Robert Bly reading a draft in 1995 of his SIBLING SOCIETY (3) published in 1996
Robert Bly was my first mentor in the adult world when I was in my early 20s
When I was in my early 20s, I was aware that I wanted and needed mentors better than the ones I could find in my vicinity, and I knew that I had to go out and find them, even if—as I did—this meant relocating myself 2,510 miles from Houston Texas to the Pacific Northwest.
Robert Bly was my first mentor in the adult world, whereas my other earlier virtual mentors such as Earl Nightengale and Denis Waitley had been in the success/achievement world (which is notably sterile and robotic) but neither of them nor the others had much soul that I’d say is necessary for true adulthood.
Sure enough, the year after I moved to Portland Oregon, I’d joined my first men’s group, started my own men’s group, then moved to Seattle to join other groups, including working with a men’s nonprofit group and serving as Health Editor for their monthly magazine.
Among the books that served as service manuals for the early years of the men’s movement were:
IRON JOHN by Robert Bly
KING, WARRIOR, MAGICIAN, LOVER by Moore and Gillette
FLYING BOY by John Lee
KNIGHTS WITHOUT ARMOR by Kipnis
then eventually SIBLING SOCIETY by Bly
also a noteworthy audio recording by Bly, Hillman, and Meade titled MEN AND THE LIFE OF DESIRE, which I have mentioned previously
