Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 190

One of my favorite Bible Stories is of David and Bathsheba

Just discovered a new review for A Peak at Bathsheba:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite Bible Stories is of David and Bathsheba, September 5, 2014By A reader - See all my reviewsVerified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: A Peek at Bathsheba (The David Chronicles Book 2) (Kindle Edition) One of my favorite Bible Stories is of David and Bathsheba. Years ago I taught a couples Bible Study and one of the passages I used to try to drive home to men that the sexual attention they gave their wives is Biblical. 2 Samuel 12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. Uvi Poznansky's beautiful book captures the passion of David and his love for Bathsheba, regardless of the other women in his household. Excellent!

Where faith, love and power combine - wonderfully told

Sheila Deeth is the author of the novel Divide by Zero and the Five-Minute Bible Stories series of seven books. With a Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England, she is a top 1000 reviewer on Amazon, and on other reading sites. I am thrilled to find her review of A Peek at Bathsheba:
5.0 out of 5 stars Where faith, love and power combine - wonderfully told, September 3, 2014By S. Deeth "Sheila Deeth" (OR, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: A Peek at Bathsheba (The David Chronicles Book 2) (Kindle Edition) I really enjoyed Uvi Poznansky’s Rise to Power, so there was no way I would miss the chance to read A Peek at Bathsheba, second in her David Chronicles. It’s a wonderful story, well able to stand alone, and gorgeously, lyrically told. Those familiar with the Bible account will know where King David is coming from and going to. But every twist and turn of this plot feels fresh and new as David truly comes to life, an old man recollecting past mistakes; a king with many wives and honest loves and needs; a father who never quite knew what a father should do; and a man who, in volume three, will most surely be In Search of Redemption.

Author Uvi Poznansky has a wonderful talent for making the Biblical real, turning classic heroes into their humanly flawed counterparts, and rendering them totally fascinating. By the end of the tale, readers will feel they have truly sat at David’s feet, listening to him speak.

By turns cynical, sad, excitable, eager, foolish, wise, and maybe even driven a little mad by circumstance, this great king leads his people, sometimes leads his armies, and tries to lead his family into legacy. Meanwhile his prophet reminds him of God’s decrees, memories remind him of friendships past, and soldiers remind him of who they think put him on this throne. Faith is a lithesome thing in this tale, hard to grasp yet always waiting to threaten from the wings. And the victor writes the history, or at least the victor employs the historian.

Familiar Bible phrases echo, from psalms and from further afield, turned sometimes to God, sometimes to love. “How much nagging can a man take from his wives?” David wonders, even as he writes, and the twin roles of warrior and poet twist his words. Told with powerful sympathy and irony, a nicely prophetic touch, and plenty of earthy, human emotion, this novella has a classic feel blended with a wholly new approach. It’s beautifully researched, gorgeously rendered, and enticingly provocative in its blend of familiar and new. And it’s highly recommended.

The voice behind A Peek at Bathsheba

I don't know how Justin Harmer found my work. I consider myself lucky for it, because he placed an audition for it. Take a listen to an excerpt from the upcoming audiobook edition of A Peek at Bathsheba:


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I was blown away by how musical his voice sounds, how compelling his presence, and how nuanced his interpretation of the text, which should not have surprised me: Justin Harmer is a musician. He plays the piano and the harp. And he is a singer. Here is his performance from Five Mystical Songs (a musical composition by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, written between 1906 and 1911.) Take a listen to Justin, as he is lifting these words into music, into pure inspiration:

Rise heart; thy Lord is risen.Sing his praise without delayes,
Who takes thee by the hand,
that thou likewise with him may'st rise;
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, just.


Incidentally, why the camera was tilted this way is mystifying, but somehow I find that watching everyone float horizontally above the frame adds, somehow, to the miracle of the music and the singing. 

The character of David in The David Chronicles is rich and complex, drawn with great contrast, so I was looking for a charismatic performer, one who can deliver pathos as well as humor. Which is why I enjoy listening to Justin performing his own poem, written in a self-deprecating, hilariously funny manner. It shows me his incredible range. Take a listen, and tell me what you think:


Here is a little background about him:

Justin Harmer first trod the boards as a tap dancer a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... His very short-lived dance career was briefly revisited at Sadlers Wells in the late 80's with the National Youth Music Theatre. From this dizzy, square-dancing height he went on to be the lead (and a deluded, chicken chasing Knight Errant) in one of their 3 production's at the Edinburgh International Festival, alongside Jude Law who was the lead that year in their production of Joseph's Technicolour Dreamcoat... A long time ago in a galaxy of stars, far, far away...
Earlier that year while the Berlin wall was busy falling, he appeared on French TV alongside Dido in an Opera by the name of Dido and Aeneas. He was the first white artist to appear at the MOBO awards (no it wasn't Jamie Cullum: it was me!) as keyboard player for the band Streetwise. A brief 8 year spell at University saw him play a jester in full jesting gear, a comedy king, the season Winter, the concept of Sleep, a diabolists sidekick and an onanist disturbing policeman (as well as weddings and funerals). There was the odd sighting of an Old Testament prophet or two and various Christs and Pontius Pilates.
Otherwise he has appeared as Death in a codpiece and an elderly owl in Marbella. He has performed his own composition at the Wigmore Hall, and also played one of the three kings in Westminster Abbey (Melchior), sung at Barbican Hall, St John's Smith Square, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Albert Hall (Canteen and Elgar Room), Snape Maltings Aldeburgh, Edinburgh Fringe (as a gangster), York Minster, Chelsea Festival (as another Old Testament character) and sightread his way round more choirs than is advisable.
As an ivory tickler he worked for the Royal Ballet School for 10 years and the Royal Academy of Dancing for 2. He fairly recently performed Beethoven's Emperor Concerto (which was almost fun for the other pianist!) He has sung as soloist in a blitzkrieg of European countries as well as playing various other biblical characters in Jerusalem.
He has played on screen a very convincing mad Organist and several vicars... Oh and a Bond villain in a towel (it wasn't yellow though.) He made his professional debut as a ship's cook. 
Justin has sung alongside Alfie Boe and James Rutherford, Sarah Fox, Leigh Melrose, and perfomed for Liz and Phil and various cousins of theirs, John (Major), Maggie and Denis, Edward (Windsor), Andrew (L-W), various Archbishops (including the rainbow one), Uncle Tom Cobbley and various papered and hallowed halls.
His optimism that he would eventually be recording with Basstone music an album of his compositions has paid off: the court case didn't go belly up in the end...
He is a published and performing poet. Between him and his wife Charlotte they have 17 godchildren. A miracle in which his knee was involved was reported on the back page of the Catholic Herald, but that was on the top deck of a bus in Peckham which is, as they say, a galaxy far, far away...
To learn more, click here: About Justin Harmer.

So, can you blame me? I cannot wait to hear Justin lifting my text to life. Looking forward to a wonderful time of creative collaboration! 

Deep, thought-proving, achingly beautiful story #audible #audiobooks

I am truly moved by this review of the audiobook edition of Home:
FollowAmazon CustomerUSA09-01-14OverallPerformanceStory

"Deep, thought-proving, achingly beautiful story"

OverallPerformanceStoryWould you listen to Home again? Why?I'll want to listen to Home many times because not only is Home is filled with wisdom and pathos, but it is beautifully written and narrated. Any son or daughter will want to listen to Home: it's about relationships and lessons as old as time.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Home?The moment when the daughter finds the silent movie projector in a cabinet, dusty and nearly forgotten. She knows this find will change her life forever, and so do we.
Have you listened to any of Kathy Bell Denton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?This is the first of Denton's narrations I have heard, and it impressed me enough that I will look for others.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?This book shakes the soul. Yes, there is laughter, but the giddy laughter of coming to terms with tragedy, with life, with death.
Any additional comments?Home is a book that opens the soul. Reading it is mesmerizing. The story it tells is a story everyone should hear. I listened in one sitting the first time, and am looking forward to sharing it with my husband. For anyone who has lost a parent, or knows that loss comes soon, this book is a must. I recommend both this edition and the Kindle for those whose souls are aching, and those coming to terms with what life and death really mean.

He died by the hand of a woman, the one he loved

“Uriah is dead?”“He is, my lord.”He mistakes my silence for grief, and goes on to condole with me. “I’m so sorry to tell you this, knowing how much you loved him,” he says. “Please, please forgive me.”I give a deep sigh, knowing that my relief can be disguised by it as sorrow.For a moment I am speechless, and utterly impressed by how cleverly my first in command executed my order. History repeats itself. Joav used it, quite brilliantly, to my advantage. He sent Uriah into a dangerous position, just below the wall of Rabbah, hoping that someone, like that woman in Thebez, would drop a millstone upon him. And so, my trusty soldier fought his last battle. Perhaps, at the last second—as the arrow was singing in the air, coming closer and closer at him, like a lover eager for a kiss—his eyes started to widen. Perhaps he knew that his death would not be caused by that arrow, but by the hand of a woman, the one he loved. 
David talks with a messenger from his first in command in A Peek at Bathsheba

The first image, titled 'David sends a letter to Joab' is from the colorful Maciejowski Bible. In this single image, an entire story is told, left to right, much like a cartoon or a story-board: at the left of it, David hands the letter to his soldier, Uriah, so he may deliver it to his commander, Joab. In the center, Joab is leading the attack on the city of Rabbah, planning to place Uriah at a precarious position, just below the city wall, so he may die. And on the right, Uriah is indeed pinned to his death by a defender of the city. 

This first image is viewed dispassionately, from an objective point of view, rather than that of David, Uriah, or the besieged defenders. It simply tells the story, without moralizing or taking sides. 
The plot to kill Uriah was perhaps based on another historical battle: the Battle of Thebez, a few generations back. During that battle, which is depicted in the second image, Abimelek led an attack on a besieged city. He fought most of the way towards the tower, then drew too close to its wall. And then, a woman on a high point of it dropped a millstone upon his head. The blow cracked his skull—but unfortunately, didn’t kill him. He called his young armor-bearer, and asked him to draw his sword and run it through him, so no one would know, no one would laugh at him, as his demise had happened not by crossing swords with a mighty soldier, but by the soft hand of a woman. 

Interestingly, this second image is depicted from the point of view of the besieged, focusing on the heroism of the woman rather than the 'shameful' death of her victim.




Just released! Volume II of the trilogy:
A Peek at Bathsheba
★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★

 Volume I of the trilogy: Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
"She writes with exquisite prose and elegant style, 
yet delivers piercing truth and insights into the human psyche on the way. 
A wonderful read."

Pain and Beauty

I am so touched by this lovely, heartfelt review by Linda Whitehead Humbert for Home:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pain and Beauty, August 31, 2014By Linda Whitehead Humbert "Linda Whitehead Humbert" - See all my reviewsVerified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Home (Kindle Edition) Although I have read several of Ms. Poznansky's books, none have touched me more deeply than Home. Before the first 10 pages, I was not only in tears, but that melancholic ache that I often feel when hearing certain pieces of music, or reading about Ireland and Scotland (where my ancestors came from) descended deeply into my chest, and as of yet not faded. I suppose that part of the ache is because I can feel tiny parts of the horror that not only Holocaust survivors lived through, but the survivor's children as well. That great cost of inexplicable evil should never be forgotten. Both the prose and the poetry stirred me deeply, and I wept for that boy who endured so much, the angry man who could not control his darkness, and the lonely man who had no idea how his words would soar and live. Both authors are forever embedded into my soul. It was an honor and privilege to read.

I try to avoid looking at her body—but still, I can see the ticklish point under her chin

"I try to avoid looking at her body—but still, I can see the ticklish point under her chin, and the long line of her neck, which is plunging into the collar, and the jugular vein fluttering there, and the nipple, half of which is peeking out from the shadow, down there under the opening of the shirt. Her ribcage starts flaring up now with rapid, disorderly breathing, as if to escape a nightmare. This, I figure, is something she must face alone."
Ben, in Apart From Love
I painted this watercolor with yellows and greens that I rarely used before, because I wished to give this figure a glow. Her fleshiness is accentuated with the perspective I chose, looking up at her from a vantage point at the level of her knees. I named her 'Butterfly' because despite being heavy, she has a twisting, swinging motion across the paper. 


★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a gift ★
Apart From Love★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★“Liberally salted with buttery smooth prose & fascinating insights”

"Home" is Exquisite, Extraordinary, Unique, & Superb

Thomas Jerome Baker is an author of romance, historical fiction, autobiographical, sports history/biography, and English Language Teaching. He is also a top Amazon reviewer, who ranks top 1000. I am thrilled to find his review of my book, Home:

 "Home" is Exquisite, Extraordinary, Unique, & Superb, August 30, 2014By Thomas Baker "Thomas is the Past-President of TESOL Chile (2010-2011). He is the Head of the English Department at Colegio Internacional SEK in Santiago."Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Home (Kindle Edition)This is an extraordinary book. I had read other books from Uvi Poznansky before so I knew I was in for an enjoyable read. What makes this book extraordinary is the fact that it represents the efforts of Uvi to render a fitting tribute to her father, Zeev Kachel. It is a collection of poems and prose, half written by her, and half by her father. This combination is unique, and made even more so by its posthumous nature.

This brings to mind Natalie Cole singing a duet with her late father, Nat King Cole. My favorite is listening to both of them singing, "Unforgettable". Here's how she describes it: ""I think it's always a little bit bittersweet when I do it," Cole said of recording duets with her late father, who passed at age 45 from lung cancer, "but I do love to do it because I feel so connected to him. ... It's still emotional, but it still feels good, so you always still want to hold on to that feeling." (Source: ET interview)

Here's how Uvi describes "Home": "Home. A simple word; a loaded one. You can say it in a whisper; you can say it in a cry. Expressed in the voices of father and daughter you can hear a visceral longing for an ideal place, a place never to be found again." (end of quote)

As a teacher, the poem written by Zeev Kachel that caught my attention the most is called, "My Teachers". It is profoundly insightful, personifying "chill", "time" and "dream", essentially elevating these three concepts to the status of teacher. Coming to the poem, I am expecting the story of "real" teachers who impacted his life in a memorable way, and instead, I am greeted with a metaphorical trinity who are uniquely worthy of the status accorded them by the poet. For me, this is a very powerful, evocative poem that I am able to relate to.

In sum, allow me only one word: extraordinary. I have seen no other book like this. It is superb, exquisite, a literary duo that rivals the musical duo of Natalie and Nat King Cole in every way. Highly recommended.

Love? Lust? Or decadence?

"Having sent my spiritual advisor on his errand and Benaiah on his mission I run down to the King’s Gardens and back up again, bringing with me a huge bouquet of freshly picked Jasmine flowers, which fills my chamber with a sweet fragrance. It is then that time takes a strange, unexpected turn. It slows down. 
I have no idea how much of it I have wasted since the beginning of my wait. All I know is that it feels without an end. And despite knowing that I have arrived, that I am at the prime of my life, I feel, once again, like a teenager. She loves me, she loves me not. With a flick of my wrist, white petals start scattering across the marble floor.I go out to the roof and pace to and fro. Already, there is chill in the air. The rays of the setting sun give a last flicker before darkness, before a sensation of fear sets in. Then they withdraw, hesitating to touch the tabernacle of God down there, below me.Coming back in I set the twin sconces, left and right of the chamber door, aflame. Which is when, to the quickening of my pulse, I see it opening. There she is, lifting her little foot and setting it across the threshold."
David in A Peek at Bathsheba

In this excerpt I explore the moment of anticipation, before Bathsheba comes to David. He can still back down from going ahead with this forbidden affair, which is why I make frequent mention of the presence of the tent of God, the presence of his conscience. 

Is this a moment of pure love? Lust? Decadence? I explore all these possibilities, because the relation between David and Bathsheba is so deliciously rich and complex. My writing is greatly informed by works of art throughout the ages. Compare how these three artists saw the relationship between David and Bathsheba.

Marc Chagall said, "Will God or someone else give me the strength to breathe the breath of prayer and mourning into my paintings, the breath of prayer for redemption and resurrection?" And indeed, in his painting he expresses great devotion, a love that is meant to be. David and Bathsheba face each other, heads touching, he caresses her shoulder as if to comfort her.

Ernst Fuchs (born 1930) is an Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, singer and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. Here, too, David and Bathsheba face each other, they meld together in the heat of passion, David taking over nearly the entire space, and her as well. The scene is depicted in an exotic manner, and modeled after Egyptian wall paintings.

Gustav Adolf Mossa ((born 1883) is a French Symbolist painter. He depicts the relationship as one of decadence, and describes the lovers in French attire. There is an age difference between the two, and their conversation is depicted as sharing a hushed secret.

Gustav Adolf Mossa, David and Bathsheba
Ernst Fuchs, , David and Bathsheba
Gustav Adolf Mossa, , David and BathshebaJust released! Volume II of the trilogy:
A Peek at Bathsheba
★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★

 Volume I of the trilogy: Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
"She writes with a calm and steady hand that plucks the strings of her tale with a lyrical precision that leaves the reader deeply entrenched in her words long after the last page"

#LaborDay: Rise to Power and A Peek at Bathsheba

Tell your friend, tell your neighborTake a break from all your laborTime to open Rise to PowerPeek at Bathsheba from David's tower

Get both volumes of The David Chronicles
Rise to Power A Peek at Bathsheba
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