Jesse S. Hanson's Blog, page 3
December 13, 2011
Sant Mat Master, Sirio Carrapa Ji ~ Message for the New Year: 2012
Master Sirio Ji's New Years Message here is mostly re-printed from the Sant Bani Ashram-Hungary website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MESSAGE FOR THE NEW YEAR – 2012
How are you friend.
(Sirio)
How are you,
how are you friend,
how are you friend of my heart,
what about your inner quest?
How far have you come close to the Over Self.
I really hope you did not get lost
in the intricacies of the world
And that you have not allowed your mind
to drown you in the bottomless oblivion.
Know, my friend of venture
the search of the Sacred is a great adventure
To overlook or forget it
it is certainly a great misfortune.
What can I say to make you understand
that the purpose of life is to be able
To climb higher and higher
up to merging into the One
and, Sach Khand, realize.
You know it is not for everyone,
but if we engage in it, it can be done.
[To get] convinced, however, we must crave for Him
and above all, we should place Him.
It's true, so many have succeeded
Why should you live
in this sloppy reality;
even if you have been overcome
do not accept the defeat.
I know, you're a brave warrior,
so jump on your sprightly steed
ride and never stop
until you're face to face
with the Primal Being.
This is the poem I was inspired to as a message for the New Year: the infamous 2012 which is considered by many as the year of the great catastrophe, the shocking reversal, the illusive quantum leap, the great expansion of collective consciousness, the chrysalis that turns into a butterfly. So many fantasies, theories, hypothesis, apparent certainties, fears, fantasies. Who knows what will happen? Well, this is not a hundred-years' time, not fifty; it is just one year. Yes, because in addition having a year, it also has a precise day, the big bang, and it would be the twenty-first of December.
It may be true, or could not be true, but for us what is going to change? We are still the human beings that we are and one thing is certain, you do not jump out of yourself either with the advent of two thousand and twelve, nor we do change with the final step which is death (something to which we might almost be all subjected, according to the predictions). In two thousand and twelve, could happen or not happen, whatever we want, but one thing is certain: the transformation of consciousness is something that happens only to those who are ready for it. It's not enough to make us ready for a date, but a great job is needed to be done on ourselves to change from unconscious to conscious beings, from selfish to altruistic beings, from mean human beings, into good beings, from lying into truthful ones, from violent to pacific, from lustful to parsimonious, from greedy to altruistic, from being morbidly attached to everything to a dispassionate way, from vain to being simple, from arrogant to humble… now it is enough even if the list could go on.
If we could live this, to implement it in our lives, in our person, what a beautiful thing it would be! Then, of two thousand and twelve, [say] yes, [or] two thousand and twelve not, we wouldn't care at all because first of all we would have overcome the fear of death, indeed, we would have experienced in life the great step beyond the last frontier, where the material is broken down and only the spirit hovers in infinite space.
So all this emphasis on the theories for the two thousand and twelve and this expecting the cheap transformation, ready enlightenment for all mankind, an era of peace, harmony, right-living, fair trading, humane and just economy, and so on, yes these are beautiful imaginations, but as such have nothing to do with the hard reality of the facts.
Thus, better to return to this more personal and subjective reality, which is what we have, here and now, as the ultimate concrete substance. Then, this hymn begins with a very specific request:
How are you friend,
how are you friend of the heart,
what about your inner quest
how far have you come close to the Over Self?
When we care about someone, we always want their own good, so the Master has always at heart the spiritual welfare, as well as the material welfare, of his spiritual children and friends. For this, He asks us, even to remind us: "How is your spiritual adventure, how have you used the year just past, did you get any closer to the supreme God-realization?" Have you used well this year by regularly doing your meditation, regularly going to Satsang and participating in spirital retreats? And Simran? Did you try to make it as constant as possible, oh and the songs, the bhajans, have you learned a lot and have you improved the quality, the transport by which you sing them?
These are the practices that allow us to maintain a high level of our consciousness and allow us to live life at its best: full of goodness and inspiration. But then He adds:
I really hope you did not get lost in the intricacies of the world
And that you have not allowed your mind
to drown you in the bottomless oblivion.
This is a possibility always ready to jump on us and dominate us: the oblivion, forgetfulness. For various reasons we fall into the trap that separates us from the straight path and leads us down into the meanderings of the world: sloth, lust, the calling of matters of the flesh, the doubt that drives us to think that we have understood better than the Master what is right or wrong and how to behave on the Way. Sure there may be other reasons, but these are among the most frequent. For this reason the smart seeker will pay close attention to these factors and will always remain clinging to the saving anchor that is the Master.
Know my partner of venture
The search of the Sacred is a great adventure
To neglect it and forget it is certainly a great misfortune.
What is the greatest enterprise of life? The quest for the Holy, the Divine, is the greatest adventure. Why is that? I suppose because it leads us to the ultimate goal of human potential: the self-realization and God realization. It's not a small feat I assure you, it's beautiful to live in that enlightened consciousness, the inner state of great harmony and deep peace, great reverence for all creation, such a respect for all since it becomes clear that everything is a manifestation of His infinity.
Neglecting and forgetting this great goal after discovering its existence—its possibility—becomes, of course, the great misfortune of existence.
What can I say to make you understand that the purpose of life
It is to be able to always go higher and higher up to merging
in the One, and achieving Sach Khand.
Well, the Master acts as a solicitor, so He will always remind us what is the purpose of life and always will inspire us in that direction. Perhaps at some point we get to hate him, but he does not care and always performs His work selflessly. So he will keep telling us that immersion in the One that is Sach Khand or "the True Condition", is the great purpose of life and that we must never forget that.
You know, it's not for everyone, but if we engage in it, it can be done.
But, believe me; for Him we must crave and, above
All, He must be placed .
The Master does not want to delude us by making us believe that this adventure is easy and for everyone. No, He is real, thus He tells us that it is not easy, but it is also not impossible.Iif you commit to it, it can be done. If this research is placed above all, we can do it. However, it is a course that is mandatory for every human being, so the closer we get to the goal in this life, the better for us.
It's true, so many have succeeded in it
Why should you live this sloppy reality?
Even if you have been overcome, do not accept the defeat.
The Masters are here to encourage us, to inspire us so they always say things that help us to make ever greater efforts in the belief that it is not a hypothesis, not an illusion, not an empty promise. The libraries are full of books in which many Masters, in the course of human history, have testified to having been able to reach this blessed Moksha or Liberation. In all parts of the world and from any mystical Path, in any tradition, there are people who claim to have achieved this goal. So we are told: Look, it's not fantasy as much you would have believed. No, it's true, you can do it; why are you satisfied with this trivial, misshapen life.
Of course, during the mystical ascent, in the great flight to the Infinite, you can fall, you can be defeated, you can break your wings, but we must never give up and always we have to start again to fly, to climb until we reach the goal. We always have to get up, even if we are injured or we end up with our face in the mud; we get back up and resume the journey.
I know, you're a warrior,
So jump on your sprightly steed
Ride and never stop until
you will come face to face with Primal Being.
How great it must be to be face to face with that Being, that Reality, that Pure Consciousness from which all life is given off: the Inviolable, the Unthinkable, the Primordial Purusha, the Adi Guru. For this reason, even if we fall in the enterprise, if we are defeated, we forget; it doesn't matter. As soon as we find the strength we jump on the winged horse and restart the climbing, the flight.
So dear ones, this little Satsang is the message for the year two thousand and twelve that, for us, is one year just as another, and we definitely do not want to consider the many fears that lurk in the human soul about the possible implications for humanity. We do not care about anything because we have our suitcase ready and when the Satguru calls us, we are ready to leave immediately.
We are interested in doing as much meditation as possible, attending all possible Satsangs, taking part in all the retreats with Master, and then… if at the end of the year … we will have to go, welcome! We will be ready and we'll go by shouting:
Jay Satguru, you are our helmsman,
Guide our ship, let us reach the other shore.
Sirio
The dates of the retreats in 2012
January 2-3-4-5-6 Sant Bani Ashram (Ribolla)
February 4-5 Preganziol (Italy)
March 9-10-11 Budapest (Hungary)
April 25-1st of May Sant Bani Ashram (Ribolla)
May 18-19-20 Hamburg (Germany)
June 15-16-17 Transylvania (Romania)
July 10-17 Budapest (Hungary)
August 15-21 Sant Bani Ashram (Ribolla)
August 25-1st of September (tentative dates) – Moundsville, West Virginia (U.S.A.)
September 15-16 Preganziol
November 1-2-3-4 Sant Bani Ashram (Ribolla)
December 7-8-9 Budapest (Hungary)
Open Road Media Honors a Great American Author: the late Howard Fast ~ Releasing 63 of Fast’s Titles as EBooks in December 2011
What a wonderful surprise when I was contacted by Laura De Silva of Open Road Integrated Media and presented with the opportunity to share this information: sixty-three Howard Fast titles to be published in EBook format, this month, December, 2011.
There’s so much I could say about this hero of the real America, this spokesman for the common person everywhere. If you haven’t heard of Howard Fast, there’s a good reason for it. His work was banned and effectively buried during what Fast, in his memoir, Being Red, called the “mini-terror”—the McCarthy era. And although the ban was eventually lifted, it seems that the mini-terror lives on through our propaganda driven fears—the shadow places of our collective minds— as we struggle, seemingly in vain, to rise to the consciousness of a free people.
Those of us who love and appreciate Fast’s work could go on and on, but I would ask you to let Fast tell you the story his way. If you read just one —perhaps The American (classic struggle of the American worker), or Freedom Road (the terrible reality of post-slavery “reconstruction”), or the poignantly heartbreaking revolutionary war novel, April Morning, I think you may want to, as I have begun to do, seek out the surviving copies of his books, tattered and battered though you may find them. However, Open Road Media has done much of the work for us at this time. Lover of technology or no, the work of this incredibly prolific writer is being preserved. For that we should be very grateful.
As always, thanks for stopping by my blog. Please leave a comment if so inclined. If I decide it’s not spam, I’ll approve it. (: Namaste, jesse s. hanson
NOTE: The video above and all of the content below is reprinted from The Open Road Blog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS FROM OPEN ROAD: December 13, 2011
Sixty-three Titles by New York Times Bestselling Author Howard Fast
Launching as Ebooks from Open Road Media
“The only thing that infuriates me, is that I have more unwritten stories in me
than I can conceivably write in a lifetime.” —Howard Fast
Sixty-three titles by Howard Fast (1914–2003), one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century, will be released as ebooks by Open Road Integrated Media in December. Open Road will publish both fiction and nonfiction during a three-stage rollout.
Howard Fast, the bestsellingauthor of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays, grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence, along with a place on the blacklist of severalmajor publishers. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951), and went on to found his own press, Blue Heron, in order to release the work. Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style. His collection of bestselling novels such as Conceived in Liberty, Citizen Tom Paine, April Morning, and The Legacy illustrate themes of freedom and human rights in a time of turbulence and global war.
On December 13, 2011, nineteen titles—including April Morning—will be released. In April Morning, on the eve of the American Revolution, the Battle of Lexington and Concord changes a boy’s life—and a nation’s history—forever. Sweeping in scope and masterful in execution, this novel is a classic of American fiction and an unforgettable story of one community’s fateful struggle for freedom. The Incredible Tito, Fast’s fascinating biography of Joseph Broz, known to the world as Tito, including his rise to power and his remarkable stand against fascism, will be offered to readers as a free download.
On December 20, nineteenmysteries by Howard Fast writing as E. V. Cunningham will be released as ebooks. These include the Masao Masuto mysteries, beginning with The Case of the Angry Actress, starring detective Masuto, a second-generation Japanese-American, Buddhist homicide detective. Other titles include such female-centered works as Phyllis, Sally, and others.
On December 27, twenty-five titles will complete Open Road Media’s Howard Fast ebook collection. Three of these are from Fast’s much-loved Immigrants series, an immensely popular saga that spanned six novels and over a century of the Lavette family’s story. Of this series, Open Road will release The Legacy, The Immigrant’s Daughter, and An Independent Woman. Two of the nonfiction titles—The Art of Zen Meditation, in which Fast offers readers a simple, straightforward introduction to Zen meditation, which had a profound influence on his writing and personal philosophy; and Spain and Peace, a 1951 pamphlet that contains a powerful denunciation of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco—will be offered as free downloads.
Extra content includes:
• Behind-the-scenes author commentary and videos at www.openroadmedia.com/authors/howard-fast.aspx
• An illustrated biography in each ebook, including previously unseen photographs and documents from Fast’s personal life and distinguished career
Amazon.com, Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google eBookstore/IndieBound, Kobo Books, OverDrive, and Sony Reader Store
Availability begins on December 13, 2011:
The American
April Morning
The Children
Citizen Tom Paine
Clarkton
Conceived in Liberty
Departure
The Edge of Tomorrow
The Incredible Tito*
The Last Supper
Moses
The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti
Patrick Henry and the Frigate’s Keel
Place in the City
The Proud and the Free
Silas Timberman
The Story of Lola Gregg
Thirty Pieces of Silver
The Winston Affair
On December, 20, 2011
mysteries by Howard Fast writing as E. V. Cunningham will go on sale:
Alice
Cynthia
Helen
Lydia
Margie
Millie
Penelope
Phyllis
Sally
Shirley
The Assassin Who Gave Up His Gun
The Case of the Angry Actress
The Case of the Kidnapped Angel
The Case of the Murdered Mackenzie
The Case of the One-Penny Orange
The Case of the Poisoned Eclairs
The Case of the Russian Diplomat
The Case of the Sliding Pool
The Wabash Factor
On December 27, 2011
more titles will be added to the Howard Fast ebook collection:
Agrippa’s Daughter
The Art of Zen Meditation*
The Confession of Joe Cullen
The Crossing
Dinner Party
The General Zapped an Angel
Greenwich
Hunter and the Trap
The Immigrant’s Daughter
An Independent Woman
The Jews
The Legacy
Literature and Reality
Max
The Naked God
The Outsider
Peekskill USA
The Pledge
Power
Redemption
Spain and Peace*
Strange Yesterday
Time and the Riddle
Torquemada
A Touch of Infinity
Open Road Media Honors a Great American Author: the late Howard Fast ~ Releasing 63 of Fast's Titles as EBooks in December 2011
What a wonderful surprise when I was contacted by Laura De Silva of Open Road Integrated Media and presented with the opportunity to share this information: sixty-three Howard Fast titles to be published in EBook format, this month, December, 2011.
There's so much I could say about this hero of the real America, this spokesman for the common person everywhere. If you haven't heard of Howard Fast, there's a good reason for it. His work was banned and effectively buried during what Fast, in his memoir, Being Red, called the "mini-terror"—the McCarthy era. And although the ban was eventually lifted, it seems that the mini-terror lives on through our propaganda driven fears—the shadow places of our collective minds— as we struggle, seemingly in vain, to rise to the consciousness of a free people.
Those of us who love and appreciate Fast's work could go on and on, but I would ask you to let Fast tell you the story his way. If you read just one —perhaps The American (classic struggle of the American worker), or Freedom Road (the terrible reality of post-slavery "reconstruction"), or the poignantly heartbreaking revolutionary war novel, April Morning, I think you may want to, as I have begun to do, seek out the surviving copies of his books, tattered and battered though you may find them. However, Open Road Media has done much of the work for us at this time. Lover of technology or no, the work of this incredibly prolific writer is being preserved. For that we should be very grateful.
As always, thanks for stopping by my blog. Please leave a comment if so inclined. If I decide it's not spam, I'll approve it. (:<)> Namaste, jesse s. hanson
NOTE: The video above and all of the content below is reprinted from The Open Road Blog
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS FROM OPEN ROAD: December 13, 2011
Sixty-three Titles by New York Times Bestselling Author Howard Fast
Launching as Ebooks from Open Road Media
"The only thing that infuriates me, is that I have more unwritten stories in me
than I can conceivably write in a lifetime." —Howard Fast
Sixty-three titles by Howard Fast (1914–2003), one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century, will be released as ebooks by Open Road Integrated Media in December. Open Road will publish both fiction and nonfiction during a three-stage rollout.
Howard Fast, the bestsellingauthor of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays, grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence, along with a place on the blacklist of severalmajor publishers. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951), and went on to found his own press, Blue Heron, in order to release the work. Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style. His collection of bestselling novels such as Conceived in Liberty, Citizen Tom Paine, April Morning, and The Legacy illustrate themes of freedom and human rights in a time of turbulence and global war.
On December 13, 2011, nineteen titles—including April Morning—will be released. In April Morning, on the eve of the American Revolution, the Battle of Lexington and Concord changes a boy's life—and a nation's history—forever. Sweeping in scope and masterful in execution, this novel is a classic of American fiction and an unforgettable story of one community's fateful struggle for freedom. The Incredible Tito, Fast's fascinating biography of Joseph Broz, known to the world as Tito, including his rise to power and his remarkable stand against fascism, will be offered to readers as a free download.
On December 20, nineteenmysteries by Howard Fast writing as E. V. Cunningham will be released as ebooks. These include the Masao Masuto mysteries, beginning with The Case of the Angry Actress, starring detective Masuto, a second-generation Japanese-American, Buddhist homicide detective. Other titles include such female-centered works as Phyllis, Sally, and others.
On December 27, twenty-five titles will complete Open Road Media's Howard Fast ebook collection. Three of these are from Fast's much-loved Immigrants series, an immensely popular saga that spanned six novels and over a century of the Lavette family's story. Of this series, Open Road will release The Legacy, The Immigrant's Daughter, and An Independent Woman. Two of the nonfiction titles—The Art of Zen Meditation, in which Fast offers readers a simple, straightforward introduction to Zen meditation, which had a profound influence on his writing and personal philosophy; and Spain and Peace, a 1951 pamphlet that contains a powerful denunciation of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco—will be offered as free downloads.
Extra content includes:
• Behind-the-scenes author commentary and videos at www.openroadmedia.com/authors/howard-fast.aspx
• An illustrated biography in each ebook, including previously unseen photographs and documents from Fast's personal life and distinguished career
Amazon.com, Apple iBookstore, Barnesandnoble.com, Google eBookstore/IndieBound, Kobo Books, OverDrive, and Sony Reader Store
Availability begins on December 13, 2011:
The American
April Morning
The Children
Citizen Tom Paine
Clarkton
Conceived in Liberty
Departure
The Edge of Tomorrow
The Incredible Tito*
The Last Supper
Moses
The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti
Patrick Henry and the Frigate's Keel
Place in the City
The Proud and the Free
Silas Timberman
The Story of Lola Gregg
Thirty Pieces of Silver
The Winston Affair
On December, 20, 2011
mysteries by Howard Fast writing as E. V. Cunningham will go on sale:
Alice
Cynthia
Helen
Lydia
Margie
Millie
Penelope
Phyllis
Sally
Shirley
The Assassin Who Gave Up His Gun
The Case of the Angry Actress
The Case of the Kidnapped Angel
The Case of the Murdered Mackenzie
The Case of the One-Penny Orange
The Case of the Poisoned Eclairs
The Case of the Russian Diplomat
The Case of the Sliding Pool
The Wabash Factor
On December 27, 2011
more titles will be added to the Howard Fast ebook collection:
Agrippa's Daughter
The Art of Zen Meditation*
The Confession of Joe Cullen
The Crossing
Dinner Party
The General Zapped an Angel
Greenwich
Hunter and the Trap
The Immigrant's Daughter
An Independent Woman
The Jews
The Legacy
Literature and Reality
Max
The Naked God
The Outsider
Peekskill USA
The Pledge
Power
Redemption
Spain and Peace*
Strange Yesterday
Time and the Riddle
Torquemada
A Touch of Infinity
*Free download
Contact Laura De Silva with questions, review copy requests, and for more information:
Open Road Integrated Media
180 Varick Street, Suite 816
New York, NY 10014
P: 917.512.4325
December 7, 2011
Who is ATTMP author, Amy Krout-Horn?
Featured this week in our showcase of All Things That Matter Press authors is the remarkable Amy Krout-Horn. I'm really happy about today's post because I'm currently reading Amy's new book, My Father's Blood. So far my impressions are: so well written-intimate portrayal of a unique and loving family-revealing, personally, regarding the author's relationship with her inherited illness.
A fine choice for a Christmas gift–no question!
As always; thanks for stopping by my blog and please feel welcome to leave a comment, should you so desire. Namaste, jesse s. hanson
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Amy Krout-Horn(Oieihake Win, Last Word Woman) has resided in two worlds; the world of the sighted and the world of the blind. She has been a writer in both of them. She spent time in Washington DC acting as a political lobbyist for the disabled, worked as the first blind teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota's American Indian Studies program, and holds degrees in American Indian studies and psychology. She is a regular contributor to Slate and Style magazine and, in 2008, was awarded their top fiction prize for War Pony.
Amy, with her life-partner, Gabriel Horn, co-authored the novella, Transcendence (All Things That Matter Press, 2009). Her creative non-fiction was featured in the spring 2010 issue of Breath and Shadow, and Talking Stick Native Arts Quarterly published her essay, Bleeding Black, in their fall 2010 issue. Her latest book is an autobiographical novel, My Father's Blood (All Things That Matter Press, 2011). Currently, she is at work on her third novel, Dancing in Concrete Moccasins.
A staunch advocate for social and environmental justice, she writes and lectures on native history and culture, diabetes and disability, and humanity's connection and commitment to the natural world. For more information, to purchase books, or to contact Amy, please visit her official website
November 28, 2011
Who is ATTMP author, Maggie Tideswell
I've had computer problems lately that have strained the hay rope (: of my already fragile patience to a thread. I'd tell you about it but you don't really want to hear it and I don't really want to talk about it. Suffice it to say, it's pretty much, every man–or woman–for him–or her–self out there in the lawless land of cyberspace. God help us!!
Glad to be back, finally (or temporarily, who knows) and able to present another fine author, breaking from the gate and representing the thoroughbred stable of small presses, All Things That Matter Press: South Africa's own Maggie Tideswell.
I hope you'll enjoy learning a bit about Maggie and that you'll continue to give a thought to small presses like ATTMP in your search for interesting reads. Thanks for stopping by my blog and please leave a comment if you're so inclined. jesse s. hanson
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Maggie walks in two worlds. The one is reality, the here and now: in the other there is no concept of time and space. But in both worlds love is what holds it all together. The love of the Superior Beings, the love between a parent and a child, the love between siblings, friends, for a project, or object, or aminal. The world as we know it cannot exsist without love relationships.
The ultimate love relationship is that between a man and a woman, and this is what Maggie explores in her writing. But as nobody exists in a vacuum, the world intrudes on every relationship.
In Dark Moon, Maggie took and extraordinary meeting between two strangers, added the world and wrote a book that will have the reader turning the pages until the thrilling end.
Book Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvFqnD20-IE
Available in paperback & e-book format at:
http://tinyurl.com/5sklwxd
http://www.kalahari.com/books/Dark-Moon/632/42728694.aspx
November 16, 2011
Who is ATTMP Author Elizaveta Ristrova?
Continuing with this blogging series about the authors at All Things That Matter Press: this week's featured author is Elizaveta Ristrova. Elizabeth has lead and contuinues to lead a very unique and interesting life. I hope you'll enjoy reading about her and that these author blogs may inspire some of you to consider purshasing books by small press authors as the holiday season arrives. As we've seen, ATTMP offers a noteable variety of reading choices. The writers come from very diverse backgrounds and there is really no way to pigeon-hole them into any particular genre or category.
As always, I want to say that I appreciate your visiting my blog and I hope you'll feel comfortable enough to leave a comment should you be inspired to do so. Namaste, jesse
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"Just who is Elizaveta Ristrova, anyway?"
With her balance of misanthropy and anthropological curiosity, author Elizaveta Ristrova travels around the world in search of interesting material. Her books consider the significance of religion, clashes between races and culture, the relationships between humans and the environment, and the creation and unravelling of human relationships. She keeps a day-job as a lawyer, focusing on environmental and international development issues.
We in Pieces, Tales from Arctic Alaska, arose from her years living 500 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. There, she interviewed community leaders regarding traditional knowledge, cut and served whale despite being vegetarian, and read every issue of the local newspaper dating back to the 1960s. Writing was a great way to fill the three months of darkness each year.
Ristrova hails from south Louisiana and currently finds herself in Makati City, the Manhattan of the Philippines. She likes singing the blues, dancing tango, making soy brownies, creating kindergarten-style art, and proselytizing about the environment. Her previous books include Taking off My Sweater, Something Short of Salvation, and Small Fish in a Small Pond.
We in Pieces is available at http://www.amazon.com/We-Pieces-Tales-Arctic-Alaska/dp/0984651756. Pictures of the nineteen characters in the book and a diagram of the relationships between them are at www.facebook.com/ristrova.
November 8, 2011
Who is ATTMP author, Abe March?
Continuing with the series, featuring my fellow authors at All Things That Matter Press, I'm happy to feature Abe March, whose writing is imbued with realism that comes from Abe's real world of experience on an international scale. That being said, I detect a sense of genuine humility and maturity in this author, which is appealing in a writer. After you read his little self-portrait here, I hope you'll be inspired to take a real look at some of his work.
As always, thanks for coming by and please leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Namaste, jesse
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Who Is Abe March?
The full name is Abraham Firestone March. My mother, a very religious person and prayer warrior, took the name Abraham from the Bible. She gave me her maiden name Firestone as my middle name.
My name Abraham has been a blessing and a curse, depending on where I happened to be. When I worked in New York, it was a blessing. In some areas, it was not a plus and I began using only the nickname Abe, as in Abe Lincoln.
My feet have trodden the earth in more than 30 countries. I have seen the sun rise over the Persian Gulf and the sun set in the Canadian Rockies. I sunbathed by the Mediterranean, roasted in Riyadh and dined in Damascus. I was beggar-beseeched in Baghdad, short-changed in Saudi Arabia and saw blood shed in Beirut.
I have been called Mister, Monsieur, Herr, Sayyidi, Kirios, Signor, Sir and other names.
I have eaten with Bedouins and dined with Royalty. I have also been rich and I have been poor. I like to think that I have a world view on many subjects and that I have a certain amount of wisdom. My experiences are reflected in my writing.
At ATTMP, my book, They Plotted Revenge Against America was inspired by America's invasion of Iraq. My book, Journey Into The Past was inspired by my love of hiking and exploring ancient castles in Germany.
They Plotted Revenge Against
http://tinyurl.com/3bomrdl
Journey Into The Past
http://tinyurl.com/3ghv6xg
October 31, 2011
Autumn is Back from Sirio Carrapa's Il Roseto del' Amico
This beautiful little allegory of autumn was written by the Master in 2001. So the comments about the weather do not pertain to the current situation in Tuscany.
Thank you for stopping by at my blog and please leave a comment if so inclined. dass, Jesse
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AUTUMN IS BACK
Sirio Carrapa
Autumn is back, but the same fall as the last, it is not.
The previous year it rained to the extent of the impossible.
This year, very little rain, but the wind is powerful and
unpredictable―enough to bring down two big eucalyptus.
Countless autumns, since the beginning of times, never two exactly alike.
To say, the autumn will return, and expect a repeat of the same phenomena, with the same sequence, is equivalent to saying: all grow old in the same
way, with the ailments coming at the same pace, or: all will die in the same way, after having long suffered, or, suddenly, after a heart attack during sleep.
It gives a sense of security to believe that the story of life always repeats in the same way: the Golden Age is followed by the silver age,
the Bronze comes after, and then we plunge into the Iron Age.
I ask: has there been such an age, in the eternal flow of
existence, that has been repeating in the same way as the previous ones, without some changes or surprises? Without nuances and details
completely original?
The seasons of the year in some places are four, in others they are five
or six, and yet, in others, are mainly two; there are places where the temperature remains constant throughout the year.
Most trees lose almost all of their leaves in autumn and take them on
again in the spring, but there are those who renew their leaves
continuously and are never bare. Some species lose them
after all others have put theirs on, and dress up as soon as those are bare. Others still, remain naked when all are dressed up and only dress up
when others are all naked.
And has there ever been a Prophet, a Messiah, an Avatar, a Buddha,
Satguru, a Seer, a Sage who gave the same message
with exactly the same language?
Who has used exactly the same method and stayed in the same stages?
Came Krishna who highlighted the Lila: The game of the Divine.
It was Buddha who drew the mid-way line.
Then came Jesus Christ who had to climb on the cross to enlighten,
by His example, the path of sacrifice and human suffering
for the redemption of the flesh.
Mohammed represented the power of the Divine who, by the power of
His Word and with sword in hand, propagated His faith.
Kabir and Nanak, traced the mystic path of meditation
on the inner Light and Sound, emanations of the Eternal.
They fought and condemned the empty outer practice of religion,
as well as the superstitions and blind faith in the world.
Many other Emissaries of Truth Eternal manifested on the
stage of the world, each bringing an innovative and original
contribution, each altering the flavors and aromas
of these traditional dishes and drinks.
The eternal truth continually takes on a new appearance and,
every time, it has to play a new tune that is acceptable to the new listeners.
In the present day, the tune is called: positive thought.
If reality is self-created, let us give it the face of positivity,
in which we recognize the usefulness of all: good and evil,
joy and suffering, the experience of duality, in order to return,
fully aware, to Unity.
November 18, 2001
Who is ATTMP author, Salvatore Buttaci
Welcome to the third post, featuring some of my fellow authors from All Things That Matter Press. Today we have Salvatore Buttaci, a master of the short story. Sal's a very friendly and gregarious fellow with lots of energy and creativity, so he's always coming up with new material.
As always, thanks for stopping by my blog and please do leave a comment if you feel so inclined. Namaste, jesse
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Just who is Salvatore Buttaci anyway?
A retired teacher since 2007, I spend much of my leisure time writing and submitting my poems and stories for publication. It's not something new to me. I've been writing and promoting my work since my first publication in 1957 at age 16. It was an essay entitled "Presidential Timber" which was published in the Sunday New York News.
Writing has always been my favorite pastime. I enjoy the excitement of writing down the first draft. I even like the work required, delivering that first draft to a final one after revising and editing. With every completed poem or story, article or novel, I feel a grand satisfaction. Ironically, though I love words, I cannot adequately express the joy that writing brings me. That unexpressed joy seems to be the driving force that keeps me writing. A strong believer in a God Who gives us all certain talents to use and develop, I thank Him for His gift by writing everyday.
I had spent a good number of happy years teaching writing skills to middle-school and college students. To become writers, I explained to them, they needed to learn the skills of language, make use of the imagination, practice writing daily, build their own self-confidence, and submit their work for publication. Many of those students are still writing today. I meet them on Facebook all the time.
Of course, I follow my own good advice. I know that the writing craft, like any craft, requires knowledge, practice, and action. I keep myself involved in writing projects so that I am always learning, practicing, and promoting my work to those I feel confident would enjoy reading my poems or stories in journals and on the Internet, as well as those book buyers who are looking for their brand of reading pleasure.
In addition to writing, I am an avid reader of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. I believe reading and writing go hand in hand. After all, I never met an author who seriously claimed he or she never spends any time reading a book. As for readers, I have heard many speak of the book inside them they hope one day to write.
Some of my other interests include studying languages and history, doing volunteer work at church, and spending as much time as I can with my wife Sharon, my life's greatest inspiration. Since my retirement, the two of us live in "Almost-heaven" West Virginia and are loving it.
What do I most love to write? Inspired by the comic books of my 1950s youth, I have been writing flash fiction for more than half a century. Short-short stories under 1,000 words appeal to me, just as they appeal to so many readers out there who search the Net or Amazon.com for flash collections and anthologies. Flash fiction reflects our modern times in the sense that society moves at a faster pace and readers looking for a complete story can find it in as little as three pages of a book. It is the quick read, the fast tale, one of many desserts in a literary buffet. And because the stories are short-short, a reader can return to them and re-read them again and again.
In 2010, All Things That Matter Press published my first collection of short-short stories Flashing My Shorts. The book, as well as Kindle edition, contains 164 flash-fiction stories that run the gamut from A to Z, adventure stories to zany stories and all other genres in between.
In 2011, ATTMP also published my second flash collection 200 Shorts.
I know there are many flash collections out there. I also know how difficult it is for book buyers to decide which of those collections to purchase. As the author, I suppose it would be politically incorrect for me to climb up on a soapbox and try to persuade you to buy my two books. However, judging from customer comments and reviews at Amazon.com and elsewhere, I would say you would not be disappointed. The stories will stay with you long after you have read them. I wrote them all with that intention in mind.
200 Shorts
Amazon.com Kindle Edition: http://tinyurl.com/3dttqnz
Amazon.com Print Edition: http://tinyurl.com/3o5w84e
Barnes and Noble Nook Book: http://tinyurl.com/4xhdbze
Flashing My Shorts
Amazon. com Print Edition: http://tinyurl.com/6772fps
Amazon.com Kindle Edition: http://tinyurl.com/5vkhd9r
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October 24, 2011
Who is ATTMP author, Tom Averna?
This is the 2nd in a series featuring my fellow All Things That Matter authors. Today's author is Tom Averna who seems to have had, at least up to this point, a rather extraordinary life.
I hope you'll enjoy learning about Tom and, as always, please feel to leave a comment, share the posts, should you feel moved to do so. Namaste, jesse
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Tom Averna, author of The Once and Future Wizard: The Awakening from All Things That Matter Press, is used to the weird and unusual in his life. At seven, he was saved from death by a Jacob's Ladder type dream. By nine, he was being sought out by his mother's friends for life advice. At 11, he had chosen to sleep outside in a nearby woods in a sleeping bag and woke up the next morning with a family of skunks resting comfortably near him. At 12, he was approached by one person who claimed to be a psychic and told that he was not from this planet. Shortly after that, another psychic told him he had been a great king in Ancient Greece discovering many secrets and also that he came back in this life for a special purpose. At 17 he was attacked by a possessed friend wielding a sword and saved himself and delivered his friend by semi-consciously speaking in a language unknown to him. Three times he was on the verge of drowning until he followed inner guidance to find his way to the surface and then safely to shore.
Averna's life has also been filled with reading biographies, histories, classics but most of all sci fi and fantasies. Early on, he cut his reading teeth on Greek and Roman mythologies and then the entire Edgar Rice Burroughs series of Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, Pellucidar and the rest of the Martian sagas. He moved from these to sci fi devouring the classics from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne to the modern Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein and Herbert. Two books and one series of books, though, truly changed his life in high school. Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein and Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda both awakened in Tom a desire to explore new ideas and spiritual philosophies. He became a seeker and a student of life. These avocations have remained a part of his life still four decades later. The series of books were written by J.R.R. Tolkein. This awakened in Tom a love of wizards, dragons, elves and anything Middle Earthish. His spiritual quest would involve books about the weird and unusual like Van Daniken, Sitchin, Ralph Ellis and others.
But there was a third component to Averna's life that dates back to the powerful dream he had at age 7. His life was filled with vivid and amazing dreams. Some prophetic, but most action and adventure dreams that almost felt like a double life for him. Some he wrote down as stories that would later be woven together as part of his first novel. Others were just a fascination. One in particular was an invention that might have made him rich had he chosen to follow through with it. Shortly after his 30th birthday in 1982 he had a particularly vivid dream set in the future, but it was an old west kind of town. In a saloon, some people were playing a card game and as an observer Tom realized that this was a way used in these times to settle differences. The winner of the game won the judgment of whatever was being contested. Upon a closer look at the cards on the table, it became apparent that this was no ordinary card deck. These cards contained images of fantasy characters and the players would role play with them using dice to allow an element of chance. Upon awakening Tom immediately began writing about the game and set up the rules and thought he should try to market the game. But instead, as many other dream opportunities presented to him, he kept them filed away. About eleven years later, he began to hear stories of a new role playing card game called Magic: The Gathering and it was very similar to what he had envisioned. He still has those scribbled sheets of the game as a reminder to believe in his dreams and be willing to take a chance.
The writing of The Once and Future Wizard series began, as mentioned, as a group of dreams, but really took form after reading Oedipus at Colonnus by Sophocles. In this account, Oedipus meets King Theseus in a cave just before death and there is some mystery surrounding it. This combined with dreams that Theseus and Merlin were one started him wondering if Oedipus had been the link to that transition. From there over several years, he began to craft the story. The veil between fiction and reality became blurred for Averna in the writing of it as at times it felt like recording a dream and at times it felt like taking dictation. So this novel became an accurate reflection of his life containing the three main parts of it. It is weird and unusual, it includes his dreams and it combines elements of his favorite books.
The Once and Future Wizard: The Awakening is the first of three books to come and it feels a bit like a roller coaster. The first book sets the stage and is like the climb up the tracks knowing the fall is coming. The second book will be like the first drop and the third will be a combination of the two. Join Tom on this journey and discover for yourself the truth and magic of who you are and the powerful being you were meant to be. Along the way you'll also discover the truth about the ancient gods, the creation of the universe, what happened to the elves and the truth behind many other mythologies.
The Once and Future Wizard: The Awakening from All Things That Matter Press is available in print at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Once-Future-Wizard-Awakening/dp/098465173X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315330044&sr=8-1
Or as an e-reader download for the Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/Once-Future-Wizard-Awakening-ebook/dp/B005LDJFVQ/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
Or on the Nook at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Tom-Averna?keyword=Tom+Averna&store=ebook
OR at ATTMP at https://www.createspace.com/3677316
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