First, I spent one day exploring the Grand Apple. Of course, that wasn’t enough time to even dip my little toe in, but I did my best, walking south from Central Park and taking lots of photos on the way. I was in awe to even be in that great city, and I’m sure I looked like such a tourist with my floppy sun hat and walking shoes. Ah well. I had a GREAT day.

The thing that struck me the most about NYC is that it is mythical. It’s like Oz or Narnia, a magical, awe-inspiring place that I’ve heard about and read about and seen on TV and in the movies. But the difference with New York is that you can actually go there and see it and touch it and hear it. Amazing.

So after my day in the big city, it was off to three days of the ICSA conference. It was my first and I was not disappointed. I saw some great speakers talk about topics ranging from optimism to critical thinking to forgiveness. I attended a one-day workshop exclusively for ex cult members. There I learned more about Robert Lifton’s 8 Criteria for Thought Reform. And then throughout the weekend I connected again and again with the amazing ex-members at the conference.

The sense of community and understanding that resulted from those connections was the highlight of the weekend for me. I was, at times, in a hotel ballroom surrounded by 250 other people who knew exactly what my cult experience was like. Because they’d been there too.

And, of course, another highlight was giving an author reading from Cult, A Love Story. (That’s a photo of me giving the reading above.) There were some courageous and very talented authors at the reading that night as well, including Gordon Neufeld (a fellow Canadian) and publisher / writer David Cole.

I have more to say about the topic of the ICSA conference, so I’ll write another post soon with more detail about my feelings about the experience.

(I can’t help calling New York City the Grand Apple ever since falling in love with Debbie Reynolds as Grace’s mother on Will and Grace. Remember Bobbie Adler?)

Anyway, the International Cultic Studies Association has its annual conference coming up July 1, 2, 3 in New York. I’ve been wanting to go to one of these conferences since about 2003 when I first found out about the association while doing my cult recovery work and research. They hold a conference every year, usually in the summer, and alternate between Europe and a North American location.

Each year, the conference presents The Phoenix Project, which is a display of art work by ex-cult members. This art work can include paintings, drawings, plays, works of non-fiction, like my book and other art work. I am thrilled to have an excerpt from Cult, A Love Story displayed at the Phoenix project, and am honoured to have been asked to give an author reading during the conference.

Those who attend the ICSA conference are exactly the audience I had in mind when I wrote the book. They are ex-cult members and family/friends of ex-cult members, and these were the lovely souls I wanted to reach out to with my story in an attempt to increase our understanding about the cult experience and the experience of recovering from a cult.

Stay tuned for photographs and correspondence about my trip and my experience of the conference.

Look out Manhattan, here I come!