25/02/2014
Dear Aydan,
I finished your book. Congratulations on it! Courageous and thoughtful. I love this sentence: The unquestionable answers surrender ground to the unanswerable questions.
In the chapter "Open Space" you express an ancient wisdom: "Turns out, the love and companionship that I had been seeking all this time was my own." You were keeping company with Monkey, Raven, and Howdy, and thus with the parts of yourself that were working hard on your own behalf, didn't know how to come to consensus, and needed your attention; and you were bigger than any of them, big enough to contain and hear all of them. This is at the heart of the skills taught by the Inner Relationship Focusing people (me included).
Best
Marcella
12/01/2013
Unflinching but compassionate. In the words of Joseph Campbell, this story is the heroic journey from abused child to young man frightened of his inherent maleness, using the provocative, intimate, sensually embodied yet deeply respectful and tender dance of Argentina Tango to challenge and ultimately transform himself.
Tammy Hugie BSc MD FRCPC, Clinical Psychiatrist
10/25/2013
Your book is so well written! Congratulations! Your phoenix transformation is incredibly courageous. I must say, all these years, i haven't noticed your sense of humor until i read your work!
LN, Edmonton.
“Aydan Dunnigan's journey from the dark, sinister closet of his childhood takes him first into grim religion and then eventually into the sensuous, healing arms of the tango. Dunnigan's deeply personal, bone-honest memoir is a gift of grace and hope for all of us who suffer or have suffered. Simply put, it teaches us to dance.”
Scott McKeen, Journalist, Media Consultant, Mental Health Advocate, Edmonton City Councillor
“… completely captivating…. You write beautifully…. You earned this reader’s trust and engagement through both the rhetorical reach of your writing and also through its honesty and wit.… The narrative arc is extraordinary: From a socioeconomically privileged family, in which child sexual abuse occurred, … to born-again Christian, to married Lutheran minister, to joyful but conflicted, father, to New Age dabbler, to divorced broken and broke searcher, to reconstructed human, to remarried tango dancer.
Jannie Edwards, Award-winning author of Blood Opera: The Raven Tango Poems
“Trauma to Tango is a rare and authentic account of one man's struggle and the process he went through to be healed. … His raw honesty, internal conflicts between his faith, dreams and ideals are captivating as he struggles to be real to himself. The reader is able to accompany him in his journey as the dynamics of mental health, spirituality and psychotherapy play their role in catharsis.”
Gavin Lam, MSW, BSW, RSW, Social Worker in Acute Psychiatry
I finally have had some time in my busy life to begin to read your book...without being distracted. Even though I haven't finished it yet I just wanted to say how much it has touched me already. I am reminded of some of the kids I met through The Zebra Centre; and hope that I helped them in some small way to embrace the reality that what happened to them was not their fault. And that they are worthy and loved.
I think you show courage in writing this book and hope that others who would benefit from it get an opportunity to read it as well. It's a blessing in its own right.
Donna
"I'm about three quarters the way through the book. I'm finding it very powerful and well written. The quotes at the start of each chapter and the tango interludes are a nice touch. It is thought provoking and has brought back memories from the past. It\s amazing how certain events in a person's life can have such an impact throughout one's life. B.C.
I need to tell you what an amazing book you have written. Maybe it is the chiled glass of wine I have enjoyed but your honesty, grace, and honour have shone through the pages to touche my heart and soul. Your story is worthy of telling... Valda
Your book was superbly written! I loved it! I could relate to many of your stories.
Lois
Dear Aydan,
I finished your book. Congratulations on it! Courageous and thoughtful. I love this sentence: The unquestionable answers surrender ground to the unanswerable questions.
In the chapter "Open Space" you express an ancient wisdom: "Turns out, the love and companionship that I had been seeking all this time was my own." You were keeping company with Monkey, Raven, and Howdy, and thus with the parts of yourself that were working hard on your own behalf, didn't know how to come to consensus, and needed your attention; and you were bigger than any of them, big enough to contain and hear all of them. This is at the heart of the skills taught by the Inner Relationship Focusing people (me included).
Best
Marcella
12/01/2013
Unflinching but compassionate. In the words of Joseph Campbell, this story is the heroic journey from abused child to young man frightened of his inherent maleness, using the provocative, intimate, sensually embodied yet deeply respectful and tender dance of Argentina Tango to challenge and ultimately transform himself.
Tammy Hugie BSc MD FRCPC, Clinical Psychiatrist
10/25/2013
Your book is so well written! Congratulations! Your phoenix transformation is incredibly courageous. I must say, all these years, i haven't noticed your sense of humor until i read your work!
LN, Edmonton.
“Aydan Dunnigan's journey from the dark, sinister closet of his childhood takes him first into grim religion and then eventually into the sensuous, healing arms of the tango. Dunnigan's deeply personal, bone-honest memoir is a gift of grace and hope for all of us who suffer or have suffered. Simply put, it teaches us to dance.”
Scott McKeen, Journalist, Media Consultant, Mental Health Advocate, Edmonton City Councillor
“… completely captivating…. You write beautifully…. You earned this reader’s trust and engagement through both the rhetorical reach of your writing and also through its honesty and wit.… The narrative arc is extraordinary: From a socioeconomically privileged family, in which child sexual abuse occurred, … to born-again Christian, to married Lutheran minister, to joyful but conflicted, father, to New Age dabbler, to divorced broken and broke searcher, to reconstructed human, to remarried tango dancer.
Jannie Edwards, Award-winning author of Blood Opera: The Raven Tango Poems
“Trauma to Tango is a rare and authentic account of one man's struggle and the process he went through to be healed. … His raw honesty, internal conflicts between his faith, dreams and ideals are captivating as he struggles to be real to himself. The reader is able to accompany him in his journey as the dynamics of mental health, spirituality and psychotherapy play their role in catharsis.”
Gavin Lam, MSW, BSW, RSW, Social Worker in Acute Psychiatry
I finally have had some time in my busy life to begin to read your book...without being distracted. Even though I haven't finished it yet I just wanted to say how much it has touched me already. I am reminded of some of the kids I met through The Zebra Centre; and hope that I helped them in some small way to embrace the reality that what happened to them was not their fault. And that they are worthy and loved.
I think you show courage in writing this book and hope that others who would benefit from it get an opportunity to read it as well. It's a blessing in its own right.
Donna
"I'm about three quarters the way through the book. I'm finding it very powerful and well written. The quotes at the start of each chapter and the tango interludes are a nice touch. It is thought provoking and has brought back memories from the past. It\s amazing how certain events in a person's life can have such an impact throughout one's life. B.C.
I need to tell you what an amazing book you have written. Maybe it is the chiled glass of wine I have enjoyed but your honesty, grace, and honour have shone through the pages to touche my heart and soul. Your story is worthy of telling... Valda
Your book was superbly written! I loved it! I could relate to many of your stories.
Lois