Monument Eternal

Sometime in the late 1960s–the exact date is unclear–she plunged into a depression. In her book Monument Eternal first published in 1977 and recently reissued by Akashic, she wrote unflinchingly of the ordeal.– “New York Review of Books”
Monument Eternal is a singularly honest, insightful portrayal of a spiritual awakening. Alice Coltrane’s courage is not only evident in her life story but also here, in her choice to share her search for transcendence with the world.–Brandee Younger
Monument Eternal relates, in meditation, the sacred dialogue between Mother Turiya and the Supreme Lord. It is a profound insight into her journey through severe austerities to divine enlightenment.–Sita Michelle Coltrane
In her book, Alice Coltrane’s personal path–from darkness to light, from sacrifice to physical and spiritual well-being–is what matters most. That, and an abiding sense of discovery, divine bliss, and individual purpose: the idea of fitting into the matrix, of being part of the plan … Monument Eternal also brings to mind another John Coltrane parallel that deserves to be emphasized. As a universalist who–like Alice–grew up in the Black church, the saxophonist espoused more of a philosophy than a specific path on the 1964 spiritual self-declaration A Love Supreme.–Ashley Kahn, from the Foreword to the New Edition

ALICE COLTRANE was born in Detroit in 1937. Her interest in music started at a young age when she began playing organ at the Mount Olive Baptist Church. By the early 1960s she was a professional jazz musician playing with her own groups and also collaborating and performing with Charlie Haden, Ornette Coleman, Carlos Santana, and many others. She married John Coltrane in 1965, and not long after that she joined the John Coltrane Quartet, replacing pianist McCoy Tyner. Together, the Coltranes embarked on a deeply spiritual journey of musical exploration and forged a new genre of musical expression. In 1975, after a trip to India, Alice founded and was the director of the Vedantic Center; she would later establish a spiritual community in the Santa Monica Mountains. She passed away in 2007.

ASHLEY KAHN is a music historian and author of A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album.

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