Uvi’s Comments (group member since Apr 09, 2012)

Uvi’s comments from the The Creative Spark with Uvi Poznansky group.

Here is my review for How to Prevent Unicorns from Stealing Your Car and Other Funny Stories


Faced with this title, How To Prevent Unicorns From Stealing Your Car, I said to myself, Hmmm... Didn't know unicorns had any particular taste for cars, let alone mine, when they can simply spread their wings and fly away... Then again, that's me. Boringly logical. That's not the writing in this book, where Oleg Medvedkov shows no hesitation in creating the craziest juxtapositions between the daily, mundane happenings of our everyday existence, and magical creatures from the realm of fairytales.

Being a poet I was immediately drawn to the third story, How To 'Wax Lyrical' For fun and Profit. It is presented in an email exchange format, the content of which can sere to teach anyone how to be a snake oil merchant. The logic here--and throughout the book--is insanely, hilariously funny. here is a brief example:

"Let me assure you, Waxing Literal is not a song! It is THE fastest way to achieve all your dreams in the shortest possible time. Now, I know you are skeptical... DO NOT BE ALARMED! We will not ask for your credit card number, I assure you! We have trained personnel located in Bombay who will do that."

Here is from the story How to Prevent Unicorns from Stealing Your Car:

"Just one small point to emphasize that I DO know what I am talking about: no unicorns EVER stole a car from me!"

And there you have it. Oleg Medvedkov's observations of the little routines of life lift the daily clutter into a place where lunacy is commonplace. Perhaps it is entirely possible, and even necessary for keeping a smile. So, have a laugh!

Five stars.

Just finished reading Road To Transplant. An amazing journey. Here is my review:

Over the last few months I had come across excerpt of The Road To Transplant, so I knew, when the book opened before me, that I was in for a special treat in terms of the quality of writing. I also sensed that I would be witnessing an amazing life journey, because it is not every day you get to be there with a man fighting, literally, for his life. What I failed to anticipate is the profound impact this book would have on me.

As every day is precious when on the verge of death, Brian M. Hayden keeps a diary of sorts through the entries on his blog, which provides a structure and a reference for the Road To Transplant. Some people who suffer through similar health challenges tend to isolate themselves from others, because pain is a hard thing to share. What I find especially endearing is the way he views his journey as not his alone. In his words from the Preface, "We will all throw these balls up in the air, and with help from our friends and family, a little faith, and God's help, we will keep these balls from falling."

This is a truly special book. Five stars.

Welcome WJ! Love the luscious pics on your blog. You are welcome to share links to your blog posts in the Writing discussion board, and to share your reviews in the Reviews board. Looking forward to your posts!

Jan wrote: "I put a bunch of brief reviews of my novel in the books and review section."

Great Jan! Will check them out

Truly enjoyed this little book:

There's Nothing Wrong With Claudia

There's Nothing Wrong With Claudia is an endearing children's book with an little heroine that cannot help being different from the rest of the kids, and hates it. Flailing her frail little arms and legs she is the only one to find herself floating every time a gust of wind penetrates the place, and without fail, it puts her in trouble:

"Every time Claudia let go of her desk, she drifted across the room and smacked her head on the doorframe. Her teacher told the principal. The principal told her parents. Everyone was mad at her..."

The only one to support Claudia, perhaps even to understand that she has a special gift, is her Grandpa. Again and again he defends her after each episode of her getting in trouble. It becomes a chant, the motto of the story and in the end, her vindication: "There's nothing wrong with Claudia," he says, always adding a little excuse in her defense. "And besides, they could have shut the windows."

I highly recommend this book, not only because I see her floating as symbolic of the ability to dream and imagine, but also because of the endearing drawings, which fit so well with the story.

Five stars.

On his blog, Servante of Darkness, Anthony Servante has just posted a fascinating article. It quotes the works of several poets--my work included--and then, it offers a review and analysis of each work.

Anthony starts with this premise:

Let’s discuss the premise before looking at the words. It is an axiom in academic writing that poetry must speak for itself. A writer cannot interpret meaning for the reader, giving insight to his own words as if they required his presence to clarify the work’s intents. The poem must stand up to the scrutiny of the reader alone...

From my work, Anthony selected the poem Late lover, with my oil painting to accompany the poem. Check it out here:
Poetry Today: Trends and Traditions

This morning find me in the chat chair, opposite Nikki Walker, author of In Search of a Healing Place (Redemptive Series) and many other books. I am so honored that she give me a great opportunity here. Her first question (three in one, actually) is this: Who is Uvi Poznansky? What are your passions outside of writing? Where are you from?

Want to know more? Please check out my interview at Nikki's place:

Uvi Poznansky Is In My Chat Chair!

Christoph Fischer is a high-ranking reviewer on Goodreads and Amazon. Just as importantly he is the author of two historical fiction books, Sebastian and The Luck of the Weissensteiners. I am greatly honored that he posted this wonderful review for my book, Twisted:

★★★★★ Simply Brilliant July 21, 2013
By diebus

"Twisted" by Uvi Poznansky has been on my reading list for some time. After having read and adored "Home" and "A Favourite Son" I decided to save this expected treasure for a special occasion but I only lasted a week.
The book is nothing short of amazing. It is a fantastic selection of four short stories, all slightly dark and - as the title promises - with their own kind of twist.
My favourite story is the first, a tale about Job's wife that is based on a very imaginative and simply terrific idea. Job's wife, who in the biblical story told her husband to curse God, who is trying Job's faith with all sorts of misfortune, faces the consequences of her dis-loyal action. God and Satan's bet about Job's loyalty is one of the key stories in the bible in my view in that it asks believers to have blind faith. Job's wife just had about enough after plagues and death and what not and represents one of the most challenging and controversial figures in the Bible. Told in her own voice this is a rather fascinating and intriguing story that almost ended too soon for my liking and addictive personality.
The second short story reads like a take on creationism by giving a voice to a clay figure who observes her creator. With the mentioning of Adam in this story the Biblical reference is implied albeit less specific, yet challenging one's perspective of the Eden story.
Freedom, identity and fate are some of the themes running through the stories.
This is an amazing and exciting read, one that is playful as it is intellectually stimulating and founded in sharp observation. The characters created are certainly quite a long way from the norm and a firework of originality.
Adding unusual elements, such as the mention of a lift and the King David Hotel in a biblical story, using the perspective of a cat and of a clay figure, these pieces take the reader deliberately out of their comfort zone and out of their experience into their head, only to draw them back into the story and the reality the characters are experiencing.
A great book, not easily forgotten.

Aniruddha wrote: "This is the best feature, you bring on for readers, Uvi.
Great going. My apologies for being offline for quite a while."

Not a problem at all, Aniruddha! We all need time off, or else we would not be able to create. I totally get it.

If you are reading Twisted I will feature your image at the top of my blog, in the new slideshow feature at the top right.

Here's how:
✿ Tell me (via PM here or on facebook) you are reading Twisted, and I will compose your profile pic to show you holding the book.
✿ I will post it here, in the slideshow!

"It was a hot summer evening, and the place was awful packed. I paced back and forth behind the counter, serving the customers, dishing out fresh smiles, scooping Dutch chocolate here and vanilla there, and trying to get a beat going, trying to sway my hips and at the same time, steady my step over my new, hot pink high heels, which isn’t near as easy as you might think—at least, not on the first try.
After a while I noted that he started pacing just like me, back and forth, and with the same beat, too. I liked the bounce of his step. Right away I thought he was gonna make a fabulous dance partner. And I knew, really I did, it was gonna to be a wild night."

Anita in Apart From Love

And so I knew the mourners had started to disperse by now, which was truly humbling. Alas, they had been at it for a shorter time than usual—but how could you blame them, really?
There was no money, and of the seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys we used to own, not a single one was left. Nothing you could offer them for payment; alas, nothing left to sustain the customary expression of grief. Sigh.
Job stayed with me awhile. Again and again he mumbled, in his inexplicable, pious manner, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I depart.” Men! Always thinking of themselves! All the while there I was, flat on my back, in need of some attention, and some clothes, too!
Finally he left the gravesite. I waited, waited until the sound of his footfalls had shuffled away—oh, how well I knew this tortured gait of his!—until it too was gone.

Job's wife in Twisted

The biblical Book of Job never tells you what happened to Job's wife, nor does it give her a name. By the end of the book he has a new set of children and a new wife. What a happy ending! One that leaves you in the dark... So in my book, she describes waking up to the moment of her death, and what happens in Hell.

When I chose Heather Jane Hogan to narrate Anita's voice in my novel Apart From Love, I refused to imagine how she might look, because to me, she was a voice. But now, as she is narrating her second project with me, I did look her up and she is not only a brilliant voice actress, but a beautiful one too!

Take a listen to her, click HERE



"It is virtually impossible to resist being mesmerized"
Get ★★★★★ Twisted

Audiobook coming soon

Jan wrote: "Hi all,
Here are some pre-release reviews of I Call Myself Earth Girl.
Earth Girl hauls you into her story from the first paragraph. The interplay between fantasy and reality, past, present and fut..."

Wow! These are wonderful reviews and comments in support of your book, Jan! Congratulations. I will pul your book on my TBR list.

Jan wrote: "Thanks, Uvi. I will do both! When I can grab the time to go through the posts, I really enjoy Book Haven!
Jan"

My pleasure! Looking forward to reading your posts here.

The Opening of Home

Sucked in by a force, I'm flying through a tunnel
The tunnel of memory that leads me back home
The past blurs my present, so my vision is double
The walls and the ceiling curve into a dome

From here I can see my home, tilting
And falling from place, all the lamps are aflame
My father's empty chair is slowly ascending
Tipped by the light, outlining its frame

This is the opening poem from my book, Home, and the preparatory sketch for its cover, both originating from the same place, the same vision in my mind. I find it so magical that through a creative collaboration with a wonderful actress, Kathy Bell Denton, the words--and the vision--come alive through her voice.

Take a listen:
Home, narrated by Kathy Bell Denton



Longing for a place never to be found again?
Get the paperback edition
Home

Audiobook coming soon!

Wow! What a day! Two reviews at once for my novel Apart From Love--one from Deborah Patterson, the other from Susan Aylworth! Thank you so much! This book now has 52 reviews:

★★★★★ Apart From Love, July 10, 2013
By Deborah Patterson - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Apart From Love (Kindle Edition)
It was a well written book. It really stayed intersting till the very last page.It is really worth reading. Great !

★★★★ Odd, off-beat literature, July 10, 2013
By Susan Aylworth - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Apart From Love (Kindle Edition)
Nothing genre or predictable about this unusual story of love and loss, broken hearts and minds. This book is not for the faint-hearted. Start with a mismatched couple. Throw in Alzheimer's, narcissism and a little incest, and you still end up with a touching, hopeful tale that's hard to put down and harder to forget.

Read these reviews here: Apart From Love

While surfing my facebook groups, I found this new ★★★★★ review of Home, written today by Christoph Fischer, and posted on Amazon and Goodreads. Christoph is a high-ranking reviewer on Goodreads: #46 best reviewers #9 top reviewers. And, he is the author of two historical fiction books, Sebastianand The Luck of the Weissensteiners.

★★★★★ Moving, July 9, 2013
By diebus - See all my reviews

"Home" by Uvi Poznansky and Zeev Kachel is an amazing and moving collection of poems and short stories.
The first half seems written by a girl or a young woman and the images she has of her late father, his place in her life, his habits and his death. The poems are about the family history and the impressions her father has left on her as well as her current life and relationships. Nowhere is it said that the poems are a reflection on Poznansky and her life but the pieces were so moving and real that it certainly felt as if they were.
Underneath this collection however is the more central theme of home,as the title gives away. Home in the geographical, temporal and emotional sense and maybe some more that I missed.
These poems and stories are most personal and moving in their character.
Halfway through we switch to Zeev Kachel, Poznansky's father and his poems which she found after his death and which she translated from Hebrew for us.
They are different in character but have similar themes. It seems as Kachel moves on in age and time his poems become more questioning, philosophical and trying to make sense of the world. As refugee he also focuses a lot of his attention on the issue of home.
The book is deeply moving, well written and contains some amazing thoughts and images and oozes with sentimentality and love.
Very touching.

Here is a lovely interview, conducted by an amazing thirteen years old girl called Trinity. Check it out and leave your comments here.

In the interview, I offer an excerpt from Twisted, to illustrate the research I do for the locales of my books. Here is the except:

"So I turn on my belly and crawl, finding my way in the dark, till at last I peek out—if only by a nose—through the mouth of the cave. Which allows me, for the first time, to take in the view.

It is breathtaking—not only because of the deep ravines slashing back and forth across the landscape, or the thick trunks of trees twining their roots one over the other, clinging forcefully to the rocky ledges; not only because of the volcanoes towering over the horizon, or the fine lava streams marbling the flesh of the earth, or that landmark, that pillar of salt beckoning me from afar, or the little flame dancing over there, then here, licking my knees—ouch!—or the bubbling of swamps along the winding path. No, it is breathtaking because to my amazement, I recognize this place.
A crimson glow is coming from below, as if an enormous sun is buried here, deep under the coals upon which I am crouching. If not for the eery glow, this is the valley cradling my village.
A perfect copy of the land of Uz.
If I squint hard, aiming my gaze faraway to the foot of that volcano, I think I can spot the familiar outlines of houses. They belong to the rich among us. Between them I look for an interval. There must lie the village square. And I know, without really seeing it, that falling to pieces on the other side—where the poor folk live—is our shack. The place where we lived, Job and I, in such misery during the last year. "

The Perils of Biblical Inspirarion
Published on writerchristophfischer

Would you believe that writing biblically inspired books is a risky proposition?
Let me suggest to you that it is. Why?

Because some of your readers may have only a vague recollection of the reference material, back from their days in Sunday school. Others may be totally unfamiliar with it, because they may come from a different culture altogether. So you have to introduce enough of the original story to the readers, and you better do it in a fresh way, one that highlights the immediacy of its meaning. Here, for example, is the voice of Yankle (based on the biblical Jacob) in my book A Favorite Son:

“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 lipsmacking, 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!”

By design, his voice is a direct and intimate one, letting you get close enough to taste, or at least to smell the aroma of his lentil soup. Not only that, but the ‘you’ in this passage is not just the preverbial you.
Rather (as is revealed later) it is a character with a complex emotional relationship to the main character: his firstborn, who at the conclusion of the story is just about to fool Yankle in a most devastating way, by letting him believe that Joseph, his favorite son, has been devoured by a wild beast.

No wonder Yankle has a dark side. Here he is, pondering the bitterness of sibling rivalry, and the abuse of an elderly father by his son, which perpetuate themselves here from one generation to the next:

“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. You need not talk to him ever again. For the rest of your life, you are free! A stranger— that is what you are. A stranger, visited from time to time by dreams: Dreams about the mother you will never see again, and the father you left behind, on his deathbed. Dreams of waiting, waiting so eagerly for the next day, to meet your brother at the end of an endless exile. Dreams of grappling with him all night long, until the crack of dawn. Until your ankles give way. Until you lose your footing on the ground.
Then, rising up to take you is the darkness of the earth; which is where you wake up at sunrise to find yourself alone.”

Some of your readers may be well versed with the reference material, and for them, you better offer an extra layer of meaning. For example, in the passage above, the sentence “Dreams of grappling with him all night long, until the crack of dawn. Until your ankles give way“ is an allusion to Jacob grappling with the angel, the night before he meets his brother after years of estrangement. In the biblical story, this is symbolic of Jacob struggling with God. But in my modern interpretation, this is symbolic of Yankle struggling with his curse, the loneliness in which is he is stranded, now that his brother is his enemy.

A Favorite Son does not amplify what the bible says. In fact, it offers a secular point of view, and a mirror to our souls. To me, the bible is rife with drama, sex, and violence, which makes it a rich source, a place to explore the truth about ourselves, about our struggle between the angels and demons inside all of us. My Yankle is no hero, no one you might want to revere. Instead, he is a rebellious teenager, a sly smart-ass about to cheat his father. Which may well offend some readers, especially those who make the mistake to expect nothing more that an expansion of the original story. To such readers, my book may be seen as nothing less than blasphemy.

So? What do you think? Is writing biblically inspired books is a risky proposition?

Christoph Fischer is a high-ranking reviewer on Goodreads: #46 best reviewers #9 top reviewers. Just as importantly he is the author of two historical fiction books, Sebastian and The Luck of the Weissensteiners. I am greatly honored that he posted this wonderful review on Goodreads and Amazon for my book, A Favorite Son:

★★★★★ Brilliant, July 4, 2013
By diebus - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)

"A Favorite Son" by Uvi Poznansky is a well crafted and superbly written re-telling of a Biblical story. The rivalry between Jacob and Esav about who is the favorite son. The competition between the two is an old theme and Poznansky does a brilliant job at bringing it into modern day experience and sensitivity. It is a tale of greed, betrayal and twisted family relations.
Told from the perspective of the second born twin brother Yankle (Jacob) it shows his hate, insecurities, envy and desperation, yet we also see the mother;'s favoritism and scheming nature and the father's real thought as revealed on the death bed.
This story is as valid now as it was back then. On a personal level the story worked incredibly well for me. I had been taught the story in Catholic Religious Education, which paid little respect to the Jewishness of the family and their culture. Poznansky seems to play with both ancient and modern themes, none of which are completely favoured, so there are references to kosher as a future concept as well as a present one.
It also achieves to bring relevance to an old story, a wonderful illustration of what the story did and does tell us about families.
The format of a novella was well chosen, the writing flows smoothly and comes to a perfectly timed end. I don't know if any biblical and theological sensitivities are being offended by this particular reworking of this story but on a moral and ethical level the novel had a powerful impact on me and I look forward to more of the same.