Shirley Maclaine's book-And a question

[Jane Engel]

Have debated as to whether I'll get into this discussion about Shirley
Maclaine and her book on the Camino (I've not read the book but listened to
the tapes of the book) and like many who've commented, I found some of her
ideas in this book a little annoying and in the realm of fantasy. However,
Preston made a statement which has hooked me out of lurkdom and into
responding:

>Shirley wanted to be a rich famous movie star and now she doesn't want to take
>responsibility for the notoriety that goes with it.

In the early 80's I met Shirley Maclaine when she came to the community
where I was living in Scotland and she gave a talk then. She was (at least
at that time) very down to earth in all she said (I don't remember if she
mentioned her past lives but I don't think so!) and told us that she really
felt her acting and dancing talent was given to her specifically so that
when once she wrote a book about her spiritual ideas and understanding,
people would read it because she was famous. And I think many people who
would never have given any thought to the possibility of past lives or
"guides," or other spiritual topics she's written about since her first
book "Out on a Limb,"  have indeed done just that. After all, whether or
not any of us agrees with her pronouncements, just think how many messages
Shirley Maclaine and her ideas have generated here in the last few days!  I
have no way of knowing if Shirley is unwilling to take responsibility for
being the personality she is,  but I can only guess at how difficult it
must be to do anything as personal as walking the Camino, when you are very
famous, and have the press constantly following you asking questions.

On the other hand, Preston, I quite agree with you about Coehlo's book:
> its funny because even as I was reading Coehlo's book and *not*
>minding it so much, I had the feeling that a lot of people would really find
>him annoying.  I can't explain why I didn't find it more annoying - maybe if
>only that he did seem to be a little more factual about his pilgrimage and
>he did give those "spiritual exercises" which made it a little interactive.

I, too, liked the spiritual "exercises" and had thought it would be
interesting to do those exercises at approximately the same places Coehlo
did them during his pilgrimage. In fact, since I wasn't carrying his book
with me, I forgot all about them while I was on the Camino : (

Jane