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SUMMER 1996 • VOLUME 6 NO. 1

MEDICINE
&MIRACLES
Our Newsletter To Family & Friends
P.O. Box 20650 • 311 Mapleton• Boulder, Colorado 80308-3650 • 303 447-8777 • FAX 303 447-3902 • Toll Free 1-800-875-8770

From Skinny
Chicago Kid to
National Celebrity
and Hero
By Sam Gallegos

Phill Wilson, Board Member
If there is such a thing as an AIDS
celebrity, Phill Wilson is most likely
that person.
Not that he seeks out such visibility.
Rather, Phill seeks to make sure that
everyone is included in the resources
to battle AIDS because, as he well
knows, AIDS includes everyone and
does not discriminate.
"When you look at much of the ...
information directed at gay men,
much of the language and imagery is
focused on white men," he told
reporter David Blanton in Los
Angeles. "My own experience as a
black gay man is that if I'm not explicitly included then I'm tacitly excluded.
African-Americans and people of
color in general simply do not have
the same access to information and
services."

In this issue ...
Letter from the Executive Director ...2
AIDS Walk Colorado .......................... 3
Upcoming Conferences ...................... 3
Call for Proposals ............................... .4
CFC Funding ........................................ 4

Using the savvy and wit of a veteran grassroots organizer and the charm
and style of a powerful preacher,
Wilson has been able to get his message -indeed, the message of all people with AIDS -out to the masses,
some of whom were not ready to hear
him. He notes ironically that one area
where he has encountered the most
difficulty has been in the African
American communities, where many
still see AIDS as a problem of gay men
or drug users. "People are starting to
realize that the virus won't be
ignored," he told Blanton.
Wilson recently retired as Director
of Public Policy at AIDS Project Los
Angeles, whose office interacts with
national, state and local governments
as well as drafts legislation to increase
public funding for AIDS education,
research and support services. He is
the former AIDS coordinator for the
City of Los Angeles and a former cochair of the Los Angeles County HIV
Planning Council. He has also served
with the California LIFE Lobby and
been an advisor to the Los Angeles
County AIDS Commission. He has cofounded Black Living with AIDS and
HIV Disease, the AIDS Prevention
Team and the Gay Men of Color HIV
Consortium. As if that weren't
enough, he was an official U.S. delegate to the 1994 Paris AIDS Summit
and has worked with Russia, England,
Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands
-and hosted a monthly cable show.
All his efforts have earned him
many honors, including Man of the
Year from Christopher Street West
and the Gay and Lesbian Services
Center, and the Public Official of the
Year award by the Stonewall
Democratic Club. Yet he just might
trade everything if he could reverse
one major event seven years ago.
Wilson lost his partner of nine
years, Chris Brownlie, to AIDS in
November 1989 and told his story to
Renee Tawa of the Daily News.

Brownlie was 39, and his death left
such a lasting impact on Wilson that
he co-founded the Chris Brownlie
Hospice, the largest of its kind in the
U.S. He then pulled his address book
from his pocket and showed how at
least one name on every page was for
someone who has died of complications due to HIV. Stopping at one
page, he found five names of people
who have passed.
"Right now, I'm doing what I'm
doing and living my life as I see it," he
told Blanton. Part of that living
includes finishing a book about his life
for Doubleday.
Not bad for someone who still sees
himself as a skinny black kid from
Chicago. Ill

Living Every
Moment and
Loving It
By Sam Gallegos

Mary Wilson Blanton, Board Member
The last time Mary Wilson Blanton
was pregnant, HIV was the last thing
on her mind.
Both she and her husband Greg had
just left employment with Club Med
and moved to Colorado, where Greg's
family lives. Mary was pregnant so,
naturally, they were in need of insurance to cover the expense of having a
child. As with almost every individual
policy offered these days, a blood test

continued on page 3

Staff
Charles Robbins

Executive Director
Jo Ann Elliott

Program Director
Michael Zucker
Thomas Hardie
Noah Simons

Interns

Board of Directors
Steven Abbott, San Francisco, CA
Mary Blanton, Denver, CO
A. Cornelius Baker, Washington, DC
Richard Elion, MD, Washington, DC
Sharon Lund, Ivins-Kayenta, UT
Augustus Nasmith, Jr., Washington, DC
Bryan Russell, LCSW, Boulder, CO
Rev. Ken South, Washington, DC
David Stokes, Boston, MA
Torkin Wakefield, MPH, Boulder, CO
Phill Wilson, Los Angeles, CA

Honorary Board
Scott Allen
Ram Dass
Martin Delaney
Larry Dossey, MD
Sally Fisher
Robert Gass, Ed.D
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD
Stephen Levine
George Melton
Sallie Perryman
Adan Rios, MD
Rev. Julian Rush
Robert Schooley, MD
Bernie Siegel, MD
Rep. David Skaggs
Paul Volberding, MD
Marianne Williamson
Tim Wirth

Newsletter
Sam Gallegos, Contributing Writer
Char Campbell, Graphics and Design

AIDS, Medicine and Miracles is
a 50l(c)3 non-profit organization
based in Boulder, Colorado, which strives
to educate, nurture and empower all people confronting AIOS . In a supportive
retreat setting, our national conferences
explore medical and complementary therapies, as well as psychosocial and spiritual
opportunities. We serve individuals living
with HIV / AIDS, their loved ones and caregivers, creating dialogue promoting
health, growth and social action.

Significant and Secure:
AM&M on the National Scene
by Charles Robbins
There are many things for people living and working with HIV to be optimistic about: recent advances
in Western medicine have provided for better drug
therapies; clinical studies on alternative treatments
are currently underway at Bastyr University in
Seattle; a wealth of books and periodicals on HIV can
be found in your local bookstore; the internet has
exploded with HIV specific newsgroups and websites; and, (in my humble and biased opinion) AIDS,
Medicine & Miracles continues to make a significant
difference in the lives of those infected and affected
by HIV.
In our last newsletter, I specifically outlined two
goals to make AM&M more accessible: 1) subsidizing the cost of conference tuition, and 2) providing more programming in
underserved locations. I'm pleased to report that since January of this year,
we have coordinated three national conference retreats serving over 675
individuals from 23 states and have awarded over $40,000 in tuition scholarships. Over 2 / 3 of the HIV+ participants attending our conferences received
partial tuition assistance ... and we are only half way through the year!
The amount of national exposure for AM&M is at an all time high. I
would like to give special thanks for our friends at POZ magazine, Art &
Understanding and OUT as well as all of the AIDS Service Organizations
throughout the country who have distributed our registration brochures to
their clients. Thank you.
Optimism is crucial for both individuals and organizations in the ongoing
struggle to fight HIV and AIDS. Surviving and thriving takes effort, encouragement, and cannot be done alone.

Three Conferences, Six Months, Two Staff
"How do they do it?" Inquiring minds want to know! Both Charles and
Jo Ann have worked tremendously hard to coordinate three programs within the first six months. In prior years, only two or three conferences were
held annually.
"First, we upgraded our computer system", stated Charles. "Most of the
technical aspects of the office involve correspondence and data management. Additionally, we hired an intern, Michael Zucker, from the
University of Colorado in Boulder. Michael designed our new database program for mailing and conference registration. More importantly, we involve
others. Jo Ann has done a tremendous job in recruiting volunteers to help in
the office and at each conference. We are always looking for help."
The Seattle, Washington conference attracted 175 individuals, including
several folks from Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Oregon. Conference
support included promotional help from Chicken Soup Brigade and
Northwest AIDS Foundation. Highlights included music by Stephen Jacob,
a "Positive Loving" workshop by Malcolm McKay and the highly popular
plenary by Dr. Lark Lands.
In Denver, Colorado conference support included promotional help from
Project Angel Heart and the Colorado AIDS Project. Gregg Cassin and Dr.
Lark Lands got the conference off to a fabulous start with their one-day
institute: Positively Well. Shelley Cohen and Darilynn Carroll offered a
workshop for caregivers and over 30 vendors were on site to offer information on products and services. Another highlight occurred when all 250 participants joined in a 10 minute "chant" at the conclusion of the lecture by
author Marianne Williamson.
In Rhinebeck, New York, the beauty of the Omega Institute attracted a
capacity crowd of 250. It was hard to get consensus on what was the
favorite highlight: some reveled in the natural beauty of the countryside,
some enjoyed boat rides on the lake, others were rolling on the ground with

continued on page 3

Al DS Walk Colorado

~

AM&M is a beneficiary organization
of AIDS Walk Colorado to be held
~
Sunday, September 8th. If you are
interested in walking as part of our
team, please call Charles Robbins.
Also, we will gladly accept any pledge ~
made payable to AIDS Walk Colorado.
All monies raised by our walk team
~
will directly benefit AM&M!

AIDS
WALK
COLORADO
SEPTEMBER 8

~

~

~

Wish List
100 Pentium Processor/
IBM Compatible Computer
IBM Compatible Scanner
Donated Airline Certificates/ Tickets
Portable Massage Chairs w / Case

~

Printing Services

long as she has. ("I feel like I'm a long term survivor.") All the
while, she's been able to see a very bright side.
the humor of Karen Williams, while most were having out of
"I have never ever been angry at this disease," she says.
body experiences from the Joy Breath workshop!
"My friends are amazed that I've never been angry [but] I'd
Participants came from up and down the east coast including do it all over again to have my husband back ... My personaliBaltimore, Washington, Harlem, New York City, Chicago,
ty is just to live every moment and it's always been that way.
and Philadelphia. Over 40 HIV+ women attended the one"I wouldn't say [AIDS is] a gift because you can return a
day Women's Institute. Special thanks to the People With
gift. I can't return this sucker." She smirks when people who
AIDS Coalition of New York and God's Love We Deliver for
don't have HIV express their sympathy by saying that they
their pre-conference support. ~
too could die soon if they were hit by a bus. "I've already been
hit by a bus. Sometimes it's like a cloud over my head, but I've
discovered that I can live, I can have sex [and] have a creative
Upcoming Conferences
love life."
Sex and a love life?
Octoberl0
July 12
"I had just resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to
Official Satellite Symposium
National Skills Building
have sex," she recalls. "Who would want me?"
of the XI International
Conference
In 1994, she met a man at the Museum of Natural History,
Conference on AIDS
Hilton Hotel
agreed to have coffee with him and found, fearfully at first,
Wall Centre Hotel,
Washington, DC
that she liked him.
Ballroom D
(202) 483-1124
"It got to the point where he wanted a first kiss." Tom
Vancouver, Canada
between being truthful and giving her feelings a fair shake,
(800) 875-8770
November 7-10
she decided to tell him that she has HIV, to which he responded, 'So what's that mean?' according to Mary.
__,'(/~'',,_
AM&M Conference Retreat
XI International Vancouver
Mary was blown away but what seemed to be a serious lack
Stouffer Renaissance Hotel
Conference
July 7-12, 1996
of knowledge by this man whom she found enchanted. But
on AIDS
Houston, TX
rather than overreact, she explained that if they were safe,
Offic,a/ Sate/1,te Symposium
(800) 875-8770
there should be no problem. Things worked better than she
had hoped. Two years later, she is still with this man from the
Mary Wilson Blanton (cont'd)
Museum.
"You don't need to tell someone your diagnosis right away.
was required.
You've
got to get to know someone; there's no reason not to.
Both Mary and Greg thought nothing of it. "We were hetJust
because
someone has heart disease doesn't mean they
erosexual," recalls Mary. "[In] that category in our little bubcan't
date."
ble world, we never thought that [HIV] would happen."
With such an upbeat attitude, it was only a matter of time
That's maybe why things seemed so surreal for Mary after
before
she found AIDS, Medicine and Miracles, she says. After
learning that her husband had been denied in 1990 because he
attending
the AM&M conference in Boulder in 1992, she
had HIV. Shortly after her husband discovered he was posibecame
involved.
Last year, she was asked to be on the board
tive, Mary took the next logical step that she too-and possiof directors.
bly the child she was carrying-was positive.
"[Living with HIV] is about hope, it's about us ... It's just
"I kept looking at my watch thinking, I should be dead any
good
to be around other people with the virus who think posiminute now.' I thought I had AIDS, but I didn't I didn't
tivly,
who
have hope, who heal one another."
know."
Mary
currently
is asymptomatic but is not as active with all
As if all her trauma wasn't enough, Mary also was told by
the
organizations
that
used to consume her days a few years
her obstetrician that because of her HIV, she would most likeago. She takes time to do things like get a massage every
ly die if she carried her child to term.
"I was so far along in the pregnancy, I only had one week to week, play the piano (she can't read music; she "just play(s)
from my heart"), to create art works from water colors or
decide [to abort]." Dying in the delivery room, however,
didn't bother her as much as having a child who would never acrylic, to work in her garden, to train her dogs or whatever is
nurturing for her.
know its mother, she recalls. Being pro-choice, she exercised
All her efforts, however, still focus on prevention through
her option to get an abortion, although she did it with much
education. "I do public speaking, telling my story, [which is
pain. "I tell people that I've lost a child because of AIDS." A
like] AIDS 101," she says. Her motivation? There is no cure,
few years after that, she also lost her husband Greg in 1993.
but
there is a lot of life to live.
The Arlington, Va., native is glad to have one child-son
•
And
Mary is determined to live it. ~
Casey who is eight years old-and to have survived for as

Significant ...

(cont'd)

.

Miracle Makers • Gifts of $1,000 or more
January 1 to June 1, 1996
Anonymous
Foundation
Boulder Community
Hospital
Bristol-Myers Squibb

The Gill Foundation
Glaxo-Wellcome
Mead Johnson
MedExpress
Medical Escrow Society

NexStar
Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, Inc.
Roche Laboratories
TLC Funding

Combined Federal Campaign Provides
Impact Funding for AM&M
Federal employees can now select
AM&M as a recipient of workplace
giving contributions. The impact of
receiving monthly pledges has provided the opportunity to expand our programming. We extend our gratitude
to all those who have made contributions to the Combined Federal
Campaign on behalf of AM&M.

Please encourage all federal employees you may know to consider contributing to AM&M. We will gladly
send folks a packet of information
should they desire further materials
on our work. Ill

Our CFC designation
number is 0821.

Special Thanks
to the following for their
special event contributions:

Al Lowman
John Lynch & Mark Pitman
Marianne Williamson
Patti Thomrp.a
Mid-Hudson Craft Auction

CALL FOR
WORKSHOP
PROPOSALS
Would you like to share your
work at an AM&M Conference?
Proposals are now being solicited for
our upcoming Houston conference.
In 300 words or less, please indicate
your teaching style/ methods as well
as content. All workshop leaders
will be given free tuition. Submit
your proposal and resume to Jo Ann
Elliott, Program Director at our
office address by September 5th.

We're Online! Visit out Worldwide Web Page at: http://www.csd.net/~amm/index.htm
And email us at: amm@csd.net
Please note our NEW MAILING ADDRESS.

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,.

Professional Audiotapes Recorded Live at

AIDS, Medicine
& Miracles 1996
April 12 -14, 1996 • Denver, Colorado

AMF-3

Dr. Charles Steinberg

AMF-4

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AMF-5

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AMF-10 John Young
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Don't Ever Give Up!: A Discussion for Long-term Survivors (One Tape)
Sex and 9D's Dating (One Tape)
Joy Breath Workshop (One Tape)
Working With Your Inner Healer: Shamanic & Practical Tools (One Tape)
Employment..A Treatment Option That Works (One Tape)
The River is Wide: Do You Really Know What I'm Feeling? (One Tape)
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Positively Loving: A Couples Approach to
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Atos

SUMMER 1996 • VOLUME 6 NO. 1

MEDICINE
&MIRACLES
Our Newsletter To Family & Friends
P.O. Box 20650 • 311 Mapleton• Boulder, Colorado 80308-3650 • 303 447-8777 • FAX 303 447-3902 • Toll Free 1-800-875-8770

From Skinny
Chicago Kid to
National Celebrity
and Hero
By Sam Gallegos

Phill Wilson, Board Member
If there is such a thing as an AIDS
celebrity, Phill Wilson is most likely
that person.
Not that he seeks out such visibility.
Rather, Phill seeks to make sure that
everyone is included in the resources
to battle AIDS because, as he well
knows, AIDS includes everyone and
does not discriminate.
"When you look at much of the ...
information directed at gay men,
much of the language and imagery is
focused on white men," he told
reporter David Blanton in Los
Angeles. "My own experience as a
black gay man is that if I'm not explicitly included then I'm tacitly excluded.
African-Americans and people of
color in general simply do not have
the same access to information and
services."

In this issue ...
Letter from the Executive Director ...2
AIDS Walk Colorado .......................... 3
Upcoming Conferences ...................... 3
Call for Proposals ............................... .4
CFC Funding ........................................ 4

Using the savvy and wit of a veteran grassroots organizer and the charm
and style of a powerful preacher,
Wilson has been able to get his message -indeed, the message of all people with AIDS -out to the masses,
some of whom were not ready to hear
him. He notes ironically that one area
where he has encountered the most
difficulty has been in the African
American communities, where many
still see AIDS as a problem of gay men
or drug users. "People are starting to
realize that the virus won't be
ignored," he told Blanton.
Wilson recently retired as Director
of Public Policy at AIDS Project Los
Angeles, whose office interacts with
national, state and local governments
as well as drafts legislation to increase
public funding for AIDS education,
research and support services. He is
the former AIDS coordinator for the
City of Los Angeles and a former cochair of the Los Angeles County HIV
Planning Council. He has also served
with the California LIFE Lobby and
been an advisor to the Los Angeles
County AIDS Commission. He has cofounded Black Living with AIDS and
HIV Disease, the AIDS Prevention
Team and the Gay Men of Color HIV
Consortium. As if that weren't
enough, he was an official U.S. delegate to the 1994 Paris AIDS Summit
and has worked with Russia, England,
Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands
-and hosted a monthly cable show.
All his efforts have earned him
many honors, including Man of the
Year from Christopher Street West
and the Gay and Lesbian Services
Center, and the Public Official of the
Year award by the Stonewall
Democratic Club. Yet he just might
trade everything if he could reverse
one major event seven years ago.
Wilson lost his partner of nine
years, Chris Brownlie, to AIDS in
November 1989 and told his story to
Renee Tawa of the Daily News.

Brownlie was 39, and his death left
such a lasting impact on Wilson that
he co-founded the Chris Brownlie
Hospice, the largest of its kind in the
U.S. He then pulled his address book
from his pocket and showed how at
least one name on every page was for
someone who has died of complications due to HIV. Stopping at one
page, he found five names of people
who have passed.
"Right now, I'm doing what I'm
doing and living my life as I see it," he
told Blanton. Part of that living
includes finishing a book about his life
for Doubleday.
Not bad for someone who still sees
himself as a skinny black kid from
Chicago. Ill

Living Every
Moment and
Loving It
By Sam Gallegos

Mary Wilson Blanton, Board Member
The last time Mary Wilson Blanton
was pregnant, HIV was the last thing
on her mind.
Both she and her husband Greg had
just left employment with Club Med
and moved to Colorado, where Greg's
family lives. Mary was pregnant so,
naturally, they were in need of insurance to cover the expense of having a
child. As with almost every individual
policy offered these days, a blood test

continued on page 3

Staff
Charles Robbins

Executive Director
Jo Ann Elliott

Program Director
Michael Zucker
Thomas Hardie
Noah Simons

Interns

Board of Directors
Steven Abbott, San Francisco, CA
Mary Blanton, Denver, CO
A. Cornelius Baker, Washington, DC
Richard Elion, MD, Washington, DC
Sharon Lund, Ivins-Kayenta, UT
Augustus Nasmith, Jr., Washington, DC
Bryan Russell, LCSW, Boulder, CO
Rev. Ken South, Washington, DC
David Stokes, Boston, MA
Torkin Wakefield, MPH, Boulder, CO
Phill Wilson, Los Angeles, CA

Honorary Board
Scott Allen
Ram Dass
Martin Delaney
Larry Dossey, MD
Sally Fisher
Robert Gass, Ed.D
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD
Stephen Levine
George Melton
Sallie Perryman
Adan Rios, MD
Rev. Julian Rush
Robert Schooley, MD
Bernie Siegel, MD
Rep. David Skaggs
Paul Volberding, MD
Marianne Williamson
Tim Wirth

Newsletter
Sam Gallegos, Contributing Writer
Char Campbell, Graphics and Design

AIDS, Medicine and Miracles is
a 50l(c)3 non-profit organization
based in Boulder, Colorado, which strives
to educate, nurture and empower all people confronting AIOS . In a supportive
retreat setting, our national conferences
explore medical and complementary therapies, as well as psychosocial and spiritual
opportunities. We serve individuals living
with HIV / AIDS, their loved ones and caregivers, creating dialogue promoting
health, growth and social action.

Significant and Secure:
AM&M on the National Scene
by Charles Robbins
There are many things for people living and working with HIV to be optimistic about: recent advances
in Western medicine have provided for better drug
therapies; clinical studies on alternative treatments
are currently underway at Bastyr University in
Seattle; a wealth of books and periodicals on HIV can
be found in your local bookstore; the internet has
exploded with HIV specific newsgroups and websites; and, (in my humble and biased opinion) AIDS,
Medicine & Miracles continues to make a significant
difference in the lives of those infected and affected
by HIV.
In our last newsletter, I specifically outlined two
goals to make AM&M more accessible: 1) subsidizing the cost of conference tuition, and 2) providing more programming in
underserved locations. I'm pleased to report that since January of this year,
we have coordinated three national conference retreats serving over 675
individuals from 23 states and have awarded over $40,000 in tuition scholarships. Over 2 / 3 of the HIV+ participants attending our conferences received
partial tuition assistance ... and we are only half way through the year!
The amount of national exposure for AM&M is at an all time high. I
would like to give special thanks for our friends at POZ magazine, Art &
Understanding and OUT as well as all of the AIDS Service Organizations
throughout the country who have distributed our registration brochures to
their clients. Thank you.
Optimism is crucial for both individuals and organizations in the ongoing
struggle to fight HIV and AIDS. Surviving and thriving takes effort, encouragement, and cannot be done alone.

Three Conferences, Six Months, Two Staff
"How do they do it?" Inquiring minds want to know! Both Charles and
Jo Ann have worked tremendously hard to coordinate three programs within the first six months. In prior years, only two or three conferences were
held annually.
"First, we upgraded our computer system", stated Charles. "Most of the
technical aspects of the office involve correspondence and data management. Additionally, we hired an intern, Michael Zucker, from the
University of Colorado in Boulder. Michael designed our new database program for mailing and conference registration. More importantly, we involve
others. Jo Ann has done a tremendous job in recruiting volunteers to help in
the office and at each conference. We are always looking for help."
The Seattle, Washington conference attracted 175 individuals, including
several folks from Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Oregon. Conference
support included promotional help from Chicken Soup Brigade and
Northwest AIDS Foundation. Highlights included music by Stephen Jacob,
a "Positive Loving" workshop by Malcolm McKay and the highly popular
plenary by Dr. Lark Lands.
In Denver, Colorado conference support included promotional help from
Project Angel Heart and the Colorado AIDS Project. Gregg Cassin and Dr.
Lark Lands got the conference off to a fabulous start with their one-day
institute: Positively Well. Shelley Cohen and Darilynn Carroll offered a
workshop for caregivers and over 30 vendors were on site to offer information on products and services. Another highlight occurred when all 250 participants joined in a 10 minute "chant" at the conclusion of the lecture by
author Marianne Williamson.
In Rhinebeck, New York, the beauty of the Omega Institute attracted a
capacity crowd of 250. It was hard to get consensus on what was the
favorite highlight: some reveled in the natural beauty of the countryside,
some enjoyed boat rides on the lake, others were rolling on the ground with

continued on page 3

Al DS Walk Colorado

~

AM&M is a beneficiary organization
of AIDS Walk Colorado to be held
~
Sunday, September 8th. If you are
interested in walking as part of our
team, please call Charles Robbins.
Also, we will gladly accept any pledge ~
made payable to AIDS Walk Colorado.
All monies raised by our walk team
~
will directly benefit AM&M!

AIDS
WALK
COLORADO
SEPTEMBER 8

~

~

~

Wish List
100 Pentium Processor/
IBM Compatible Computer
IBM Compatible Scanner
Donated Airline Certificates/ Tickets
Portable Massage Chairs w / Case

~

Printing Services

long as she has. ("I feel like I'm a long term survivor.") All the
while, she's been able to see a very bright side.
the humor of Karen Williams, while most were having out of
"I have never ever been angry at this disease," she says.
body experiences from the Joy Breath workshop!
"My friends are amazed that I've never been angry [but] I'd
Participants came from up and down the east coast including do it all over again to have my husband back ... My personaliBaltimore, Washington, Harlem, New York City, Chicago,
ty is just to live every moment and it's always been that way.
and Philadelphia. Over 40 HIV+ women attended the one"I wouldn't say [AIDS is] a gift because you can return a
day Women's Institute. Special thanks to the People With
gift. I can't return this sucker." She smirks when people who
AIDS Coalition of New York and God's Love We Deliver for
don't have HIV express their sympathy by saying that they
their pre-conference support. ~
too could die soon if they were hit by a bus. "I've already been
hit by a bus. Sometimes it's like a cloud over my head, but I've
discovered that I can live, I can have sex [and] have a creative
Upcoming Conferences
love life."
Sex and a love life?
Octoberl0
July 12
"I had just resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to
Official Satellite Symposium
National Skills Building
have sex," she recalls. "Who would want me?"
of the XI International
Conference
In 1994, she met a man at the Museum of Natural History,
Conference on AIDS
Hilton Hotel
agreed to have coffee with him and found, fearfully at first,
Wall Centre Hotel,
Washington, DC
that she liked him.
Ballroom D
(202) 483-1124
"It got to the point where he wanted a first kiss." Tom
Vancouver, Canada
between being truthful and giving her feelings a fair shake,
(800) 875-8770
November 7-10
she decided to tell him that she has HIV, to which he responded, 'So what's that mean?' according to Mary.
__,'(/~'',,_
AM&M Conference Retreat
XI International Vancouver
Mary was blown away but what seemed to be a serious lack
Stouffer Renaissance Hotel
Conference
July 7-12, 1996
of knowledge by this man whom she found enchanted. But
on AIDS
Houston, TX
rather than overreact, she explained that if they were safe,
Offic,a/ Sate/1,te Symposium
(800) 875-8770
there should be no problem. Things worked better than she
had hoped. Two years later, she is still with this man from the
Mary Wilson Blanton (cont'd)
Museum.
"You don't need to tell someone your diagnosis right away.
was required.
You've
got to get to know someone; there's no reason not to.
Both Mary and Greg thought nothing of it. "We were hetJust
because
someone has heart disease doesn't mean they
erosexual," recalls Mary. "[In] that category in our little bubcan't
date."
ble world, we never thought that [HIV] would happen."
With such an upbeat attitude, it was only a matter of time
That's maybe why things seemed so surreal for Mary after
before
she found AIDS, Medicine and Miracles, she says. After
learning that her husband had been denied in 1990 because he
attending
the AM&M conference in Boulder in 1992, she
had HIV. Shortly after her husband discovered he was posibecame
involved.
Last year, she was asked to be on the board
tive, Mary took the next logical step that she too-and possiof directors.
bly the child she was carrying-was positive.
"[Living with HIV] is about hope, it's about us ... It's just
"I kept looking at my watch thinking, I should be dead any
good
to be around other people with the virus who think posiminute now.' I thought I had AIDS, but I didn't I didn't
tivly,
who
have hope, who heal one another."
know."
Mary
currently
is asymptomatic but is not as active with all
As if all her trauma wasn't enough, Mary also was told by
the
organizations
that
used to consume her days a few years
her obstetrician that because of her HIV, she would most likeago. She takes time to do things like get a massage every
ly die if she carried her child to term.
"I was so far along in the pregnancy, I only had one week to week, play the piano (she can't read music; she "just play(s)
from my heart"), to create art works from water colors or
decide [to abort]." Dying in the delivery room, however,
didn't bother her as much as having a child who would never acrylic, to work in her garden, to train her dogs or whatever is
nurturing for her.
know its mother, she recalls. Being pro-choice, she exercised
All her efforts, however, still focus on prevention through
her option to get an abortion, although she did it with much
education. "I do public speaking, telling my story, [which is
pain. "I tell people that I've lost a child because of AIDS." A
like] AIDS 101," she says. Her motivation? There is no cure,
few years after that, she also lost her husband Greg in 1993.
but
there is a lot of life to live.
The Arlington, Va., native is glad to have one child-son
•
And
Mary is determined to live it. ~
Casey who is eight years old-and to have survived for as

Significant ...

(cont'd)

.

Miracle Makers • Gifts of $1,000 or more
January 1 to June 1, 1996
Anonymous
Foundation
Boulder Community
Hospital
Bristol-Myers Squibb

The Gill Foundation
Glaxo-Wellcome
Mead Johnson
MedExpress
Medical Escrow Society

NexStar
Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, Inc.
Roche Laboratories
TLC Funding

Combined Federal Campaign Provides
Impact Funding for AM&M
Federal employees can now select
AM&M as a recipient of workplace
giving contributions. The impact of
receiving monthly pledges has provided the opportunity to expand our programming. We extend our gratitude
to all those who have made contributions to the Combined Federal
Campaign on behalf of AM&M.

Please encourage all federal employees you may know to consider contributing to AM&M. We will gladly
send folks a packet of information
should they desire further materials
on our work. Ill

Our CFC designation
number is 0821.

Special Thanks
to the following for their
special event contributions:

Al Lowman
John Lynch & Mark Pitman
Marianne Williamson
Patti Thomrp.a
Mid-Hudson Craft Auction

CALL FOR
WORKSHOP
PROPOSALS
Would you like to share your
work at an AM&M Conference?
Proposals are now being solicited for
our upcoming Houston conference.
In 300 words or less, please indicate
your teaching style/ methods as well
as content. All workshop leaders
will be given free tuition. Submit
your proposal and resume to Jo Ann
Elliott, Program Director at our
office address by September 5th.

We're Online! Visit out Worldwide Web Page at: http://www.csd.net/~amm/index.htm
And email us at: amm@csd.net
Please note our NEW MAILING ADDRESS.

pa1-sanba}I
UO!l:Jcl..l..10::) ssa..1ppy

~O •A1!~ ~W0Q~I~O
16£ M ~ ZT£Z
S3~HilOS38 H:is1s □ NV7H3H
2lt£L

0:) 1Jap1nos
L6£ ·oN l!WJad
OIVd
a8e1sod ·s·n
·8JQ l!J0Jd-U0N

0S-9£-80£08 O:::> 'Jap1nos
uo1a1dew LL£ • 0S-90l xos 'O'd

,.

Professional Audiotapes Recorded Live at

AIDS, Medicine
& Miracles 1996
April 12 -14, 1996 • Denver, Colorado

AMF-3

Dr. Charles Steinberg

AMF-4

Sharon Lund

AMF-5

Kaelan Shannon

AMF-7

Darilyn Carroll & Shelly Cohen

AMF-8

Bob Publicover

AMF-10 John Young
AMF-11

Dawn Carter & Tammy Stanley

AMF-12 J-B Saint-Leger
AMF-15 gil kudrin
AMF-16 Barry Jay Glass
AMF-17 Marianne Williamson

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Wholism & Recent Medical Advances With Complementary Therapies (One Tape)
Empowerment From Within (One Tape)
Stress Mastery: Keys to Living With Stress Successfully (One Tape)
Taking Care of Yourself: Care for the Caregiver (One Tape)
Don't Ever Give Up!: A Discussion for Long-term Survivors (One Tape)
Sex and 9D's Dating (One Tape)
Joy Breath Workshop (One Tape)
Working With Your Inner Healer: Shamanic & Practical Tools (One Tape)
Employment..A Treatment Option That Works (One Tape)
The River is Wide: Do You Really Know What I'm Feeling? (One Tape)
AIDS as a Spiritual Renaissance (One Tape)
Sunday,April14,1996
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Living With Loss (One Tape)
Living With AIDS: Our Journey (One Tape)
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Positively Loving: A Couples Approach to
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-Malcolm McKay

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A Psychoneuroimmunological Approach to
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Atos

SUMMER 1996 • VOLUME 6 NO. 1

MEDICINE
&MIRACLES
Our Newsletter To Family & Friends
P.O. Box 20650 • 311 Mapleton• Boulder, Colorado 80308-3650 • 303 447-8777 • FAX 303 447-3902 • Toll Free 1-800-875-8770

From Skinny
Chicago Kid to
National Celebrity
and Hero
By Sam Gallegos

Phill Wilson, Board Member
If there is such a thing as an AIDS
celebrity, Phill Wilson is most likely
that person.
Not that he seeks out such visibility.
Rather, Phill seeks to make sure that
everyone is included in the resources
to battle AIDS because, as he well
knows, AIDS includes everyone and
does not discriminate.
"When you look at much of the ...
information directed at gay men,
much of the language and imagery is
focused on white men," he told
reporter David Blanton in Los
Angeles. "My own experience as a
black gay man is that if I'm not explicitly included then I'm tacitly excluded.
African-Americans and people of
color in general simply do not have
the same access to information and
services."

In this issue ...
Letter from the Executive Director ...2
AIDS Walk Colorado .......................... 3
Upcoming Conferences ...................... 3
Call for Proposals ............................... .4
CFC Funding ........................................ 4

Using the savvy and wit of a veteran grassroots organizer and the charm
and style of a powerful preacher,
Wilson has been able to get his message -indeed, the message of all people with AIDS -out to the masses,
some of whom were not ready to hear
him. He notes ironically that one area
where he has encountered the most
difficulty has been in the African
American communities, where many
still see AIDS as a problem of gay men
or drug users. "People are starting to
realize that the virus won't be
ignored," he told Blanton.
Wilson recently retired as Director
of Public Policy at AIDS Project Los
Angeles, whose office interacts with
national, state and local governments
as well as drafts legislation to increase
public funding for AIDS education,
research and support services. He is
the former AIDS coordinator for the
City of Los Angeles and a former cochair of the Los Angeles County HIV
Planning Council. He has also served
with the California LIFE Lobby and
been an advisor to the Los Angeles
County AIDS Commission. He has cofounded Black Living with AIDS and
HIV Disease, the AIDS Prevention
Team and the Gay Men of Color HIV
Consortium. As if that weren't
enough, he was an official U.S. delegate to the 1994 Paris AIDS Summit
and has worked with Russia, England,
Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands
-and hosted a monthly cable show.
All his efforts have earned him
many honors, including Man of the
Year from Christopher Street West
and the Gay and Lesbian Services
Center, and the Public Official of the
Year award by the Stonewall
Democratic Club. Yet he just might
trade everything if he could reverse
one major event seven years ago.
Wilson lost his partner of nine
years, Chris Brownlie, to AIDS in
November 1989 and told his story to
Renee Tawa of the Daily News.

Brownlie was 39, and his death left
such a lasting impact on Wilson that
he co-founded the Chris Brownlie
Hospice, the largest of its kind in the
U.S. He then pulled his address book
from his pocket and showed how at
least one name on every page was for
someone who has died of complications due to HIV. Stopping at one
page, he found five names of people
who have passed.
"Right now, I'm doing what I'm
doing and living my life as I see it," he
told Blanton. Part of that living
includes finishing a book about his life
for Doubleday.
Not bad for someone who still sees
himself as a skinny black kid from
Chicago. Ill

Living Every
Moment and
Loving It
By Sam Gallegos

Mary Wilson Blanton, Board Member
The last time Mary Wilson Blanton
was pregnant, HIV was the last thing
on her mind.
Both she and her husband Greg had
just left employment with Club Med
and moved to Colorado, where Greg's
family lives. Mary was pregnant so,
naturally, they were in need of insurance to cover the expense of having a
child. As with almost every individual
policy offered these days, a blood test

continued on page 3

Staff
Charles Robbins

Executive Director
Jo Ann Elliott

Program Director
Michael Zucker
Thomas Hardie
Noah Simons

Interns

Board of Directors
Steven Abbott, San Francisco, CA
Mary Blanton, Denver, CO
A. Cornelius Baker, Washington, DC
Richard Elion, MD, Washington, DC
Sharon Lund, Ivins-Kayenta, UT
Augustus Nasmith, Jr., Washington, DC
Bryan Russell, LCSW, Boulder, CO
Rev. Ken South, Washington, DC
David Stokes, Boston, MA
Torkin Wakefield, MPH, Boulder, CO
Phill Wilson, Los Angeles, CA

Honorary Board
Scott Allen
Ram Dass
Martin Delaney
Larry Dossey, MD
Sally Fisher
Robert Gass, Ed.D
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, MD
Stephen Levine
George Melton
Sallie Perryman
Adan Rios, MD
Rev. Julian Rush
Robert Schooley, MD
Bernie Siegel, MD
Rep. David Skaggs
Paul Volberding, MD
Marianne Williamson
Tim Wirth

Newsletter
Sam Gallegos, Contributing Writer
Char Campbell, Graphics and Design

AIDS, Medicine and Miracles is
a 50l(c)3 non-profit organization
based in Boulder, Colorado, which strives
to educate, nurture and empower all people confronting AIOS . In a supportive
retreat setting, our national conferences
explore medical and complementary therapies, as well as psychosocial and spiritual
opportunities. We serve individuals living
with HIV / AIDS, their loved ones and caregivers, creating dialogue promoting
health, growth and social action.

Significant and Secure:
AM&M on the National Scene
by Charles Robbins
There are many things for people living and working with HIV to be optimistic about: recent advances
in Western medicine have provided for better drug
therapies; clinical studies on alternative treatments
are currently underway at Bastyr University in
Seattle; a wealth of books and periodicals on HIV can
be found in your local bookstore; the internet has
exploded with HIV specific newsgroups and websites; and, (in my humble and biased opinion) AIDS,
Medicine & Miracles continues to make a significant
difference in the lives of those infected and affected
by HIV.
In our last newsletter, I specifically outlined two
goals to make AM&M more accessible: 1) subsidizing the cost of conference tuition, and 2) providing more programming in
underserved locations. I'm pleased to report that since January of this year,
we have coordinated three national conference retreats serving over 675
individuals from 23 states and have awarded over $40,000 in tuition scholarships. Over 2 / 3 of the HIV+ participants attending our conferences received
partial tuition assistance ... and we are only half way through the year!
The amount of national exposure for AM&M is at an all time high. I
would like to give special thanks for our friends at POZ magazine, Art &
Understanding and OUT as well as all of the AIDS Service Organizations
throughout the country who have distributed our registration brochures to
their clients. Thank you.
Optimism is crucial for both individuals and organizations in the ongoing
struggle to fight HIV and AIDS. Surviving and thriving takes effort, encouragement, and cannot be done alone.

Three Conferences, Six Months, Two Staff
"How do they do it?" Inquiring minds want to know! Both Charles and
Jo Ann have worked tremendously hard to coordinate three programs within the first six months. In prior years, only two or three conferences were
held annually.
"First, we upgraded our computer system", stated Charles. "Most of the
technical aspects of the office involve correspondence and data management. Additionally, we hired an intern, Michael Zucker, from the
University of Colorado in Boulder. Michael designed our new database program for mailing and conference registration. More importantly, we involve
others. Jo Ann has done a tremendous job in recruiting volunteers to help in
the office and at each conference. We are always looking for help."
The Seattle, Washington conference attracted 175 individuals, including
several folks from Vancouver, Canada and Portland, Oregon. Conference
support included promotional help from Chicken Soup Brigade and
Northwest AIDS Foundation. Highlights included music by Stephen Jacob,
a "Positive Loving" workshop by Malcolm McKay and the highly popular
plenary by Dr. Lark Lands.
In Denver, Colorado conference support included promotional help from
Project Angel Heart and the Colorado AIDS Project. Gregg Cassin and Dr.
Lark Lands got the conference off to a fabulous start with their one-day
institute: Positively Well. Shelley Cohen and Darilynn Carroll offered a
workshop for caregivers and over 30 vendors were on site to offer information on products and services. Another highlight occurred when all 250 participants joined in a 10 minute "chant" at the conclusion of the lecture by
author Marianne Williamson.
In Rhinebeck, New York, the beauty of the Omega Institute attracted a
capacity crowd of 250. It was hard to get consensus on what was the
favorite highlight: some reveled in the natural beauty of the countryside,
some enjoyed boat rides on the lake, others were rolling on the ground with

continued on page 3

Al DS Walk Colorado

~

AM&M is a beneficiary organization
of AIDS Walk Colorado to be held
~
Sunday, September 8th. If you are
interested in walking as part of our
team, please call Charles Robbins.
Also, we will gladly accept any pledge ~
made payable to AIDS Walk Colorado.
All monies raised by our walk team
~
will directly benefit AM&M!

AIDS
WALK
COLORADO
SEPTEMBER 8

~

~

~

Wish List
100 Pentium Processor/
IBM Compatible Computer
IBM Compatible Scanner
Donated Airline Certificates/ Tickets
Portable Massage Chairs w / Case

~

Printing Services

long as she has. ("I feel like I'm a long term survivor.") All the
while, she's been able to see a very bright side.
the humor of Karen Williams, while most were having out of
"I have never ever been angry at this disease," she says.
body experiences from the Joy Breath workshop!
"My friends are amazed that I've never been angry [but] I'd
Participants came from up and down the east coast including do it all over again to have my husband back ... My personaliBaltimore, Washington, Harlem, New York City, Chicago,
ty is just to live every moment and it's always been that way.
and Philadelphia. Over 40 HIV+ women attended the one"I wouldn't say [AIDS is] a gift because you can return a
day Women's Institute. Special thanks to the People With
gift. I can't return this sucker." She smirks when people who
AIDS Coalition of New York and God's Love We Deliver for
don't have HIV express their sympathy by saying that they
their pre-conference support. ~
too could die soon if they were hit by a bus. "I've already been
hit by a bus. Sometimes it's like a cloud over my head, but I've
discovered that I can live, I can have sex [and] have a creative
Upcoming Conferences
love life."
Sex and a love life?
Octoberl0
July 12
"I had just resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't going to
Official Satellite Symposium
National Skills Building
have sex," she recalls. "Who would want me?"
of the XI International
Conference
In 1994, she met a man at the Museum of Natural History,
Conference on AIDS
Hilton Hotel
agreed to have coffee with him and found, fearfully at first,
Wall Centre Hotel,
Washington, DC
that she liked him.
Ballroom D
(202) 483-1124
"It got to the point where he wanted a first kiss." Tom
Vancouver, Canada
between being truthful and giving her feelings a fair shake,
(800) 875-8770
November 7-10
she decided to tell him that she has HIV, to which he responded, 'So what's that mean?' according to Mary.
__,'(/~'',,_
AM&M Conference Retreat
XI International Vancouver
Mary was blown away but what seemed to be a serious lack
Stouffer Renaissance Hotel
Conference
July 7-12, 1996
of knowledge by this man whom she found enchanted. But
on AIDS
Houston, TX
rather than overreact, she explained that if they were safe,
Offic,a/ Sate/1,te Symposium
(800) 875-8770
there should be no problem. Things worked better than she
had hoped. Two years later, she is still with this man from the
Mary Wilson Blanton (cont'd)
Museum.
"You don't need to tell someone your diagnosis right away.
was required.
You've
got to get to know someone; there's no reason not to.
Both Mary and Greg thought nothing of it. "We were hetJust
because
someone has heart disease doesn't mean they
erosexual," recalls Mary. "[In] that category in our little bubcan't
date."
ble world, we never thought that [HIV] would happen."
With such an upbeat attitude, it was only a matter of time
That's maybe why things seemed so surreal for Mary after
before
she found AIDS, Medicine and Miracles, she says. After
learning that her husband had been denied in 1990 because he
attending
the AM&M conference in Boulder in 1992, she
had HIV. Shortly after her husband discovered he was posibecame
involved.
Last year, she was asked to be on the board
tive, Mary took the next logical step that she too-and possiof directors.
bly the child she was carrying-was positive.
"[Living with HIV] is about hope, it's about us ... It's just
"I kept looking at my watch thinking, I should be dead any
good
to be around other people with the virus who think posiminute now.' I thought I had AIDS, but I didn't I didn't
tivly,
who
have hope, who heal one another."
know."
Mary
currently
is asymptomatic but is not as active with all
As if all her trauma wasn't enough, Mary also was told by
the
organizations
that
used to consume her days a few years
her obstetrician that because of her HIV, she would most likeago. She takes time to do things like get a massage every
ly die if she carried her child to term.
"I was so far along in the pregnancy, I only had one week to week, play the piano (she can't read music; she "just play(s)
from my heart"), to create art works from water colors or
decide [to abort]." Dying in the delivery room, however,
didn't bother her as much as having a child who would never acrylic, to work in her garden, to train her dogs or whatever is
nurturing for her.
know its mother, she recalls. Being pro-choice, she exercised
All her efforts, however, still focus on prevention through
her option to get an abortion, although she did it with much
education. "I do public speaking, telling my story, [which is
pain. "I tell people that I've lost a child because of AIDS." A
like] AIDS 101," she says. Her motivation? There is no cure,
few years after that, she also lost her husband Greg in 1993.
but
there is a lot of life to live.
The Arlington, Va., native is glad to have one child-son
•
And
Mary is determined to live it. ~
Casey who is eight years old-and to have survived for as

Significant ...

(cont'd)

.

Miracle Makers • Gifts of $1,000 or more
January 1 to June 1, 1996
Anonymous
Foundation
Boulder Community
Hospital
Bristol-Myers Squibb

The Gill Foundation
Glaxo-Wellcome
Mead Johnson
MedExpress
Medical Escrow Society

NexStar
Pharmaceuticals
Pfizer, Inc.
Roche Laboratories
TLC Funding

Combined Federal Campaign Provides
Impact Funding for AM&M
Federal employees can now select
AM&M as a recipient of workplace
giving contributions. The impact of
receiving monthly pledges has provided the opportunity to expand our programming. We extend our gratitude
to all those who have made contributions to the Combined Federal
Campaign on behalf of AM&M.

Please encourage all federal employees you may know to consider contributing to AM&M. We will gladly
send folks a packet of information
should they desire further materials
on our work. Ill

Our CFC designation
number is 0821.

Special Thanks
to the following for their
special event contributions:

Al Lowman
John Lynch & Mark Pitman
Marianne Williamson
Patti Thomrp.a
Mid-Hudson Craft Auction

CALL FOR
WORKSHOP
PROPOSALS
Would you like to share your
work at an AM&M Conference?
Proposals are now being solicited for
our upcoming Houston conference.
In 300 words or less, please indicate
your teaching style/ methods as well
as content. All workshop leaders
will be given free tuition. Submit
your proposal and resume to Jo Ann
Elliott, Program Director at our
office address by September 5th.

We're Online! Visit out Worldwide Web Page at: http://www.csd.net/~amm/index.htm
And email us at: amm@csd.net
Please note our NEW MAILING ADDRESS.

pa1-sanba}I
UO!l:Jcl..l..10::) ssa..1ppy

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16£ M ~ ZT£Z
S3~HilOS38 H:is1s □ NV7H3H
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L6£ ·oN l!WJad
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0S-9£-80£08 O:::> 'Jap1nos
uo1a1dew LL£ • 0S-90l xos 'O'd

,.

Professional Audiotapes Recorded Live at

AIDS, Medicine
& Miracles 1996
April 12 -14, 1996 • Denver, Colorado

AMF-3

Dr. Charles Steinberg

AMF-4

Sharon Lund

AMF-5

Kaelan Shannon

AMF-7

Darilyn Carroll & Shelly Cohen

AMF-8

Bob Publicover

AMF-10 John Young
AMF-11

Dawn Carter & Tammy Stanley

AMF-12 J-B Saint-Leger
AMF-15 gil kudrin
AMF-16 Barry Jay Glass
AMF-17 Marianne Williamson

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Wholism & Recent Medical Advances With Complementary Therapies (One Tape)
Empowerment From Within (One Tape)
Stress Mastery: Keys to Living With Stress Successfully (One Tape)
Taking Care of Yourself: Care for the Caregiver (One Tape)
Don't Ever Give Up!: A Discussion for Long-term Survivors (One Tape)
Sex and 9D's Dating (One Tape)
Joy Breath Workshop (One Tape)
Working With Your Inner Healer: Shamanic & Practical Tools (One Tape)
Employment..A Treatment Option That Works (One Tape)
The River is Wide: Do You Really Know What I'm Feeling? (One Tape)
AIDS as a Spiritual Renaissance (One Tape)
Sunday,April14,1996
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Living With Loss (One Tape)
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AM63-240 (Single Cassette = $9.00)

Positively Loving: A Couples Approach to
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-Malcolm McKay

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Poetry: Writing Yourself to Wellness
-Dan Martell

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Staying Healthy with HIV: Nurturing the
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A Psychoneuroimmunological Approach to
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Journey to the Self -Stephen Jacob

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Your Inner Healer: Using Vital, Supportive
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--------------------------

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