Horatio
asked
Rose Rosetree:
Hi Rose, I hear that on August 1, you are going to publish a second edition of “Bigger than All the Night Sky.” So many memoirs are by famous people, like “Thicker than Water” by Kerry Washington and “Enough” by Cassidy Hutchinson. Rose, you know that you’re not famous like that. I don’t mean to insult you but, speaking realistically, why would anybody want to read your memoir?
Rose Rosetree
You’re right, Horatio. A new edition of my memoir is coming. In fact, you can even preorder this book now on Kindle. Also, starting on Publication Day, August 1, you can order this as a shiny new paperback.
Phew! Now that we got that practical point out of the way, thank you for your question, Horatio. You've put into words an unspoken reluctance that is very common today, even if consciously we’ve never admitted to ourselves that we’re unduly influenced by celebrities.
Generations ago, a popular idea in America went like this:
IF YOU’RE SO SMART, WHY AIN’T YOU RICH?
By now, that seems to have lost its allure – along with the Horatio Alger work ethic. (Speaking of people with the first name Horatio!)
Living now, most of us have enough sense to know that wealth does not necessarily equate to intelligence. (And vice versa.)
Instead, our unspoken assumption may this equally foolish idea:
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE TO SAY, WHY AIN’T YOU FAMOUS?
Come to think of it, how preposterous is that! Of course, the value of a person’s life -- or career -- should not be based on fame. Some people have fame karma but most of us do not.
Here’s just one example of somebody who did manage to have fame karma kick in, but only after he was long gone.
Horatio and other Goodreaders, did you ever hear any music composed by J.S. Bach? During his lifetime he wasn’t only a prolific composer… of some of the greatest music in Western civilization. Bach also worked incredibly hard, to fulfill his outrageously demanding day job. Also, maybe you know that he and his wife had 20 -– yes TWENTY -- children.
During his lifetime, how famous was Johann Sebastian Bach? Not very. During Bach's lifetime, who were the famous composers? Mainly Buxtehude and Handel. When he died in 1750, Bach wasn’t very well known. A century later, musicians rediscovered his music. By now, of course, J.S. Bach is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time. Maybe THE greatest.
With musicians, or writers, what matters more than their degree of fame? How about this:
Does that creative person have something important to say to you?
All that said, at least as important, Horatio, is this blunt version of the question you asked:
WHY WOULD ANYBODY… READ ROSE ROSETREE’S MEMOIR?
Now we’re talking, because that’s a question worth asking. Do I have an answer for you? Hey, I’m going to give you a dozen answers. All may not apply to you, Goodreaders, but if even one of these answers speaks to you? You may find that BIGGER THAN ALL THE NIGHT SKY brings you some powerful personal experiences.
Incidentally, at the book page here on Goodreads, guess what? There are already quite a few reviews for the first edition of this book. These might be of interest to you. Here I’ll add this: The second edition is imo both NEW and IMPROVED.
And now here come our 12 Readability Reasons.
Readability Reason #1. You Enjoy Reading Memoirs
This one has more of a freshness and authenticity than many a memoir. You won’t find familiar tropes like:
-Rags to riches. Like “Thicker than Water” by Kerry Washington.
-Big scary drama overcome. Like “Enough” by Cassidy Hutchinson.
-You can identify with the terrible sorrows of this famous person. Like “Spare” by Prince Harry.
Instead, what will you find? Some answers await you in the Readability Reasons below.
Readability Reason #2. Meet an Unskilled Empath
This particular empath, Rose Rosetree, went on to found the system of Empath Empowerment®. Decades after the time of this first memoir, she became the most experienced empath coach in America. (Including four books that you can learn about at her Author Page on Goodreads. )
Any of you who have become “Skilled Empaths” can read this story for examples of mess-up that are absolutely typical of unskilled empaths. For instance, why the author got into trouble with her first checking account.
Readability Reason #3. How Rose Overcame Writer’s Block
Authors and aspiring authors here on Goodreads may be all too familiar with creativity struggles.
In a chapter called “Becoming a Writer, Damply” you’ll learn about a breakthrough experience as a writer. Followed by years of struggle and, eventually, finding a secret for overcoming the single biggest cause of writer’s block. (For her, at least.)
Later Rose Rosetree would go on to offer an online workshop called “Creativity Secrets with Soul.”
Readability Reason #4. Spiritual Seeking-Seeking-Seeking
Many memoirs are religious in nature. Readers are treated to why the author became a pastor or missionary, etc.
By contrast, the approach here is spiritual but not religious. Even religious readers may find inspiration in this story of a person who kept seeking God, repeatedly living like a fool for love.
Readability Reason #5. Seekers of Self-Actualization
When Rose was in college, Abraham Maslow, the great humanistic psychologist, taught on the faculty of Brandeis University. During the 60’s, much of today’s pop psychology was starting to emerge. Many of the stories here will resonate for fellow seekers of personal growth.
Readability Reason #6. Hippies, Hippies, Hippies
As the saying goes, “If you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there.” Rosetree was definitely there, but she does remember… and report. In this memoir she describes encounters with Timothy Leary and Baba Ram Dass, her failed attempt to become a pothead, and what today would be called an epic fail concerning her college motto, “Be discreet.”
Readability Reason #7. Becoming a Spiritual Teacher
Are you curious about how and why a person could become a professional spiritual teacher? Especially if you have ever yearned to do something like this, you may be moved by the stumbling, fumbling steps that led Rosetree to become a Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Later, of course, she became the founder of Energy Spirituality®.
Readability Reason #8. Love Music?
If you love music, you’ll enjoy many references to music in this memoir, including Birdland, Jimmy Hendrix, Aaron Copland… and Rosetree’s understandably pathetic violin playing in a little music recital.
Readability Reason #9. The Story of a First-Generation American
So many of us in the U.S. are recent immigrants. How we assimilate, or don’t, should be a matter of interest to all socially conscious students of American society. Rose’s uncle, Murray Hausknecht was a sociology professor and public intellectual who published a book about The Joiners: A Sociological Description of Voluntary Association Membership in the United States. In a non-academic way, this memoir explores the theme of fitting into American society.
Readability Reason #10. Living as a Secular Jew
There are so many of us. The U.S. has the largest Jewish community in the world, after Israel. By 2020, our estimated Jewish population had grown to 7.5 million people. Yet this includes only 4.2 million adults who identify their religion as Jewish. How about the others? Rosetree gives a voice to one of those secular families, seldom described memoirs.
Readability Reason #11. Unique Perspective for Preemies, and Those Who Love Them
Quite a literature has developed on this topic, including memoirs and other books of interest to parents of children born early, premature babies. Yet this may be the first such book to explore the perspective of the newborn, rather than the parents of preemies. Readers learn about the experience of somebody who remembers vividly being kept alive in “a little glass box.” That is, an incubator.
Readability Reason #12. Just Enough Poetry
Yes, Goodreaders, you’ll even encounter some poetry. Including the poem that Rosetree read to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Millions have learned his technique of Transcendental Meditation, and thousands studied personally with him back in the day. But how many of them ever saw him cry? In BIGGER you’ll have the chance to read a poem that did make him weep. And if you’re a spiritual seeker, you might tear up too.
IN CONCLUSION
Thanks for asking this author, Horatio. You and other Goodreaders are cordially invited to ask follow-up questions here.
How wonderful that Goodreads makes available these interactive opportunities to Ask the Author!
Phew! Now that we got that practical point out of the way, thank you for your question, Horatio. You've put into words an unspoken reluctance that is very common today, even if consciously we’ve never admitted to ourselves that we’re unduly influenced by celebrities.
Generations ago, a popular idea in America went like this:
IF YOU’RE SO SMART, WHY AIN’T YOU RICH?
By now, that seems to have lost its allure – along with the Horatio Alger work ethic. (Speaking of people with the first name Horatio!)
Living now, most of us have enough sense to know that wealth does not necessarily equate to intelligence. (And vice versa.)
Instead, our unspoken assumption may this equally foolish idea:
IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE TO SAY, WHY AIN’T YOU FAMOUS?
Come to think of it, how preposterous is that! Of course, the value of a person’s life -- or career -- should not be based on fame. Some people have fame karma but most of us do not.
Here’s just one example of somebody who did manage to have fame karma kick in, but only after he was long gone.
Horatio and other Goodreaders, did you ever hear any music composed by J.S. Bach? During his lifetime he wasn’t only a prolific composer… of some of the greatest music in Western civilization. Bach also worked incredibly hard, to fulfill his outrageously demanding day job. Also, maybe you know that he and his wife had 20 -– yes TWENTY -- children.
During his lifetime, how famous was Johann Sebastian Bach? Not very. During Bach's lifetime, who were the famous composers? Mainly Buxtehude and Handel. When he died in 1750, Bach wasn’t very well known. A century later, musicians rediscovered his music. By now, of course, J.S. Bach is considered to be one of the greatest composers of all time. Maybe THE greatest.
With musicians, or writers, what matters more than their degree of fame? How about this:
Does that creative person have something important to say to you?
All that said, at least as important, Horatio, is this blunt version of the question you asked:
WHY WOULD ANYBODY… READ ROSE ROSETREE’S MEMOIR?
Now we’re talking, because that’s a question worth asking. Do I have an answer for you? Hey, I’m going to give you a dozen answers. All may not apply to you, Goodreaders, but if even one of these answers speaks to you? You may find that BIGGER THAN ALL THE NIGHT SKY brings you some powerful personal experiences.
Incidentally, at the book page here on Goodreads, guess what? There are already quite a few reviews for the first edition of this book. These might be of interest to you. Here I’ll add this: The second edition is imo both NEW and IMPROVED.
And now here come our 12 Readability Reasons.
Readability Reason #1. You Enjoy Reading Memoirs
This one has more of a freshness and authenticity than many a memoir. You won’t find familiar tropes like:
-Rags to riches. Like “Thicker than Water” by Kerry Washington.
-Big scary drama overcome. Like “Enough” by Cassidy Hutchinson.
-You can identify with the terrible sorrows of this famous person. Like “Spare” by Prince Harry.
Instead, what will you find? Some answers await you in the Readability Reasons below.
Readability Reason #2. Meet an Unskilled Empath
This particular empath, Rose Rosetree, went on to found the system of Empath Empowerment®. Decades after the time of this first memoir, she became the most experienced empath coach in America. (Including four books that you can learn about at her Author Page on Goodreads. )
Any of you who have become “Skilled Empaths” can read this story for examples of mess-up that are absolutely typical of unskilled empaths. For instance, why the author got into trouble with her first checking account.
Readability Reason #3. How Rose Overcame Writer’s Block
Authors and aspiring authors here on Goodreads may be all too familiar with creativity struggles.
In a chapter called “Becoming a Writer, Damply” you’ll learn about a breakthrough experience as a writer. Followed by years of struggle and, eventually, finding a secret for overcoming the single biggest cause of writer’s block. (For her, at least.)
Later Rose Rosetree would go on to offer an online workshop called “Creativity Secrets with Soul.”
Readability Reason #4. Spiritual Seeking-Seeking-Seeking
Many memoirs are religious in nature. Readers are treated to why the author became a pastor or missionary, etc.
By contrast, the approach here is spiritual but not religious. Even religious readers may find inspiration in this story of a person who kept seeking God, repeatedly living like a fool for love.
Readability Reason #5. Seekers of Self-Actualization
When Rose was in college, Abraham Maslow, the great humanistic psychologist, taught on the faculty of Brandeis University. During the 60’s, much of today’s pop psychology was starting to emerge. Many of the stories here will resonate for fellow seekers of personal growth.
Readability Reason #6. Hippies, Hippies, Hippies
As the saying goes, “If you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there.” Rosetree was definitely there, but she does remember… and report. In this memoir she describes encounters with Timothy Leary and Baba Ram Dass, her failed attempt to become a pothead, and what today would be called an epic fail concerning her college motto, “Be discreet.”
Readability Reason #7. Becoming a Spiritual Teacher
Are you curious about how and why a person could become a professional spiritual teacher? Especially if you have ever yearned to do something like this, you may be moved by the stumbling, fumbling steps that led Rosetree to become a Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Later, of course, she became the founder of Energy Spirituality®.
Readability Reason #8. Love Music?
If you love music, you’ll enjoy many references to music in this memoir, including Birdland, Jimmy Hendrix, Aaron Copland… and Rosetree’s understandably pathetic violin playing in a little music recital.
Readability Reason #9. The Story of a First-Generation American
So many of us in the U.S. are recent immigrants. How we assimilate, or don’t, should be a matter of interest to all socially conscious students of American society. Rose’s uncle, Murray Hausknecht was a sociology professor and public intellectual who published a book about The Joiners: A Sociological Description of Voluntary Association Membership in the United States. In a non-academic way, this memoir explores the theme of fitting into American society.
Readability Reason #10. Living as a Secular Jew
There are so many of us. The U.S. has the largest Jewish community in the world, after Israel. By 2020, our estimated Jewish population had grown to 7.5 million people. Yet this includes only 4.2 million adults who identify their religion as Jewish. How about the others? Rosetree gives a voice to one of those secular families, seldom described memoirs.
Readability Reason #11. Unique Perspective for Preemies, and Those Who Love Them
Quite a literature has developed on this topic, including memoirs and other books of interest to parents of children born early, premature babies. Yet this may be the first such book to explore the perspective of the newborn, rather than the parents of preemies. Readers learn about the experience of somebody who remembers vividly being kept alive in “a little glass box.” That is, an incubator.
Readability Reason #12. Just Enough Poetry
Yes, Goodreaders, you’ll even encounter some poetry. Including the poem that Rosetree read to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Millions have learned his technique of Transcendental Meditation, and thousands studied personally with him back in the day. But how many of them ever saw him cry? In BIGGER you’ll have the chance to read a poem that did make him weep. And if you’re a spiritual seeker, you might tear up too.
IN CONCLUSION
Thanks for asking this author, Horatio. You and other Goodreaders are cordially invited to ask follow-up questions here.
How wonderful that Goodreads makes available these interactive opportunities to Ask the Author!
More Answered Questions
Gerald Ulmer
asked
Rose Rosetree:
Hi Rose, I am lost in this world of promoting a book. I am 73 years old and have written my first Creative Fictional novel, but have no idea how all this works. I self published it on Amazon Kindle as an eBook and as paperback. I've been told it's a good story, I take that with a grain of salt. Could you let me know what you think? Free read 4/1/23 - 4/2/23 as eBook. JENNY AND THE GHOST OF FOGGY BOTTOM LANDING.
Rachel
asked
Rose Rosetree:
Hi Rose, I am currently reading the second edition of Bigger Than All the Night Sky, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I saw that this latest edition is Book 1 in a new series, called “Use Your Everyday Potential”. The title of this new series is so intriguing! Can you tell us more about how this book relates to us readers using our everyday potential? Thank you, Rachel
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