Stars When the Sun Shines: A Memoir

Wayne Stier

Apr 2010 · Weiser Books

About this ebook

Spurred by the doctor’s predictions of an early death, Wayne Stier stayed out in front of time until he left it all together. Stier grew up in Belle Plaine, Minnesota, in the 1950s and 60s. Diagnosed with testicular cancer in his early 20s, and given a less than 50% chance of 5-year survival, Wayne and his wife Mars decided to make the most of the time he had. From Zen cherry blossoms to Japanese theatre. From Hawaiian breathing lessons to Thai healers. Stars When the Sun Shines is the spiritual memoir of a man whose wisdom gains on him as he learns to trust his intuition. And, in the reading, we’ll surely learn lessons of our own. Or as Stier lays down his hope, “The myth of my life is a metaphor for yours.” His writing is informed by everyone he talked to, everywhere he went. This is a book that will make you laugh and think. Cry and love. Stier’s writing burned through illusions to conclusions about a life so full he forgot he was dying... until he did, in Hawaii, May 30, 2009, just weeks after his 62nd birthday.

A note from the publisher: I met Wayne Stier when I was 5 and he was 6. We grew up in the same town, both of us suspecting there must be more in the world. The first time I published his work was in our high school newspaper. The last time I saw him until a few weeks before he died he was telling me that the pop (soda) in my hand might exist in another plane in a different way or might not exist at all. The very last time I saw him we talked all night and planned at least three more books. I am beyond grateful to have met him. Saint, holy man, fool—all of those and more.

About the author

Actor, writer, sculptor, photographer, humorist, world traveler. Stier’s work is zen, looking for a place beyond logic, looking for the “a-ha!” Wayne carved wood into faces and scenes he knows or will know. In the same way he wrote to find out what he was thinking. Living and traveling Asia led to study of mythologies and led to finding some ancient answers. His writing is an act of discovery and rediscovery. He will change the way you look at the world. Wayne lived long term in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and on the slope of an active volcano, Hawaii. On the Big Island he built his home and wood studio and wrote the myth of his own life. While in Japan Wayne became a Kyogen actor and was the 2nd foreigner to ever perform on the Noh stage. This ancient theatre tradition changed the way Wayne was able to see the world. Wayne lost a leg in order to understand what illusions he was standing on.