Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 257
January 6, 2013
Someone You Miss
"I knew it the very next morning, and I still know it now: My brother hates me. He has removed me from his mind, stricken away any thought, any memory about me. I am dead to him. The scary part is, that being dead will not stand in the way of him killing me, if ever he lays eyes on me again.
It is an odd feeling. Have you ever faced it? Being dead to someone you envy; someone you miss, too; someone who knows you intimately and, even worse, has the chutzpa to occupy your thoughts day in, day out. It grinds down on your nerves; doesn’t it?
Trust me, being dead to your brother is not all that it is cracked up to be, but it does set you free—oh, don’t act so surprised! It frees you from any lingering sense of obligation. Brother, you say to yourself. What does it mean, Brother? Nothing more than a pang, a dull pang in your heart.
You have betrayed him. Accept his hate."
Yankle, in A Favorite Son
My retelling of the biblical story of Jacob and Esau takes the time to concentrate on two things: the contemplation of the crime, and the mental anguish afterwards. Here is another view of my Ceramic sculpture of the character. It is called "What if my father touches me." For a previous view click here.)
It is an odd feeling. Have you ever faced it? Being dead to someone you envy; someone you miss, too; someone who knows you intimately and, even worse, has the chutzpa to occupy your thoughts day in, day out. It grinds down on your nerves; doesn’t it?
Trust me, being dead to your brother is not all that it is cracked up to be, but it does set you free—oh, don’t act so surprised! It frees you from any lingering sense of obligation. Brother, you say to yourself. What does it mean, Brother? Nothing more than a pang, a dull pang in your heart.
You have betrayed him. Accept his hate."
Yankle, in A Favorite Son
My retelling of the biblical story of Jacob and Esau takes the time to concentrate on two things: the contemplation of the crime, and the mental anguish afterwards. Here is another view of my Ceramic sculpture of the character. It is called "What if my father touches me." For a previous view click here.)
January 5, 2013
Skilled Masterpiece!
Dolores Ayotte holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology as well as teacher certification in Manitoba, Canada. During her teaching career Dolores furthered her education by completing her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in psychology from the University of Winnipeg. In her self-help books--It's Not Perfect and It's OK, Growing Up and Liking It, UP THE "DOWN" LADDER, and A Woman's Voice--she talks in a whisper, a gentle suggestion which allows us to take in what she says. So I am honored that she has just posted this review for my ebook A Favorite Son:
Skilled Masterpiece!, January 5, 2013By Dolores AyotteThis review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)I am an author. Once again, after reading a book penned by gifted Author Uvi Poznansky, I am able to dream of my possible potential should I follow in her footsteps and continue in my endeavors to stretch my talents like she so adeptly manages to do. Her astonishing knack of expertly drawing from her creative and artistic abilities never ceases to amaze me.
Most of us are familiar with the well-known Bible story of Jacob and Esau. Twin sons born to Rebecca and Isaac in their later years, are at odds and in competition to inherit the much coveted blessing from their father on his deathbed. The collaboration that takes place between mother and her favorite son, Yankle, in order to dupe Isaac effectively demonstrates the length some parents will go to in their unfairness, or what I refer to as, the "division" of their love. According to the main thread skillfully woven into this novel, the phenomenon of favoring one child over another may be a curse not only for the favored child but for the rejected one as well. I purposely use the word "division" of love to describe the favoritism both Rebecca and Isaac displayed for opposite sons in this story in order to stress what I consider to be a poignant point.
In my opinion, neither parent expresses true love. True love does not divide families nor does it create ugly competitiveness, sibling rivalry, jealously, hatred, anger and all the other undesirable, negative traits expressed between these two sons. Neither parent shows love for their offspring nor toward each other. It has been said that true love multiplies...it never divides. When one discovers this definition of love and fully embraces this concept, the negative emotions experienced by this family and many others, will no longer exist. To me, that is the true moral to this Bible story.
Ms. Poznansky takes an age old story and gives it a modern twist. The reader is invited into the tortured psyche of Yankle and the grief, guilt, and full knowledge of the consequence of his deception in order to demonstrate what a living hell is all about. Yankle is haunted by his choice, that of manipulating his father's deteriorating physical condition along with his mother, in order to steal his brother, Esav's birthright. He does not want to repeat history in his own life and continue with this kind of favoritism in his relationship with his own sons. This author shows not only by the cover she has so beautifully painted, but also by the words she has so carefully chosen to depict the results of such a past and present dilemma...the consequences of such a devious act.
To quote Ms. Poznansky when describing her book cover, she states, "To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the ugly imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are--even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown." I think each of us will eventually reach this point in life, and regardless of what path we take to get there, we must face ourselves, our actions, our lives and learn what true love is all about...I think this is the genuine motive and goal behind the work of this talented artist and author. Her writing is meant to provoke, prod, persuade, and push us to the limits of our inner selves in order to tie it all together. In my opinion, she is not only showing us a part of herself, her every desire is for us to see our own reflection in her work and see what personal message it holds. She has certainly succeeded with me...
Skilled Masterpiece!, January 5, 2013By Dolores AyotteThis review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)I am an author. Once again, after reading a book penned by gifted Author Uvi Poznansky, I am able to dream of my possible potential should I follow in her footsteps and continue in my endeavors to stretch my talents like she so adeptly manages to do. Her astonishing knack of expertly drawing from her creative and artistic abilities never ceases to amaze me.Most of us are familiar with the well-known Bible story of Jacob and Esau. Twin sons born to Rebecca and Isaac in their later years, are at odds and in competition to inherit the much coveted blessing from their father on his deathbed. The collaboration that takes place between mother and her favorite son, Yankle, in order to dupe Isaac effectively demonstrates the length some parents will go to in their unfairness, or what I refer to as, the "division" of their love. According to the main thread skillfully woven into this novel, the phenomenon of favoring one child over another may be a curse not only for the favored child but for the rejected one as well. I purposely use the word "division" of love to describe the favoritism both Rebecca and Isaac displayed for opposite sons in this story in order to stress what I consider to be a poignant point.
In my opinion, neither parent expresses true love. True love does not divide families nor does it create ugly competitiveness, sibling rivalry, jealously, hatred, anger and all the other undesirable, negative traits expressed between these two sons. Neither parent shows love for their offspring nor toward each other. It has been said that true love multiplies...it never divides. When one discovers this definition of love and fully embraces this concept, the negative emotions experienced by this family and many others, will no longer exist. To me, that is the true moral to this Bible story.
Ms. Poznansky takes an age old story and gives it a modern twist. The reader is invited into the tortured psyche of Yankle and the grief, guilt, and full knowledge of the consequence of his deception in order to demonstrate what a living hell is all about. Yankle is haunted by his choice, that of manipulating his father's deteriorating physical condition along with his mother, in order to steal his brother, Esav's birthright. He does not want to repeat history in his own life and continue with this kind of favoritism in his relationship with his own sons. This author shows not only by the cover she has so beautifully painted, but also by the words she has so carefully chosen to depict the results of such a past and present dilemma...the consequences of such a devious act.
To quote Ms. Poznansky when describing her book cover, she states, "To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the ugly imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are--even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown." I think each of us will eventually reach this point in life, and regardless of what path we take to get there, we must face ourselves, our actions, our lives and learn what true love is all about...I think this is the genuine motive and goal behind the work of this talented artist and author. Her writing is meant to provoke, prod, persuade, and push us to the limits of our inner selves in order to tie it all together. In my opinion, she is not only showing us a part of herself, her every desire is for us to see our own reflection in her work and see what personal message it holds. She has certainly succeeded with me...
"This Story is like a Kaleidoscope"
If you have read any of his books, you know that given his wacky sense of humor it's hard to stop laughing. Oleg Medvedkov is the author of How to Successfully Remove Any Negative Feedback on eBay!, Attila the Hun, CIA Hamster, Time Machine, Samurai's Confessions and more. Humorous Stories, Funny Tales and Amusing Anecdotes, and Take a Break & Have a Laugh Series. Passionate Mind-Control Worms, Cool Cats of Fortune, The Art of Getting a Sandwich and more. But he has a serious side as well: he is a Top 1000 Amazon Reviewer (not an easy achievement by any measure.) Just this morning he posted this review for A Favorite Son:
5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than just a retelling January 4, 2013By Oleg Medvedkov TOP 1000 REVIEWERFormat:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase"A favorite son" is a retelling of a well-known Biblical tale of Jacob and Esau, their mother Rebecca, and Isaac, son of Abraham.
Esav and Yankle, in this version, are twins who are born after their mother, Becky, has prayed to God for twenty years to have children. Esav is the first-born by just a "split second" and Yankle, no matter how close he feels to his brother, is always envious of his brother. Yankle tricks his brother into selling his birthright for a pot a stew; Becky tricks her blind and bedridden husband, Isaac, into giving his blessings to Yankle with a "goatskin coat"; deception is discovered and Esav tries to kill Yankle. The storyline is as close to the Bible text as can be but this is not what makes THIS book shine.
This story is like a kaleidoscope - with every turn of the page the focus changes and we shift our concentration on a different aspect of the tale. A few of the pictures stand out and make us question the original story - not that it did not have enough ambiguity on its own, mind you - the last talk of disguised Yankle and his dying father, for example. When you read it, you get a feeling that Isaac, while old and blind, might not have been fooled by the goatskin as much as we are led to believe.
The tale is told from Yankle's point of view, as he tells it to his own "favorite" son. The author, by a masterful use of shifting tenses and a couple of unobtrusive references, creates an illusion that the story has happened both long time ago and in the present at the same time; which gives this story a new definition of "Timeless." Good read.
5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than just a retelling January 4, 2013By Oleg Medvedkov TOP 1000 REVIEWERFormat:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase"A favorite son" is a retelling of a well-known Biblical tale of Jacob and Esau, their mother Rebecca, and Isaac, son of Abraham.
Esav and Yankle, in this version, are twins who are born after their mother, Becky, has prayed to God for twenty years to have children. Esav is the first-born by just a "split second" and Yankle, no matter how close he feels to his brother, is always envious of his brother. Yankle tricks his brother into selling his birthright for a pot a stew; Becky tricks her blind and bedridden husband, Isaac, into giving his blessings to Yankle with a "goatskin coat"; deception is discovered and Esav tries to kill Yankle. The storyline is as close to the Bible text as can be but this is not what makes THIS book shine.
This story is like a kaleidoscope - with every turn of the page the focus changes and we shift our concentration on a different aspect of the tale. A few of the pictures stand out and make us question the original story - not that it did not have enough ambiguity on its own, mind you - the last talk of disguised Yankle and his dying father, for example. When you read it, you get a feeling that Isaac, while old and blind, might not have been fooled by the goatskin as much as we are led to believe.
The tale is told from Yankle's point of view, as he tells it to his own "favorite" son. The author, by a masterful use of shifting tenses and a couple of unobtrusive references, creates an illusion that the story has happened both long time ago and in the present at the same time; which gives this story a new definition of "Timeless." Good read.
January 3, 2013
The Choice between Inheritance and Honesty
"When I sprinkle my secret blend of spices; here, take a sniff, can you smell it? When I chop these mouthwatering sun-dried tomatoes, add a few cloves of garlic for good measure, and let it all sizzle with lentils and meat—it becomes so scrumptious, so lip-smacking, finger-licking, melt-in-your-mouth good!
There is a certain ratio of flavors, a balance that creates a feast for the tongue and a delight for the mind; and having mastered that balance, with a pinch of imported cumin from the north of Persia, a dash of Saffron from the south of Egypt, I can tell you one thing: When the pot comes to a full bubbling point, and the aroma of the stew rises up in the air—it would make you dribble! Drive you to madness! For a single bite, you would sell your brother, if only you had one! "
This is the voice of Yankle, in my new ebook, A Favorite Son. Modeled on the biblical story which is truly fascinating to me, this is a present-day twist. At this point in the story he is preparing a lentile stew for his brother, Esau, who comes home so hungry from a day of hunt, he is prepared to throw away up his birthright for a bite of that stew.
Later in the story Yankle will resort to cheating his father, who is lying on his deathbed, to steal away the inheritance. Here is a ceramic sculpture of Jacob preparing to wear the hide of a kid on his arm, so that if his father will touch him, he will mistake Jacob for his hairy brother Esau. In this piece, I focus on the moment of contemplating the crime, rather than the moment of action. He is about to make a choice: is the inheritance truly worth the price of losing his honesty, his soul?
There is a certain ratio of flavors, a balance that creates a feast for the tongue and a delight for the mind; and having mastered that balance, with a pinch of imported cumin from the north of Persia, a dash of Saffron from the south of Egypt, I can tell you one thing: When the pot comes to a full bubbling point, and the aroma of the stew rises up in the air—it would make you dribble! Drive you to madness! For a single bite, you would sell your brother, if only you had one! "
This is the voice of Yankle, in my new ebook, A Favorite Son. Modeled on the biblical story which is truly fascinating to me, this is a present-day twist. At this point in the story he is preparing a lentile stew for his brother, Esau, who comes home so hungry from a day of hunt, he is prepared to throw away up his birthright for a bite of that stew.
Later in the story Yankle will resort to cheating his father, who is lying on his deathbed, to steal away the inheritance. Here is a ceramic sculpture of Jacob preparing to wear the hide of a kid on his arm, so that if his father will touch him, he will mistake Jacob for his hairy brother Esau. In this piece, I focus on the moment of contemplating the crime, rather than the moment of action. He is about to make a choice: is the inheritance truly worth the price of losing his honesty, his soul?
January 1, 2013
Betrayal and Consequences
Author of War Songs, Grady Harp is an artist representative, gallery owner, writer of essays and articles on figurative and all Representational art for museum catalogues and for travelling exhibitions, and an Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer. He describes himself as being ever on the alert for the new and promising geniuses of tomorrow. So I am deeply honored that he has posted this five-star review for my just-published ebook, A Favorite Son:
5.0 out of 5 stars Betrayal and Consequences, January 1, 2013By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)Uvi Poznansky has that enviable ability to push paint and words into that category of combining reality with fantasy, myth with story, tradition with contemporary sidebars. She has ably accomplished that in THE FAVORITE SON, drawing upon the Biblical tale of Isaac and his twin sons by his late birthing wife Rebecca - Jacob and Esau.
Isaac is growing old and his inheritance is to be passed to his firstborn. Therein lies the problem: Esau and Jacob were twins and in Poznansky's version, Esau pushes Jacob to the back of the womb allowing Esau to be the firstborn son. An inimical relationship dwells between the brothers - Esau is big and hairy and a hunter while Jacob is more his mother's son, interested in cooking and in the beautiful clothes and jewelry his mother Rebecca owns. Rebecca (or Becky as she is called in this quasi updated version) favors Jacob and plans the deception of Isaac by designing a goatskin arm form a beloved coat to place on Jacob's arm when Isaac will make the pronouncement of his passing of the inheritance. Or interest, Jacob has already tricked Esau with his cooking wiles and Esau has promised Jacob his inheritance. But as the story develops the sibling rivalry is complicated by the mother's intervention and Jacob is granted the inheritance as well as the love of the father who has always favored his older brother.
What Poznansky has managed to do is include many of the aspects of the lineage of Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and the stories that surround them: in Poznansky's tale the miracle of Jacob's ladder is inserted - and even that happed long after the birthright theft. She manages to bring the story forward by inserting contemporary language (Isaac even promises Rebecca the equivalent of a Rolls Royce!) and in doing so she opens the old story to be instead a lively psychological study of family and of greed and longing for paternal love and more. It works spectacularly well. Would that more of the Old Testament stories could be updated like this then perhaps more children would be fascinated with the abundant mythological stories of the Bible. Grady Harp, January 13
5.0 out of 5 stars Betrayal and Consequences, January 1, 2013By Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)Uvi Poznansky has that enviable ability to push paint and words into that category of combining reality with fantasy, myth with story, tradition with contemporary sidebars. She has ably accomplished that in THE FAVORITE SON, drawing upon the Biblical tale of Isaac and his twin sons by his late birthing wife Rebecca - Jacob and Esau.
Isaac is growing old and his inheritance is to be passed to his firstborn. Therein lies the problem: Esau and Jacob were twins and in Poznansky's version, Esau pushes Jacob to the back of the womb allowing Esau to be the firstborn son. An inimical relationship dwells between the brothers - Esau is big and hairy and a hunter while Jacob is more his mother's son, interested in cooking and in the beautiful clothes and jewelry his mother Rebecca owns. Rebecca (or Becky as she is called in this quasi updated version) favors Jacob and plans the deception of Isaac by designing a goatskin arm form a beloved coat to place on Jacob's arm when Isaac will make the pronouncement of his passing of the inheritance. Or interest, Jacob has already tricked Esau with his cooking wiles and Esau has promised Jacob his inheritance. But as the story develops the sibling rivalry is complicated by the mother's intervention and Jacob is granted the inheritance as well as the love of the father who has always favored his older brother.
What Poznansky has managed to do is include many of the aspects of the lineage of Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and the stories that surround them: in Poznansky's tale the miracle of Jacob's ladder is inserted - and even that happed long after the birthright theft. She manages to bring the story forward by inserting contemporary language (Isaac even promises Rebecca the equivalent of a Rolls Royce!) and in doing so she opens the old story to be instead a lively psychological study of family and of greed and longing for paternal love and more. It works spectacularly well. Would that more of the Old Testament stories could be updated like this then perhaps more children would be fascinated with the abundant mythological stories of the Bible. Grady Harp, January 13
Author Spotlight Presents...
Established in 1998 serving the Detroit Metropolitan area and beyond, RDW Creations provides freelance creative writing, publishing and literary services. Their goal is to enhance both children and adult literacy, by providing tools of knowledge and inspiration. I feel honored that this morning, they present my work on their site. Here is a brief excerpt:
Uvi Poznansky is a woman of impressive skill and experience. An architect and computer engineer by acquired trade, Uvi, is also an author, poet and artist at heart. Her interest in telling vivid stories while capturing the thoughts of each character are showcased in her writings as well as her artistic work.
Check it out in its entirety here: Author Spotlight Presents...
December 31, 2012
It's the End, the Beginning! Happy New Year
The minutes are ticking till midnightLet's dance them away; let's take flightIt's the end, the beginning, time once againTo raise a glass and uncork the champagne!
Biblical Story with a Twist
Here is the very first customer review--merely hourse after the ebook was published on Amazon! This review is from a reader who is not only a truck driver who has seen most of the continental US through her work. And, she is a writer as well! Having received an autographed copy of my poetry book Home, Cindy J. Smith is the author of Voices In My Head.
5.0 out of 5 stars Biblical story with a twist, December 31, 2012By Cynthia J. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Amazon Verified PurchaseThis review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)Yankle wants to be the favorite son. Born a second after his twin, this cannot be. This story tells a tale of deception and it's after effects. Uvi has written the story from the viewpoint of Yankle, the blessed/cursed. The story is memories of the deed and how it effected Yankle's entire life. It also makes one consider how having "favorites" actually effects the rest of the family. I enjoyed that Yankle intended to never have a favorite, but was unable to stop himself. Great story!
5.0 out of 5 stars Biblical story with a twist, December 31, 2012By Cynthia J. Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) Amazon Verified PurchaseThis review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)Yankle wants to be the favorite son. Born a second after his twin, this cannot be. This story tells a tale of deception and it's after effects. Uvi has written the story from the viewpoint of Yankle, the blessed/cursed. The story is memories of the deed and how it effected Yankle's entire life. It also makes one consider how having "favorites" actually effects the rest of the family. I enjoyed that Yankle intended to never have a favorite, but was unable to stop himself. Great story!
December 29, 2012
Book Cover Reveal: 'A Favorite Son'
The cover of my upcoming book is based on a mixed media paining I painted not long ago. In it I floated various paints on the paper, letting them drizzle and mix, to create an intricate, fiery flow of color. Then when they dried out I came in with a black pen, and drew just a few lines to suggest the figure.
To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the ugly imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are—even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown. Which is the process the protagonist, Yankle, is going through in this story. He finds himself coming to terms with his core being, with how the tension between his emotions and needs has driven him over a lifetime.
As in my previous book cover designs, the font of the book title and the author name casts a subtle shadow over the image. However, One detail is different here: Two of the letters of the author name cast a shadow like all the other letters, but the two glyphs themselves—the objects that cast the shadows--are intentionally missing. Why? For two reasons.
First, because often in my art I discover that the eye is drawn to the unexpected, and the brain rises to the challenge when there is a missing link to resolve. The observer, then, becomes engaged with the art, and in a sense, becomes its creator.
And second, because this missing detail is a symbol, an indication of the flawed character in this story. Stay tuned for more...
To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the ugly imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are—even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown. Which is the process the protagonist, Yankle, is going through in this story. He finds himself coming to terms with his core being, with how the tension between his emotions and needs has driven him over a lifetime.
As in my previous book cover designs, the font of the book title and the author name casts a subtle shadow over the image. However, One detail is different here: Two of the letters of the author name cast a shadow like all the other letters, but the two glyphs themselves—the objects that cast the shadows--are intentionally missing. Why? For two reasons.
First, because often in my art I discover that the eye is drawn to the unexpected, and the brain rises to the challenge when there is a missing link to resolve. The observer, then, becomes engaged with the art, and in a sense, becomes its creator.
And second, because this missing detail is a symbol, an indication of the flawed character in this story. Stay tuned for more...
December 28, 2012
The Numbers Game
This year is not over yet, but here are some interesting numbers I wish to share with you. Here are some 'behind the scenes' details about the number of visitors that have come here, to this blog, over the last year. As you can see, the monthly number has skyrocketed! It has gone up from 0 to nearly 9000 visits per month.
(Note: only your visits count here. I have set it up so it does not count my own visits.)
Pageviews today485Pageviews last month8,314Pageviews all time history31,339
You can even see the increase in the weekly graph:
And here is a snapshot of the audience of this blog around the world. The deeper the green, the more action has been captured... It is the most active in the US, but you can see India, Australia, the UK and other countries too... Basically, everywhere English is spoken, readers come to this blog!
Happy New Year, everyone! And keep coming back here to me, as I will keep writing for you!
(Note: only your visits count here. I have set it up so it does not count my own visits.)
Pageviews today485Pageviews last month8,314Pageviews all time history31,339
You can even see the increase in the weekly graph:
And here is a snapshot of the audience of this blog around the world. The deeper the green, the more action has been captured... It is the most active in the US, but you can see India, Australia, the UK and other countries too... Basically, everywhere English is spoken, readers come to this blog!
Happy New Year, everyone! And keep coming back here to me, as I will keep writing for you!
