
Find Gary Tillery on Facebook and Twitter
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon
Find Online With Andrea on BlogTalk Radio, Facebook and Twitter
*This review was first published on the Online with Andrea blog on February 23, 2011.
DailyOM.com, a site dedicated to nurturing the mind, body and spirit, has published an excerpt from Gary Tillery’s recent release The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon as well as today’s featured excerpt from Thriving in the Crosscurrent: Clarity and Hope in a Time of Cultural Sea Change by Jim Kenney! These excerpts are both featured in the site’s From the Library blog.
Read the The Cynical Idealist excerpt here!
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon
Read the Thriving in the Crosscurrent excerpt here!
Find Thriving in the Crosscurrent on Amazon
In honor of the 30th anniversary of John Lennon’s death, host Andrea Garrison welcomed Gary Tillery, author of The John Lennon Tribute’s official book THE CYNICAL IDEALIST: A SPIRITUAL BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN LENNON.
Aired 6:30 CST, December 8th
Listen to the interview here!
Online With Andrea on BlogTalk Radio
Find Gary Tillery on Facebook and Twitter
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon
Re
d Velvet Media, on Blog Talk Radio, and JohnLennonMusic.net are both talking about the Cynical Idealist by Gary Tillery.
On RVM they enjoyed taking a different perspective of the rock star John Lennon through this, the official book of the 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, the Cynical Idealist. Included in the radio show intro they posted that “This extraordinary figure deserves an extraordinary book and, in The Cynical Idealist, Tillery provides readers with a new and fascinating framework for assessing Lennon’s life and works. ”
Also, johnlennonmusic.net has posted a great deal of praise and information regarding the book. Their site contains much discussion about John Lennon, his life, and even a featured section of “A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon” which focuses intently on The Cynical Idealist.
Gary Tillery’s Spiritual Biography Chosen for the Biggest Event in Tribute’s History!
November 12th, 2010, 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in NYC
Gary Tillery’s recent release The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon has been selected as the official book of Theatre Within’s 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute on Friday, November 12th at 8pm at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. “It’s an honor to have my book chosen to be associated with this important Tribute to John. I hope it leads new people to discover his ideas and ideals. We all love his music, but he was so much more than a musician.” says Tillery.
The Annual John Lennon Tribute has been held since 1981, shortly after Lennon’s death. The Tribute is the longest running event of its kind and the only ongoing tribute show in the country to have earned the support of Yoko Ono. For this year’s tribute Tillery’s book accompanies an all-star lineup of performers including Jackson Brown, Patti Smith and Cyndi Lauper, to honor the memory of John Lennon, celebrating his music and his passion for peace. In an exclusive interview with author Gary Tillery the Tribute organizers asked how he viewed Lennon’s present day relevancy. Tillery responded, “Lennon had a passion for truth and for focusing on what was important. He also wanted to use his time on earth to achieve something more than just acquiring more awards and more possessions. The common man will always be impressed by that. And people will always have a direct connection with him through his music. A hundred years from now some person who has never heard “Imagine” will listen to John sing the first stanza and realize that this is a man they want to know better.”
Much has been said about John Lennon the Beatle—his rock star evolution and tragic fate. But this book is more than a mundane biography covering Lennon’s life, music, and death. The Cynical Idealist is a soulful portrait of Lennon’s very being, illuminating the spiritual transformation of a man who influenced the world in a way few others had during the course of the twentieth century.
The Cynical Idealist caught the eye of the Tribute’s co-creator and MAD Magazine Senior Editor Joe Raiola because it was the first biography to focus on Lennon as a spiritual and intellectual figure. “In The Cynical Idealist Gary Tillery sheds a welcome new light on John Lennon as an artist, visionary and catalyst for positive change in the world. In writing “a spiritual biography,” he’s created a new art form and in doing so, he reveals Lennon’s essence and core values as no other biographer has. He celebrates Lennon without idealizing him and reminds us why his music and message still matter— and will continue to matter for generations to come” says Joe Raiola, producer of Theatre Within’s Annual John Lennon Tribute.
Read the Tribute’s exclusive interview with author Gary Tillery
For more information on The Cynical Idealist, or to connect with the author Gary Tillery, visit Quest Books, Facebook, and Twitter @GaryTilleryArt.
Tickets for the Tribute a
re now on sale, available on BeaconTheatre.com, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 866-858-0008. Ticket prices are $304.50 for VIP Seats, $179.50, $139.50, $99.50 and $79.50. Additional information is available at LennonTribute.org, which features an online press kit and photos, videos from past Tributes, a Tribute blog and original exclusive content for John Lennon fans everywhere.
Niles Franz sits down with author Gary Tillery for the July issue of Mindful Metropolis. Gary discusses his inspiration for writing The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biographyof John Lennon.
“He [Lennon] realized that people had their own agendas, but he thought that if we keep our minds on a common goal—a society that is friendlier, more loving—we can make that manifest…It can be hard to be an idealist. So often you are considered naïve or out of touch.”
—Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist
Elephantjournal.com reviewed Gary Tillery‘s ‘The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon’!
Read the review and watch John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s famous “bed-in”: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/04/book-review-the-cynical-idealist-a-spiritual-biography-of-john-lennon-gary-tillery/
Perspectives with Barry Shainbaum is a radio show on faith, inspiration and triumph over adversity.
Listen to the interview with Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist!
Aired January 24, 2010 on:
Reality Sandwich is featuring Mind Games, a chapter from Gary Tillery’s new release The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon…
To those who were beginning to believe that the spirit of the sixties had died, he (Lennon) was advising: don’t give up, keep on; keep chanting the mantra of peace and love. Let’s work together as an invisible army. We’ll use the power of visualization — some call it magic — to project our image of peace in space and time. We’ll create an “absolute elsewhere” in our minds, an ideal so detailed and realistic that our intentions will make it manifest.
–The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon
Read the full excerpt here!!
Cynical Idealist on Amazon
Author Gary Tillery on Twitter
Books on the Horizon host James Haarp and author Gary Tillery discuss John Lennon’s spiritual journey and his philosophy on life. Gary talks about his new release The Cynical Idealist, a spiritual biography of this legendary Beatle.
Aired January 3, 2010
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon
Follow Gary Tillery on Twitter @GaryTilleryArt
“A fascinating read and top pick for fans of Lennon in general” 
–Midwest Book Review via Amazon on January 12, 2010
Read the full review on MidwestBookReview.com
Buy on Amazon!
The Connect with Amy Miller radio show welcomes author Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon!
In this interview Gary talks about the childhood of loss and abandonment that impacted John Lennon’s life. Lennon’s rise to rock and roll fame was reviewed. Gary and Amy discussed how unexpectedly Lennon realized having “everything” was not enough, spurring the dark night of his soul. Lennon’s journey from despair to peace is an intriguing one. Listen to, or download the interview FREE.
Aired Saturday, December 19th on WSNO 1450 AM
Follow Gary Tillery on Twitter @GaryTilleryArt
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon!
Dr. Rita Louise welcomes Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon. Tillery’s fascination with “the intellectual Beatle” led him to write this heartfelt book; the first to examine Lennon not as a pop superstar, but as a man of ideas. Listen to the show below!
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon!
Aeon Byte, the first and only ever weekly radio show on Gnosticism, Ancient Religion and the Occult, welcomes Gary Tillery, author of The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon.
Airs January 9-10
Although still a major cultural figure, even as his legacy slowly fades against an extroverted society of shallow artistry, few people realize that John Lennon was one of the great Spiritual Seekers of our days. He was a tireless searcher of deeper truths and reality who explored various religious and philosophical traditions, experimented with varied Esoteric Mysteries and psychological theories, expressing it all in code through his timeless music and art. Lennon also considered the Gnostics the true Christians, as well as embodied the soul of the ancient Stoic, Cynic and Platonic Philosophers. We acquaint ourselves with a perennial Mythmaker who made sense of a post-modern and existentialist civilization. We study a life full of tragedy and triumph, and a man who, in the Gnostic spirit, was never satisfied with either. And how his message and life can help us find our own meaning and own gnosis.
— Miguel Conner, host of Aeon Byte
Archives and Downloads Available!
Listen HERE!
Gary on Twitter @GaryTilleryArt & Facebook
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon
QUEST BOOKS is excited to announce our new release, The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon by Gary Tillery!!!
Author Gary Tillery brings readers the first spiritual and intellectual biography of this seminal musical and cultural figure. Much has been said about John Lennon the Beatle—his rock star evolution and tragic fate. More than a mundane, temporal biography covering Lennon’s life, music, and death, The Cynical Idealist is a soulful portrait of John Lennon’s very being, illuminating the spiritual transformation of a man who influenced the world in a way few others had during the course of the twentieth century. The world could not ignore something extraordinary in Lennon. What was it that set Lennon apart from his fellow bandmates, causing the media to label him the “intellectual” of the group?
At just 23 years old, at the height of Beatlemania, the brash and young Lennon was on top of the world, even declaring the band’s popularity had eclipsed that of Jesus Christ. Despite his fame, internally, Lennon was experiencing a dark night of the soul. The turning point came for Lennon, locked in a bathroom during the winter of 1966. As he knelt at the pinnacle of his self-alienation, held hostage by his own existential and emotional breakdown, Lennon pleaded with God to show him the way. Lennon’s unrequited appeal proved to be the catalyst for his emergence as an iconoclast, albeit, altruistic leader. Tillery walks us through Lennon’s personal spiritual journey; his experimentation with drugs; his encounters with the Maharishi; his undertaking of primal scream therapy; and his relationship with Yoko Ono.
John Lennon’s spiritual death and rebirth crystallized a global anthem of planetary peace and love that transcends labels, dogma, and social expectations, offering the gift of hope for the coming generation. Praised and ridiculed in equal measure, investigated by the FBI, hounded by the media and ultimately assassinated, Britain’s “Man of the Decade” ignited a revolution of our consciousness. This extraordinary figure deserves an extraordinary book and, in The Cynical Idealist, Tillery provides readers with a new and fascinating framework for assessing Lennon’s life and works.
Introduction | Chapter 4 | Chapter 8
…Tillery explores Lennon’s spirituality as it develops, beginning with childhood traumas, through his time with the Beatles, and finally, in his role as a social activist. Throughout his short life, Lennon fought many existential battles with himself and whatever he thought of as ‘God.’
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, Nov. 9, 2009
A sharp image of a spiritual man who became larger than life while feeling very small. Oh, and readable too!
—Corjan de Raaf, Singer/Songwriter
For teenagers like me in the 70’s, Lennon was the conduit for a number of causes: peace, women’s rights, and the painful exploration of the self. Most books on Lennon focus on the skeletons in his closet. This one shows where his heart was.
—Gary Lachman, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee, founding member of Blondie, and author of Turn Off Your Mind and New York Rocker
For more info visit CynicalIdealistBook.com
Follow Gary Tillery on Twitter @GaryTilleryArt
Buy now on Amazon and in better bookstores everywhere!
The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon (Quest Books; Dec. 2009) has been reviewed in Publishers Weekly’s Best of 2009 non-fiction reviews!
John Lennon will likely be remembered for two things: helping found the Beatles and writing the song “Imagine.” Those accomplishments, however, only scratch the surface of a complex and fascinating life. Writer and artist Tillery explores Lennon’s spirituality as it develops, beginning with childhood traumas, through his time with the Beatles, and finally, in his role as a social activist. Throughout his short life, Lennon fought many existential battles with himself and whatever he thought of as “God.” To interpret Lennon’s spiritual hunger, Tillery draws upon the work of Victor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and WWII death camp survivor who wrote volumes on the importance of people finding meaning in their lives by focusing outward. The author characterizes Lennon as a loving man who, in the latter part of his life, was able to find some semblance of peace and to encourage others to do the same. Lennon searched for and sang about the truth, discarding religious indoctrination and accepted norms when they proved unhelpful. If this is Lennon’s legacy, one could do a lot worse. ―Publishers Weekly Nov. 9, 2009
Find author Gary Tillery on Facebook and Twitter @GaryTilleryArt
Buy The Cynical Idealist on Amazon!
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