Bone: Dying Into Life

When she was diagnosed in 1993, at the age of 65, with uterine cancer, the author drew on the resources of alternative healing as well as conventional medicine in her fight against the disease. A Canadian writer (Addiction to Perfection) and Jungian analyst, Woodman is also known for her New Age feminism and frequent appearances with poet Robert Bly, with whom she coauthored The Maiden King. Reproduced here is the journal she kept from November 1993 to March 1995 that documents the internal spiritual struggle her illness triggered. She details how she used imagery, took herbs and supplements prescribed by nontraditional healers and, in addition, followed their dietary strictures in order to fortify her body to withstand the recommended radiation treatment (including a painful and harrowing 48-hour ordeal). Woodman's diary entries are filled with introspective ruminations, mythological allusions, references to Jungian archetypes and the divisions between the masculine and the feminine, which will have the greatest appeal to those who are familiar with her work. Although Woodman had the support of her husband and friends during her illness, she was haunted by the recent death of a brother from cancer, her osteoporosis worsened and she was also later threatened by a new tumor that proved to be benign. Woodman has recovered from her cancer; those who have been similarly afflicted will appreciate her courage and determination to reclaim her body and spirit. 8-city author tour. (Oct.)