Being of the Sun
Being of the Sun (Harper and Row, 1973), is the sequel to Alicia Bay Laurel's classic, best-selling guide to bohemian country folkways, Living on the Earth (Random House 1971 and 2000.) Co-written with author, avant-garde composer and solar yogi Ramon Sender, Being of the Sun opens as a guide to creating one's own religion, and then offers a compendium of spiritual practices the authors found valuable. Like Living On The Earth, Being of the Sun is entirely handwritten in Alicia's flowing cursive script and illustrated on every page with her line drawings, a shining example of her immensely influential original book design. However, unlike the simple brown lines and cover of Alicia's first book, Being of the Sun's design features purple ink throughout, a colorful cover, plus a dozen full color illustrations within. Ramon created sheet music of original spiritual songs he and Alicia wrote for the book. Featured in the Sonoma County Museum's spring, 2002, exhibit,!
Utopia Then and Now, Being of the Sun is a window on hippie life in the early 70's, and a cult classic among nature-worshippers to this day.