Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 214
March 9, 2014
So many twists and turns...
Just discovered this lovely review, written by Linda Whitehead Humbert, of Twisted.
5.0 out of 5 stars Another well-written book by Uvi Pozansky, March 9, 2014By Linda Whitehead Humbert - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
Twisted had so many twists and turns that the title was very appropriate! Although I was pretty familiar with many of the stories, the author made me see them from very different perspectives. I think that she's a genuine writer of very good literature. I am sure I will enjoy her other books as much as I have enjoyed Twisted and Apart From Love.
5.0 out of 5 stars Another well-written book by Uvi Pozansky, March 9, 2014By Linda Whitehead Humbert - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
Twisted had so many twists and turns that the title was very appropriate! Although I was pretty familiar with many of the stories, the author made me see them from very different perspectives. I think that she's a genuine writer of very good literature. I am sure I will enjoy her other books as much as I have enjoyed Twisted and Apart From Love.
March 8, 2014
Remote Control: An Interview with David George
Interview withDavid GeorgeIndependent film director, Narrator, author ofRemote Control
It is a treat for me, which I enjoy sharing, to learn about a special project: an audiobook written and produced by David George (the narrator of my novel, Rise to Power.) Remote Control is performed by him and his brother, Brian George.
Why did you write Remote Control?
I began Remote Control because I had been writing screenplays in American voices and I wanted to write something closer to my own voice. I was raised in England so I wanted to write British characters.
I started writing what was to be a two-man multi-media stage-play. Harold and Fred were two British ex-pats who lived on the upper floors of a cheap hotel in Los Angeles in the 1980's. They watch television and become the characters they watch.
The stage would be simply divided into three areas - on the left, an old worn couch facing the audience; on the right a small kitchen table with two chairs. Up center would be a huge rear projection 10' x 15' screen which would use a combination of slides and video to provide a variety of abstract and/or realistic images as a backdrop to support the scenes.
So, Harold & Fred would begin a conversation on the couch and at the appropriate moment at the end of the scene one of them would aim a TV remote at the audience and click! The lights would fade on the couch and an image would appear on the screen and Harold or Fred would stand before the screen and become whoever they were watching on Television.
So this was the conceit, that the whole piece would play out as if they were channel surfing - and the action would unfurl like flipping channels.
How long did it take you to write?
I wrote the whole thing in a flash - about six weeks. The whole play came out complete like "automatic writing" - I was possessed.
The structure allowed it to be dramatic, funny, tragic, surreal.
I didn't really know what I had until around page forty - I suddenly understood what I was writing, but I can't reveal that here so you'll have to listen to the audiobook/radio dramady!
I should say here that there are drums - African tribal drummers that play us in and out of the scenes. The significance of this will be shown later.
At its core, this is a love story, not only between Harold & Elena, but between the two characters Harold & Fred. Tell us a little about the twists and turns of the story?
Fred reveals in an opening monologue that he fears he might be a woman trapped in a man's body. He's not sure about this but desperate, he indulges the possibility and wears a dress, sloppy make-up & stays in the apartment in preparation for the big event. Harold indulges him - they are old friends.
Harold has been secretly writing letters to Elena, a woman he met through the personals in the local paper. Since he has decided he will never meet her, he writes fantastic stories about his life that are pure fantasy. Elena we learn is a caregiver, taking care of her ailing mother.
In one letter Harold tells Elena of one of his adventurous "trips" to Africa on Safari and how he parachuted from a small plane...
After a while Elena begins to fall in love with the dashing man in her letters.
Harold hides the letters from Fred but one day, Fred finds Elena's letters stuffed under the cushions of the couch and reads them. Fred is shocked and amused, hurt and threatened all at once that Harold has had this secret.
Later when Fred reads that Harold & Elena are planning to meet, Fred writes a letter in Harold's name (unknown to Harold) canceling the proposed meeting.
How did you go from a stage play to the audiobook?
Well it occured to me much later that this could work as a "radio play" without much adjustment.
So I decided to produce it myself with music and sound effects. My brother Brian George (Babu on Seinfeld, The Indian father in Big Bang Theory) agreed to play Harold and other multiple roles; I would play Fred and other multiple roles. I had written Harold for Brian to play and he was familiar with the role.
Here is an excerpt. My brother Brian George as Harold writing to Elena about his "travels" in Africa:
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
HAROLD: Dear Elena, when I was in Africa I had an opportunity to sky dive which I naturally 'jumped' at the chance to do. (pause)I have to tell you this has to be one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had. Have you ever tried sky diving? The most wonderful feeling is to leap out of the side door of that small aircraft. I remember preparing to jump, the loudness of the twin engines vibrating the body of the plane: the density of the wind blowing outside the door. The air is as thick as...cheese! You get a definite sense of what's holding you up. I can't remember actually leaping out, but there I was in a free-fall - arms and legs outstretched.
The roar of the engines diminished to a distant hum, and then...silence. (pause)This was the closest thing to flying I've ever experienced except maybe in a dream. I was driven to delay the chute opening for as long as possible to maximize the thrill. I looked from side to side...
...while the air pushed against my face and pressed up against my opened palms. Below, I could see the African Veldt, stretching out like a painter's canvas. In one corner, there was movement: a microscopic herd of Spring Bok darting across the wild, yellow, grassy, plain. They were barely visible except for their long shadows in the rising sun. I looked over at my right hand. The slightest movement of either hand will change your direction in a freefall. I tilted my hand slightly...
...My whole body spun around and the world below me turned the opposite direction.(pause)I was now facing a mountain range to the south, and beyond the mountains I could see the ocean shining like a sheet of blue glass. I pulled the cord. The rustle of silk and rope: then a whoosh! The harness dug in as my body lurched and the chute opened! (pause)I floated down to earth as it rushed up to greet me. (pause)A new perspective. Trees towered above my head. I was knee-deep in tall grass, and the sound of the African birds filled my ears with their wild song! Elena, you should have been there!Lights fade on Harold.
Links:
Remote Control by David George available on Audible & iTunes:AmazoniTunes
It is a treat for me, which I enjoy sharing, to learn about a special project: an audiobook written and produced by David George (the narrator of my novel, Rise to Power.) Remote Control is performed by him and his brother, Brian George.
Why did you write Remote Control?
I began Remote Control because I had been writing screenplays in American voices and I wanted to write something closer to my own voice. I was raised in England so I wanted to write British characters.I started writing what was to be a two-man multi-media stage-play. Harold and Fred were two British ex-pats who lived on the upper floors of a cheap hotel in Los Angeles in the 1980's. They watch television and become the characters they watch.
The stage would be simply divided into three areas - on the left, an old worn couch facing the audience; on the right a small kitchen table with two chairs. Up center would be a huge rear projection 10' x 15' screen which would use a combination of slides and video to provide a variety of abstract and/or realistic images as a backdrop to support the scenes.
So, Harold & Fred would begin a conversation on the couch and at the appropriate moment at the end of the scene one of them would aim a TV remote at the audience and click! The lights would fade on the couch and an image would appear on the screen and Harold or Fred would stand before the screen and become whoever they were watching on Television.
So this was the conceit, that the whole piece would play out as if they were channel surfing - and the action would unfurl like flipping channels.
How long did it take you to write?
I wrote the whole thing in a flash - about six weeks. The whole play came out complete like "automatic writing" - I was possessed.
The structure allowed it to be dramatic, funny, tragic, surreal.
I didn't really know what I had until around page forty - I suddenly understood what I was writing, but I can't reveal that here so you'll have to listen to the audiobook/radio dramady!
I should say here that there are drums - African tribal drummers that play us in and out of the scenes. The significance of this will be shown later.
At its core, this is a love story, not only between Harold & Elena, but between the two characters Harold & Fred. Tell us a little about the twists and turns of the story?
Fred reveals in an opening monologue that he fears he might be a woman trapped in a man's body. He's not sure about this but desperate, he indulges the possibility and wears a dress, sloppy make-up & stays in the apartment in preparation for the big event. Harold indulges him - they are old friends.
Harold has been secretly writing letters to Elena, a woman he met through the personals in the local paper. Since he has decided he will never meet her, he writes fantastic stories about his life that are pure fantasy. Elena we learn is a caregiver, taking care of her ailing mother.
In one letter Harold tells Elena of one of his adventurous "trips" to Africa on Safari and how he parachuted from a small plane...
After a while Elena begins to fall in love with the dashing man in her letters.
Harold hides the letters from Fred but one day, Fred finds Elena's letters stuffed under the cushions of the couch and reads them. Fred is shocked and amused, hurt and threatened all at once that Harold has had this secret.
Later when Fred reads that Harold & Elena are planning to meet, Fred writes a letter in Harold's name (unknown to Harold) canceling the proposed meeting.
How did you go from a stage play to the audiobook?
Well it occured to me much later that this could work as a "radio play" without much adjustment.
So I decided to produce it myself with music and sound effects. My brother Brian George (Babu on Seinfeld, The Indian father in Big Bang Theory) agreed to play Harold and other multiple roles; I would play Fred and other multiple roles. I had written Harold for Brian to play and he was familiar with the role.
Here is an excerpt. My brother Brian George as Harold writing to Elena about his "travels" in Africa:
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
HAROLD: Dear Elena, when I was in Africa I had an opportunity to sky dive which I naturally 'jumped' at the chance to do. (pause)I have to tell you this has to be one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had. Have you ever tried sky diving? The most wonderful feeling is to leap out of the side door of that small aircraft. I remember preparing to jump, the loudness of the twin engines vibrating the body of the plane: the density of the wind blowing outside the door. The air is as thick as...cheese! You get a definite sense of what's holding you up. I can't remember actually leaping out, but there I was in a free-fall - arms and legs outstretched.
The roar of the engines diminished to a distant hum, and then...silence. (pause)This was the closest thing to flying I've ever experienced except maybe in a dream. I was driven to delay the chute opening for as long as possible to maximize the thrill. I looked from side to side...
...while the air pushed against my face and pressed up against my opened palms. Below, I could see the African Veldt, stretching out like a painter's canvas. In one corner, there was movement: a microscopic herd of Spring Bok darting across the wild, yellow, grassy, plain. They were barely visible except for their long shadows in the rising sun. I looked over at my right hand. The slightest movement of either hand will change your direction in a freefall. I tilted my hand slightly...
...My whole body spun around and the world below me turned the opposite direction.(pause)I was now facing a mountain range to the south, and beyond the mountains I could see the ocean shining like a sheet of blue glass. I pulled the cord. The rustle of silk and rope: then a whoosh! The harness dug in as my body lurched and the chute opened! (pause)I floated down to earth as it rushed up to greet me. (pause)A new perspective. Trees towered above my head. I was knee-deep in tall grass, and the sound of the African birds filled my ears with their wild song! Elena, you should have been there!Lights fade on Harold.
Links:
Remote Control by David George available on Audible & iTunes:AmazoniTunes
March 7, 2014
In my defense
A little sketch by Rembrandt--showing the master and his students observing a model, who is posing for them onstage--inspired me to create a variation on the theme. I used the same grouping of figures. But here, in my watercolor, the studio turned into a cave, and the art students--to a primitive mob. Which brings out a primal urge in them.
In this painting the woman turns her head away: she has no voice. But in my novel, Apart From Love, Anita talks loud and clear. Here is what she says:
In my defense I have this to say: When men notice me, when the lusty glint appears in their eyes, which betrays how, in their heads, they’re stripping me naked—it’s me they accuse of being indecent. Problem is, men notice me all the time.
Hear her voice:
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
Treat yourself to a gift! ★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
In this painting the woman turns her head away: she has no voice. But in my novel, Apart From Love, Anita talks loud and clear. Here is what she says:
In my defense I have this to say: When men notice me, when the lusty glint appears in their eyes, which betrays how, in their heads, they’re stripping me naked—it’s me they accuse of being indecent. Problem is, men notice me all the time.
Hear her voice:
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
Treat yourself to a gift! ★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
March 6, 2014
If I live, someone should sculpt me in this pose, just so
"I must have lost my mind, because I leap over the brook and run quickly towards him. And I put my hand in my bag and take out one of my pebbles and sling it.
It is now that time starts slowing down. With sharp, heightened senses I feel morning the breeze playing with my curls, brushing them this way and that, down to the nape of my neck. Here I am, twisting over my legs, wringing my body in a tortuous effort to gather momentum, to let a pebble fly. This, I tell myself, is no dream. This is for real. I am aiming to slay a giant. If I live, someone should sculpt me in this pose, just so.Now I aim at his head, because it was the only exposed part of him. I close one eye, so I may focus better. Then I take my shot."
David in Rise to Power
The subject of Bernini's sculpture is the biblical David, about to throw the stone that will bring down Goliath, which will allow David to behead him. Compared to earlier works on the same theme (notably the David of Michelangelo), the sculpture broke new ground in its implied movement and its psychological intensity.
It is greatly influenced by a much earlier sculpture, the Discus Thrower by the Athenian sculptor Myron, which is depicted about to release his throw. The energy expressed in this sculpture's tightly-wound pose, expressing the moment of stasis just before the release, is an example of the advancement of Classical sculpture from Archaic. However unlike Bernini's sculpture, the torso of the Disk Thrower shows no muscular strain.
★ Hot new release! ★Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
It is now that time starts slowing down. With sharp, heightened senses I feel morning the breeze playing with my curls, brushing them this way and that, down to the nape of my neck. Here I am, twisting over my legs, wringing my body in a tortuous effort to gather momentum, to let a pebble fly. This, I tell myself, is no dream. This is for real. I am aiming to slay a giant. If I live, someone should sculpt me in this pose, just so.Now I aim at his head, because it was the only exposed part of him. I close one eye, so I may focus better. Then I take my shot."
David in Rise to Power
The subject of Bernini's sculpture is the biblical David, about to throw the stone that will bring down Goliath, which will allow David to behead him. Compared to earlier works on the same theme (notably the David of Michelangelo), the sculpture broke new ground in its implied movement and its psychological intensity.It is greatly influenced by a much earlier sculpture, the Discus Thrower by the Athenian sculptor Myron, which is depicted about to release his throw. The energy expressed in this sculpture's tightly-wound pose, expressing the moment of stasis just before the release, is an example of the advancement of Classical sculpture from Archaic. However unlike Bernini's sculpture, the torso of the Disk Thrower shows no muscular strain.
★ Hot new release! ★Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
March 5, 2014
A diamond short, a decade late
A diamond short, a decade late
I come to stand outside your gate
Unlock and open, let me in
Forgive me, love; what is my sin?I fled from you across the land
But now I ask you for your hand
A decade late, a diamond short
I can't imagine why you snortMy limbs are frail, my breath is cold
I must admit I may look old
I fall, I kneel, why—I implore
You are the woman I adoreI feel so weak, I feel so brittle
Don't touch! I may be impotent a little
You loved me once—or so I thought
Stop! Take your fingers off my throat—
I painted Late Lover from the point of view of the girl he had left behind. She and you, the observer, are one. He is yearning to come back home. A blue cape is flung around his shoulders, which allows the eye to stay with him, rather than drift off to the background, seen in the spaces between his flimsy ribs. More importantly, you can see the withered flowers he lays at your feet, and the ring being cast off your finger, straight onto his head. The words 'A diamond short, a decade late' are carved into the door frame, perhaps with your fingernails, scratching letter after letter over the long-drawn-out years of waiting for him...
Having painted him all day, the voice of Late Lover came to me at night. The next morning I wrote his poem down in a single breath, and never made any corrections, never replaced a word or adjusted the rhythm--because it came to me completely ready.
Inspired by poetry?
Treat yourself to a gift ★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
I come to stand outside your gate
Unlock and open, let me in
Forgive me, love; what is my sin?I fled from you across the land
But now I ask you for your hand
A decade late, a diamond short
I can't imagine why you snortMy limbs are frail, my breath is cold
I must admit I may look old
I fall, I kneel, why—I implore
You are the woman I adoreI feel so weak, I feel so brittle
Don't touch! I may be impotent a little
You loved me once—or so I thought
Stop! Take your fingers off my throat—
I painted Late Lover from the point of view of the girl he had left behind. She and you, the observer, are one. He is yearning to come back home. A blue cape is flung around his shoulders, which allows the eye to stay with him, rather than drift off to the background, seen in the spaces between his flimsy ribs. More importantly, you can see the withered flowers he lays at your feet, and the ring being cast off your finger, straight onto his head. The words 'A diamond short, a decade late' are carved into the door frame, perhaps with your fingernails, scratching letter after letter over the long-drawn-out years of waiting for him...
Having painted him all day, the voice of Late Lover came to me at night. The next morning I wrote his poem down in a single breath, and never made any corrections, never replaced a word or adjusted the rhythm--because it came to me completely ready.
Inspired by poetry?
Treat yourself to a gift ★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
March 4, 2014
Radio chat on World of Ink Network
Marsha Casper Cook is the author of six published books and eleven feature-length screenplays, a literary agent with fifteen years experience, and the host of the blog talk radio show A Good Story is a Good Story. So I am thrilled that Marsha invited me to be appear on her show a second time, together with my author friend Brenda Perlin, to chat about writing and marketing.
The interview will air today at 6:00 pm PST, here:
A Good Story is a Good Story
The interview will air today at 6:00 pm PST, here:
A Good Story is a Good Story
March 3, 2014
Twisted like a pretzel...delicious!
Bonnie Bernard is the author of paranormal/weird fiction, with several books including Road Rash, Rest Inn Piece, and Backfire. I am thrilled to find her review of Twisted:
5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted like a pretzel...delicious!, March 3, 2014By Bonnie - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
Twisted is a series of shorts...all being "my favorite". The stories are about cats, dead wives, Satan sticking his horns where they don't belong, and even some amazing statuesque beauty. If you've read Uvi's other books...well, you know how much you're going to love this one...you don't need me to tell you. If you haven't yet read anything by this brilliant wordsmith, do yourself a favor.
Five stars and then some. I recommend this for all readers, especially those who appreciate the "twisted" word. You'll see what I mean when you read the book. ;)
5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted like a pretzel...delicious!, March 3, 2014By Bonnie - See all my reviewsAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
Twisted is a series of shorts...all being "my favorite". The stories are about cats, dead wives, Satan sticking his horns where they don't belong, and even some amazing statuesque beauty. If you've read Uvi's other books...well, you know how much you're going to love this one...you don't need me to tell you. If you haven't yet read anything by this brilliant wordsmith, do yourself a favor.Five stars and then some. I recommend this for all readers, especially those who appreciate the "twisted" word. You'll see what I mean when you read the book. ;)
Just say something to me. Anything
"After a while I whispered, like, 'Just say something to me. Anything.' And I thought, Any other word apart from love, ‘cause that word is diluted, and no one knows what it really means, anyway. Then he kissed me—even without the ice cream—and said my name, like, he tasted it in his mouth, and rolled it on his tongue, which made me awful happy. And we started our dance again..."
Anita in Apart From Love
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
I never use the word Love lightly; it appears only three times in my novel. Because of this scarcity, the word has a powerful effect once it is pronounced, so that the expression 'Apart From Love' becomes shaded with different meanings, all of which are explored. At times it means, except for love--other times it means, disjointed, yearning from afar for a connection, for a touch.
Fall in love with Anita★★★★★ "A diamond in the rough"
Apart From Love★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
Anita in Apart From Love
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
I never use the word Love lightly; it appears only three times in my novel. Because of this scarcity, the word has a powerful effect once it is pronounced, so that the expression 'Apart From Love' becomes shaded with different meanings, all of which are explored. At times it means, except for love--other times it means, disjointed, yearning from afar for a connection, for a touch.
Fall in love with Anita★★★★★ "A diamond in the rough"
Apart From Love★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
March 1, 2014
Becoming David
Are you curious about how a narrator goes about his craft, how he goes through the process of becoming the character, and lifting him from the text to life? I know I am! Take a listen to David, describing Michal undress on the eve of their wedding.
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
And now, here are a few thoughts, written by David George, the voice talent for Rise to Power, highlighting the process of becoming David.
On Narrating Rise to Power (The David Chronicles, Vol I)
★ Hot new release! ★Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.
And now, here are a few thoughts, written by David George, the voice talent for Rise to Power, highlighting the process of becoming David.
On Narrating Rise to Power (The David Chronicles, Vol I)
Looking over the text initially, I see that Uvi Poznansky had chosen to retell the Old Testament Story of King David in modern English - colloquial even.
So my first task was to find the voice that would both respect the ancient classic legend from the Old Testament and also fit the modern approach Uvi uses to retell it.
Uvi wanted an British english voice. I was raised in London, England so no problem there for the court of King Saul. But the slaying of Goliath was coming up - what was I going to do for the Philistines? Since we were using British English and Philistines today are synonymous with the "uncouth", I chose to go with the British "class" distinctions to separate the tribes. I chose to use a lower class voice to distinguish the Philistines from David and the court of Saul.
I grew up in the East End of London.
We were an immigrant family from Acre, Israel, arriving in London in 1955. When I was five years old we experienced what I imagine most immigrants do on arrival to a new country. As small a country as the UK is, there seem to be millions of accents incubated over a long history prior to the industrial revolution and the arrival of modern travel. We were born British subjects and always spoke English, but you had to have a good ear to survive and we became really good mimics of the accents of the children we were trying to assimilate with.
So...back to my point. The Philistines would sound like "Cockneys". No offense, some of the best and smartest people in the world are from the world's working classes but this was a way of using prejudices and preconceived notions to differentiate the "Philistines" from the court of Saul.
I like to act the parts of dialogue in a variety of characters because I think droning on in one's own voice for 8 -11 hrs can be tedious for the listener.
For me, having the opportunity to narrate a novel is a huge issue of trust on the part of the author. In order to respect that trust, I have to find a way to bring as much passion as I can, to match the author's passion in having taken on the work in the first place.
I have to love the work.
I liken this to a singer who finds their own way with a song in order to respect the writer's work and yet bring their own truth to the interpretation. Doing a narration is no different.
What about female characters?
Some writers have women protagonists and prefer a woman to narrate their work. Makes sense.
People want to know "what do you do for a female character?" For me a slight shift in tone to "feminize " the voice without going into caricature works well. With Bathsheba in Rise to Power - I chose to read all her lines as an invitation to stay and make love with her - even when she tells David to "Go away!" the subtext is "Please, stay". There are many different women with different histories and motivations and all of that needs to find its way into the delivery of the line.
Personally, making an audiobook come alive for the reader is like making a movie with a small cast or a cast of thousands! A hybrid of a stageplay/movie/Radio Drama . All...with one voice.
I hope you will enjoy the audiobook version of The Rise to Power - The David Chronicles - Vol1 by Uvi Poznansky narrated by David George
★ Hot new release! ★Rise to Power★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
Twisted
A lovely review, which I have just discovered, on Amazon UK for Twisted:
5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted 21 Sep 2013By judyFormat:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The poems and short stories here are not the usual. They take you down a whole different path. A new spin on known characters, unexpected bravery and beauty you would not expect to find in the settings. Riveting, she is a master at woodcraft.
5.0 out of 5 stars Twisted 21 Sep 2013By judyFormat:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The poems and short stories here are not the usual. They take you down a whole different path. A new spin on known characters, unexpected bravery and beauty you would not expect to find in the settings. Riveting, she is a master at woodcraft.
