Before turning to writing books and films full-time, Cousineau’s peripatetic career also included playing semi-professional
basketball in Europe, harvesting date trees on an Israeli
kibbutz, painting 44 Victorian houses (also known as
Painted Ladies in
San Francisco), teaching, and leading art and literary tours to
Europe. He has worked as a sportswriter and taught screenwriting at the
American Film Institute (AFI). American mythologist
Joseph Campbell was a mentor and major influence; Cousineau wrote the documentary film and companion book about Campbell's life, ''
The Hero's Journey. and the best-selling book, The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred''. Cousineau worked with religion scholar
Huston Smith on three books as well as four documentary films on contemporary
Native American issues. His books have been translated into nine languages. The first season of
Global Spirit was presented by
John Cleese and broadcast on PBS-TV stations nationwide in the United States in 2012 and 2013. A self-avowed night owl, Cousineau published
Burning the Midnight Oil, a book of essays and poems about finding inspiration in the night, in 2013. ==Filmography==