Rivera Sun's Blog: From the Desk of Rivera Sun, page 37

Actress/Author Rivera Sun in an unforgettable reading!

“Her words melt in my heart like good chocolate melts in my mouth. Go ahead. Have some good chocolate. Taste this book.”

Actress/Author Rivera Sun will be reading at Moby Dickens Bookshop April 21st 2pm in honor of Earth Day!

My book readings erupt like stage performances, dramatic, embodied, and full of distinct characters. It is not unusual for me to fling my own book aside and quote the passage straight from memory as I act out the scene. As an author and actress, I create vivid landscapes and unforgettable characters in my listeners’ imaginations.

In my solo theater work, I portray thirty characters of all ages, ethnicity, and gender, flipping from one to the other seamlessly, creating the illusion of a full cast. Audiences see massive freight trains hurtling across their minds’ eyes, raucous Baptist churches on Sunday mornings, dust storms, and bucking broncos. In ‘reality’, the stage is occupied by one redheaded woman and two boxes.

“In her book, Steam Drills, Rivera uses evocative imagery to draw the reader in to a story of social and environmental justice with the ethical leanings and human compassion of a Barbara Kingsolver novel.”

“The Earth is singing her revolution. She is calling her brave men and women to her defense.” -from Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars, by Rivera Sun

The pages of my novel, Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars, transport you into the polished offices of the coal company executives and the steep hollers of West Virginia. The story also traipses through your heart and soul, awakening your own sense of adventure for this wild time of climate change that we are all hurtling through.

“This is a must read book for anyone interested in helping others and making an effort to improve the lives of everyone.”

Natalie Goldberg (author of Writing Down the Bones) has been a tremendous influence on my work.  For the first five years, my theater friends passed on her writing notions in conversations and mentoring. It was only this year that I had the opportunity to read her wonderful books on writing, which I highly recommend!  Natalie Goldberg’s meditative and grounded writing practices are very helpful for creating compelling scenes.

“(Rivera Sun’s) poetic imagery and character depictions are wonderful examples of the art of writing.”

Whether writing plays or novels, I search for the details that bring the story viscerally alive. Often, I will embody my characters, leaping off my futon couch to pace the living room, and talking aloud. My partner, Dariel, has become accustomed to my tirades as I shuffle or stomp or saunter in each character’s distinctive way of moving. I bring the story to life in my own imagination and then study the sensory details of its landscape. I sniff the scents of burning coffee in the kitchen of the protagonist, or inhale the rich aromas exuding from the springtime forest floor. I scrutinize the slants of light, run my fingertips over the textures of wooden tables and patchwork quilts, and listen for the subtle hums of city far below the top floor of the skyscrapers.

“Steam Drills is a wake up call for us all, packaged beautifully in a powerful, exciting, and just plain fun story.”

Rivera Sun will be sharing excerpts of her touring theater work which has won coast-to-coast standing ovations!

Story opens us to a whole world of possibilities. In “Steam Drills”, I use the mythic to reveal the poetry of the mundane. Conversely, our contemporary issues of coal, climate change, and the injustices of the prison system reveal themes that stretch back through human history and forward into our uncertain future.

“In Steam Drills Treadmills and Shooting Stars, Rivera Sun offers up a soul-drenched world full of nuance, faith, secular truths, and a love of nature. She looks lovingly at the foibles and triumphs of her characters with unyielding compassion and a sweet sense of humor all her own.”

I hope if you live in Taos (as I do!) you will join me at Moby Dickens Bookshop this weekend for a dramatic and lively reading of both my novel and theatrical works. Blessings to you, one and all! Rivera Sun

Reading @ Moby Dickens Bookshop Taos, NM

Sun, April 21st 2pm-3:30pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/443936559018242/?ref=2

Global Spring 2013: Love in Action

Community Screenings of Occupy Love took place in hundreds of cities worldwide!

Occupy Love, a documentary film by Velcrow Ripper kicked off its community release with over 100 cities worldwide showing the film in large theaters and small living rooms, even to 1500 people on the street in Porto Allegre, Brazil!

We were part of the full, lively screenings at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM, Unity of Taos, NM, and the Boulder premier. Each showing was full of wonderful questions and comments from the viewers and much enthusiasm for the film.

Everywhere, the question was asked: How do we Occupy Love?

To Occupy Love is to embody the practice of love in action. Filmmaker Velcrow Ripper says the way to Occupy Love is different for each person. “Each one of us has a gift to unwrap and offer the world at this time,” he said. He also urged courage and immediate action, quoting Roshi Joan Halifax in the film reciting a Buddhist prayer, “Do not waste this precious life!”

As the viewers bubbled with excitement over this inspirational film, I was struck by three practical ways (out of many, many more!) to put our love in action and share the film with others:

Hosting a community screening is fun and easy!

1) Discover what ‘Occupy Love’ means to you and do it!

2) Host a community screening! http://occupylove.org/screenings/host/

3) Tell friends about screenings in their areas, listed on the Occupy Love website: http://Occupylove.org

This spring is being touted as Global Spring 2013 as we see love-in-action erupt worldwide on a variety of interconnected issues. In the film, activist Judy Rebick likens the Occupy movement, and all social movements, to waves upon the sand that rearrange the landscape of our world. Velcrow Ripper described Idle No More, Occupy Sandy, Strike Debt, InterOccupy, and the climate change movement as other waves of transformation. He said that the current global crises provide a great opportunity for social change, also referencing Joanna Macy’s ‘Work That Reconnects’ which describes three ways to participate in the Great Turning that we are a part of: holding actions such as protests, creating alternative systems (like local agriculture, currencies, and renewable energy grids), and work that shifts our belief structures to allow sustainable, just societies to emerge.

“I see this as a very exciting time to be alive.” -Velcrow Ripper

Upaya Zen Center sends their love to all the other Occupy Love screenings around the world!

In my own work as a novelist, one way I choose to Occupy Love is in the provocative and timely subjects that I write about. I am dedicated to reviving the social protest novel, using social media, crowd source funding, and community horizontal networking to get stories of our times into readers hands. The Occupy Love film was also created this way, celebrating the community screenings as part of a social movement that emphasizes the collective strength of many, rather than the patronage of the few. The ‘groundswell’ of enthusiasm for Occupy Love comes not from expensive advertisements, but from sincere responses from communities. Bravo!

“Oh my, I think I have a case of Occupy Love, and want to share it with as many as possible,” said one viewer, Lauren Vines.

Special thanks goes out to all the community members who spread the word, attended, and worked together to make each night of Occupy Love screenings successful, inspirational and insightful! I look forward to the second waves of community screenings that so many of you enthused about doing. Please invite me along with your friends, and let’s continue this beautiful conversation!

Many thanks to Velcrow Ripper for joining us at our screenings. We are honored!

Rivera Sun

More information on the groups and movements mentioned above can be found:

http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/

http://Occupylove.org

http://strikedebt.org

http://350.org

http://idlenomore.ca

http://joannamacy.net

http://www.ianmack.com

http://sacred-economics.com

Occupy Love -filmmaker Velcrow Ripper’s masterpiece

Occupy Love: a documentary masterpiece by Velcrow Ripper

Confession: I saw the director’s cut of this incredible film and cried. I watched the final cut and took notes on evocative quotes. I went straight to filmmaker Velcrow Ripper’s website and poured my heart, soul, and artistic mission out, along with my awestruck compliments.

It’s not everyday that you meet an artistic visionary of your own heart.

Velcrow Ripper is a Canadian filmmaker who has traveled the globe tracking down stories of socio-political change and spiritual awakening . . . and yes, they do go together. His first feature length documentary ‘Scared Sacred’ travels to the ground zeros of the world, exploring how tragedy revives our sincere spirituality. His second film, Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action, takes us one step further into the streets of creating change. In Occupy Love, his third film in the series, Velcrow travels from Arab Spring to Occupy Wall St asking the question: how can the global crisis be transformed into a love story?

Apparently, all it takes is one determined filmmaker . . . and an ever-growing circle of friends.

In the past two months, I have watched love crawl out of the woodworks of communities around the world, shining forth in human form to lend a hand to the Occupy Love endeavor. The film itself is glowing with luminaries; James O’Dea, Roshi Joan Halifax, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, Charles Eisenstein (to name only a few).

Coming to Santa Fe April 11th & Taos April 12th

But as my partner Dariel and I organized a screening in our hometown of Taos, NM, we saw a whole other lineup of stars. These are the people from Unity, Taos, who sent emails to their friends, or the enthusiastic folks down in Santa Fe, who, out of love, offered to hang up the fliers for the screenings; or the Upaya Zen Center staff, who said yes! to hosting the Santa Fe screening; or the people who jumped up and down at the sight of a small handout about the film.

Velcrow Ripper is not the only person who has been waiting his whole life for this film!

It evokes a deep yearning within our hearts to be part of a global transformation to a world centered on compassion. Occupy Love stirs up the revolutionary legacy of Gandhi, King, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hahn, and countless more. This film moves us to become the torchbearers of that lineage. We are the current generation of love in action, all of us, no matter our age, race, class, or gender.

The world needs us now, more than ever.

I cried a rain of joyful tears when I saw Occupy Love. As a performer/playwright/novelist, I have long spoken the message; love is the revolution. You have seen me on stage, whirling and dancing this message. You have read it in Steam Drills when the characters realize, “Love has run the motor of the universe since time began!” Now I am honored to host Velcrow Ripper in my home (on my writing couch futon), in this beautiful town of Taos, NM, and to bring his uplifting, inspiring film to the amazing people who share this wind-swept mesa with us!

Many blessings to all, Rivera

Please come if you are nearby.

Santa Fe screening Upaya Zen Center April 11th 7:30pm

Taos screening Unity, Taos, April 12th 7:00pm

both events by donation and with guest appearance by Velcrow Ripper!

https://www.facebook.com/events/604127919615730/

If you are far from us, please look at the Occupy Love website, which has a list of the many screenings around the country.

http://occupylove.org

Social Protest Novels: off the shelf and into the heart.

I am a social protest novelist. I write stories that are meant not to collect dust on the shelf, but to sear and burn inside your chest. Words can be a torch to ignite the soul into action. If you are aflame with the courage to create social change at the end of one of my books, I have achieved my intentions as a writer.

Social novels are “work(s) of fiction in which a prevailing social problem, such as gender, race, or class prejudice, is dramatized through its effect on the characters of a novel”.* The social protest novel is distinguished from these by delivering a clear stance on the issue being presented, and possibly suggesting a resolution.

As a novelist, this nuanced distinction is important to me. Nowhere in my life am I a neutral observer. The objective position eludes me. I write from my passion and convictions. I will try to argue, convince, and persuade the reader, and shamelessly so. Every sentence is a golden opportunity to inspire a more compassionate, aware, and sustainable world.

Perhaps growing up in the shadow of both the nuclear age and the era of climate change leaves me deeply aware of the preciousness of each day. Nothing is for granted in this unpredictable world. I write as if my readers will never take another breath, turn another page, or absorb one more sentence. Each paragraph must contain the beauty of humanity and the poetry of our souls. And, of course, my stories must strive to make this world a better place.

Social novels and social protest novels have carved out their niche on our overstocked bookshelves. This category of novel fueled the 1960′s anti-war protests (Catch 22), muckraked the Gilded Age to shreds (The Jungle), warned of the rise of Big Brother (1984), triggered the Civil War (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) and spurred on the labor movements to congressional levels (The Grapes of Wrath). These book leave a legacy behind them, awakening and warning the public of the dangers of social problems left unresolved. Barbara Kingsolver’s works also explore contemporary social issues, and the literary prize, The PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction, awards novelist who also explore such themes.

The draft of my second novel, The Dandelion Insurrection, in progress.

I recently read The Book of Dead Birds by Gayle Brandeis, winner of the 2002 Bellwether Prize, and recommend it as a haunting exploration of ecological impacts, the sex industry, and one woman’s search for identity. Additionally, Silas House’s The Coal Tattoo is a deep portrait of an Appalachian family affected by the coal industry, rich with nuances of character and place.

These books light up my soul. Social novels and social protest novels draw me into a deep relationship with culture and society in ways that no other form of entertainment or information do. The issues reach my heart. The characters become as real as my next-door neighbors, and my compassion for this struggling world flares up with awareness and action. I encourage you all to read these types of books!

Best, Rivera

*according to Wikipedia citing Encyclopedia Britannica, online edition

One Billion Rising! Dance in Action!

Rivera Sun (center) dancing at One Billion Rising

We all know that pulse of a crowd throbbing together to the music’s beat. On Valentine’s Day, I joined a group of three hundred Taos, NM (USA) residents to dance for One Billion Rising’s ‘Break the Chain’ flash mob. Stilters, children, elders, Hispanics, African-Americans, white folks, tourists, locals; you name it. It was represented.

This is democracy in action.

This is our freedom of speech and right to assemble being exercised to work to end violence against women. Over One Billion Women on this planet have been physically or sexually abused. As I danced, watched videos from around the world, and connected with people all over the country who would be dancing in their hometowns, I was awed by the power of this seemingly simple event.

We need connection. We need to break silence. We need to know that our communities are ready to move forward toward peace.

So many of those one billion women have experienced violence because war, poverty, and discrimination are still rampant in our societies. My vision for this movement is that it continues to grow, empowering women and men, alike; and steps up to address these serious issues that underlie the violence women experience.

To dance in peace and empowerment with so many thrilled my soul. I left the event beaming, radiant, uplifted, ready to take on the world with an open heart. I danced for so many that day and will continue to dance to break the chain of violence.

All over the world, women and their communities are rising up to end violence.

Thank you to all the wonderful organizers, the choreographer Debbie Allen, and Tena Clark who made the song.

Blessings, Rivera Sun

We should all be Idle No More

Their slogan is our wake-up call.

Catch this folks: that Indian rights movement, Idle No More? It’s not about deporting non-natives back to wherever we came from.

The indigenous are rising up because a greed-motivated, ignorant government broke laws and treaties to poison the air, water and land, and tried to force a fossil fuel pipeline across their land.

You are in the same position.

No one should be idle at this time. No one should sit at home silent as climate change sets temperature records, and worldwide species diversity diminishes. It is time for those of us who are immigrants to follow the example of our indigenous neighbors and get busy on behalf of equal rights, sustainability, and respect of the people by our government. Idle No More began with a First Nations tribe in Canada who faced some serious treaty violations done by the Canadian government, involving the Tars Sands Pipeline. This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, and indigenous rights groups worldwide rose up in protest.

It is not just the indigenous that corporate powers disregard.

A government that disrespects one minority will disrespect them all. Environmentalists have long been scorned and ignored. The lower classes are continuously abused. Rural populaces have been ‘walked over’ by corporate and governmental powers for so long, we’ve grown disillusioned about that notion called democracy. In the U.S., the wealthy one percent show respect to only one minority group: themselves.

It’s time for us to eat humble pie and get to work.

The indigenous groups have long been treated abominably by our government. The sharp edge of authoritarian disrespect is now slicing US citizens as well. Politicians and corporations wield a level of power matched only by the lawless days of the Wild West. (And ask our indigenous neighbors how it felt to be at the other end of that ‘glorious time’.) Corporate powers hold the reins of the United States and should ordinary citizens stand in their way, they will have little compunction about trampling us.

Unless we rise up.

“We must live life unusual, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.”

Governments by the people, for the people were never intended to describe corporations that have no blood to spill, no hearts to break, or tears to weep. We can no longer be idle while human and natural life is being increasingly endangered by irresponsibility and ignorance. Climate change is real. It is man-made. It will lead to the end of the human species if left unchecked at this time. We must come together to enact substantial change to move toward renewable and sustainable societies.

“There can be no more life as usual. We must live life unusual and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.”

Let Idle No More be an example to all of us. We cannot be idle at this time. There is too much life to lose.  Rivera Sun

The Rumble Building to a Roar

#followform {
padding-top:5px;
text-align:left;

}

A refreshingly old-fashioned hand-drawn draft of the cover for the new book.

Every day, the rumble of awareness grows. Climate change is real, and the cry for powerful action is on the lips of many. I am honored to offer my new novel, Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars, at this moment in history. It tells the story of people like us, who struggle with the moral decisions climate change presents. Our way of life is fraught with destructive systems, from neighborhood planning that requires long commutes, to a throw-away culture of garbage, to the massive pollutants of our fossil-fuel based energy system. To address these issues on individual and collective level will take dedication and hard work, and many moments of soul-searching.

That’s where a good book comes in handy.

It helps to know we are not alone and that others are also grappling with the same questions. The novel portrays many characters perspectives on the issue of climate change: Jack Dalton, a lawyer for the coal company; Henrietta Owens, a young mother concerned about the future of her child; Hank Crawley, a born rebel with a cause; Sarah Dalton, a worried suburban mom, uncertain of how to guide her family; Odelle Jordan, a daring media woman ready to tackle tough subjects; Louisa, an ecologist desperately hoping for a major shift in society before it’s too late; and many more.

In these characters, we find elements of ourselves. We find options and fresh ideas. We find hope and inspiration. In a time of radical change, the novel gives examples courageous actions and reminds us of the power of human connection.

I write these stories because we need to hear them. We can’t pull the covers over our heads and wait for the monsters to go away. They will only grow bigger as we numb ourselves with television and shallow entertainment. We must engage passionately with our world and apply unflinching honesty in all situations . . . for such scrutiny reveals not only the horrors, but also the great possibilities that lie before us.

Climate change will force us to re-evaluate our daily lives. We can bemoan change, or we can embrace it. This may be our opportunity to overhaul our culture and strive to create the equality and justice we yearn for. I, for one, am ready for the challenge, as are many others.

Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars reflects an important aspect of struggle we face: we have many companions on this road; seven billion of them, in fact, as well as an infinite number of plants, animals, minerals, and other life systems. This world is thick with survival and ingenuity. When we put our hearts, minds, and hands together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish. As it says in the novel:

     ”Everything we love is at stake,” Henrietta said passionately. “We’ve got to accept that there can be no more life as usual. We need to live life unusual, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!”

“It sounds like the trumpeting of a battle cry,” the comfortable tenor of the talk show host chuckled.

“Not a battle, but a call to action,” Henrietta said. “We’ve got to make change our national pastime and hold protests more regularly than weekend parties,” Henrietta urged. “There’s a dedicated and hardworking crowd that’s been actively trying to address the problems in our country for years and we’ve got to join them. We have to . . . it’s our life!” Henrietta emphasized the last word, trying to imprint the preciousness of existence onto the listeners’ minds.

“If I could,” she continued, “I’d reach out and shake every person in this country and say; stop listening to the TV tell you about America the beautiful . . . get up and be America the beautiful. Make America beautiful. We got energy sources to clean up and skies to clear out and mountaintops to restore. And more than that; we’ve got a whole new way of life just waiting to be born!”

Many blessings to you all! Rivera Sun

Thanksgiving- Awareness, Gratitude, and Shame

#followform {
padding-top:5px;
text-align:left;

}

Rivera Sun

Thanksgiving is a mixed bag of emotions for this red-headed child of Swedish and Irish immigrants. Along with the rest of mainstream America, I grew up making Pilgrim and Indian costumes out of colored construction paper and grocery bags, and reenacting the famous feast in my classroom. Never mind that feather headdresses played no part in the actual feast, originating with the Plains Indians, not the tribes in the region of the Plymouth Plantation. Turkey, also was not present at the original feast, nor is it at mine, being a vegan. And ‘Indians’ is an utter misnomer that continuously points out the ignorance of our culture.

For those of us who like to try to set history straight, I will also share a tidbit I gleaned this year regarding ‘Squanto’, the Patuxet native who taught the Pilgrims how to survive in Massachusetts. ‘Squanto’ is a derivative of ‘Tisquantum’ or ‘Tesumquah’ and the man who bore the name was kidnapped by Europeans, sold into slavery, and worked his way back to Massachusetts during a long and arduous journey. He touched home soil, only to discover that his entire tribe had been killed by the thousands through epidemic disease. Tesumquah, the name he claimed in front of the Europeans, means ‘Wrath of God’.

Today, I live five miles from the Taos Pueblo, which has been inhabited continuously for over one thousand years. This region of the country that was taken by the United States from Mexico through an illegal war of aggression, after which the U.S. blatantly violated the treaty that ended the war. The people around me wear this history in their bones. Saying ‘Happy Thanksgiving!” is sometimes akin to slapping your grocery store clerk in the face. And, indeed, a very interesting discussion unfolded with mine as I paid for yams, pumpkins, and chico corn to make cornbread with.

I told her I loved Thanksgiving as it is one of my favorite holidays. A wary and not-exactly-happy look came over her face, which bears hints of her Spanish and possibly native heritage. She asked me why? I told her,

“It reminds me to be grateful for the abundance that surrounds me. But it also forces me to be aware of the shameful history that accompanies the ways in which white people on this continent acquired this abundance. It also makes me sad, because the spirit of the original thanksgiving has been stained by bloodshed, broken promises, and horrible acts.”

I paused here, because I was terribly embarrassed to be of European decent at this moment. Then I continued,

“But to not celebrate and bless this day with thanksgiving and awareness, is also to violate the gratitude that should be ever present in our hearts. It is also a day of remembrance in which we recognize the past, and commit to doing better in the present.”

Two days later, when I returned to the store to pick up bread for stuffing, the other woman grabbed my elbow and said,

“Will you tell me again what Thanksgiving means to you? I liked your answer, and I want to remember it.”

We shared a smile, and I repeated my thoughts. I will repeat them again tomorrow, as I gather with friends to commemorate this day. Thanksgiving is a humbling holiday for me. Gratitude bows my head. Shame bows my shoulders. But hope reaches out a hand, friendship joins us together, and awareness helps us all move forward.

Thank you for listening to this story. May you all be blessed in your health and loved ones. Rivera

New Novel Arising with the Snow Flurries

#followform {
padding-top:5px;
text-align:left;

}

Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Taos, NM

“We are a lifetime of a million heartbeats,

a symphony of emotions,

and the churning of the realms of spirit.”

-from Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars

a novel by Rivera Sun

Snow powders the pines in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Last night’s snowstorm sealed the end of autumn and marked the start of a new season. For weeks, I have been immersed the intricacies of a novel I am writing, Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars.

If you enjoyed the Lala Plays, you should start quivering in excitement now. Lala came from my singular artistic dedication to tell the story that must be told. This book springs from that same meditation. The novel’s three hundred pages are rich with poetic prose, striking images, unforgettable characters, and thought-provoking philosophy.

Every day, I rise and work for hours, honing the precision of the language and message of the story. The story grows, and so does the urgency for it to be told. Steam Drills follows a group of contemporary Americans making great strides to address climate change. Due to the timeliness of the issue, I have put aside my plans to tour with the Lala Plays this winter and am focusing on getting the book into your hands!

A big thank you goes out to the twenty people who read the first draft of the book and kindly offered their invaluable feedback. None of these readers are ‘ordinary’ people (ordinariness being an illusion) but between them all, they cover a diverse range of perspectives and opinions. Each lent their observations to the growth of the novel. Thank you!

Stay tuned and stay warm as the winter engulfs us!

Rivera Sun

The Summer of the Literary Love Affair

#followform {
padding-top:5px;
text-align:left;

}

With love, from New Mexico. Rivera

The language of the Lala plays steals my breath away even now. As a writer, the greatest joy is to dive into words as if they were a warm summer lake. Day after day, I luxuriate in their fluid poetry.

“Bumblebees pollen hunt through the ripple grass prairie waves and wildflowers perfume the air.” -Freedom Stories: volume one

Poetic prose propels itself through my pen. I can hardly keep up. I read the novels of Jean Giono, John Steinbeck, Barbara Kingsolver, and relish the exquisitely unique turns of phrases in each

“It takes a hero to turn back the tide of anger, fear, and hate from the seawall of humanity.” -Freedom Stories: volume one

We live in unsettling times. My friends are now spread out across a large country. Here in New Mexico, I am writing new works for publication and print, so I can travel through words to be with you all more often. The desert is quiet. At night and in meditation, I hear the yearnings of my fellow Americans. When day breaks, I rise with the sun to write down the things that need to be said.

“Seek out the untold stories.”

It is not a time for complacency or split attention. It is time to work in our fields with meticulous attention to the effects of our actions. Many of my artist friends are bending their brushes, pens, bodies, and voices to the task of awakening our countrymen and women to compassion and awareness. I am heartened by these efforts.

Lala’s stories offer me beauty and poetry to solace my soul. I turn to the books often to read a short passage to remind me to believe in the sweetness of life. Thus restored, I return to listening to the cries of our world. Here is a quote from a new work coming soon.

“Mountain top removal is the symptom of a disease called, If-I-can’t-see-it-I-don’t-care. It’s endemic and devastating. We don’t care about bombs exploding people. We don’t care about sweatshops overseas. We don’t care about our abusive criminal justice system. We don’t care about the gross inequities in our economic system.”

“Well,” the radio host interrupted, “that brings me back to my initial question: what should we do about these issues?” Her answer is ready and waiting;

“Care.” That simple word clicked on a light bulb in a million minds.

“We must follow the issues as avidly as sports games,” Henrietta added. “We’ve got to make change our national pastime, and protests more regularly than weekend parties. We’ve got to join the dedicated and hardworking crowd that’s been actively trying to right the wrongs and address the problems in our country for years without our support. We’ve got to weight lift for political justice three times a week. We gotta make consumer engagement our favorite soap opera. It’s our life!”

-excerpted from Steam Drills, Treadmills, and Shooting Stars

by Rivera Sun

coming Fall 2012

More and more, I care. I choose awareness, compassion, and action. I turn to the beautiful for strength to face the ugly. I rely on love to meet the challenges of hatred.

May you all be blessed and well in your many adventures. Rivera