Poetry from Jim Davis

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On Nick Flynn’s Pulse (Hidden Bird)

 

“Imagine a glass of water / a drop of blood”

 

Imagine the infinite swelling of waves, bruised mornings, nights written in

 

A long forgotten language: the constellation dance, echoes, rippling

 

Glass of the frozen ocean. Alaskan bay. Bering Strait. Ridged reflection

 

Of fickle tides – the way the mouth’s roof quells the tongue.

 

Water, harried by lips and winter, has something to say:

 

A moment in such company, it would whisper if it could, would inspire a

 

Drop of rain to expand in concentric rings, engorge the tides

 

Of what could not be explained: why are we this / & not nothing

 

Blood welling from our separating bodies. Blood and salt, and beating wings.

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Mind Your Own Business: Ayokunle Adeleye’s Entrepreneurship Column

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The POTENTIAL IV: Staying True

Once upon a time, there lived a poor hunter and his childless wife.
One day, while gathering wood in the forest, the wife built a maiden
out of snow. “If only you were real,” she sighed, “how I would love
and treat you.”

The forest queen heard the wife’s wish. She promised to turn the snow
maiden into a real girl. But with one condition: in place of a heart,
she would have an icicle. With that, the maiden magically came to
life. “If she ever steps outside the snow forest,” the forest queen
warned, “the ice will melt, and she will die.”

For many years, the snow maiden and the wife lived together. Then one
day, the wife died. The snow maiden was sad. She moved through the
forest until she came upon a young boy from the village, lost in the
woods. Taking pity, the snow maiden led him to the edge of the forest.
If she walked any further, she knew her heart of ice would melt.

The snow maiden looked into the boy’s eyes and knew what she must do….
***

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Poetry from Christian Sorensen

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Air Raid

People scream as bombers fly

Above the city at night.

Fire and smoke fill the sky

As soldiers cry in fright.

Houses burn and windows crack

As bombs rain upon the town,

Smoke from rubble shifts to black

Tears from faces trickle down.

Women cry while children dead

Rot upon the broken street.

Soldiers look on empty beds

Firemen combat smoke and heat.

 

Raid is o’er, the bombing done

Peace for now, with cooling guns.

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Leah Dearborn reviews Elsie Augustave’s novel The Roving Tree

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Review: The Roving Tree by Elsie Augustave

Leah Dearborn

Book cover - Elsie Augustave's The Roving Tree 

The Roving Tree tackles an ambitious scope of issues and themes, from the damaging nature of internalized racism to the impact of heredity versus environment. Adopted from a small Haitian village at the age of five, Iris’ life often reads like an all-too-real fairy tale in a United States poised to enter the Civil Rights Movement.

Iris herself is a very sympathetic character. Forced to bear the baggage of a culture that isn’t even her own by birth, she nevertheless refuses to be victimized by racism. As a child, she’s confronted by many well-meaning (or less so) adults, but struggles to find a place among them. Although The Roving Tree is not the first book to describe such an incident, it’s still shocking when strangers touch Iris’ head without her permission, just to find out what the hair on “those people” feels like.

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Elizabeth Hughes’ Book Periscope

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Mash Up by Joe Klingler

Cover of Joe Klingler's Mash Up


Mash Up is the follow-up to RATS, also by Joe Klingler. In Mash Up, Detective Qigiq comes to California from Alaska to team up with Detective Kandy of the San Francisco Police Department. They have to find out who is mailing body parts, specifically fingers and an ear, with the message “Don’t Steal Music”. They discover that this coincides with thousands of songs being pirated from the internet. Boxes of fingers start showing up where friends of Sally, the young woman murdered for stealing the music, live.

Detective Qigiq and Kandy also come across the company Silver Platter. The company has introduced a virus that deletes the illegally pirated music files from computers, then disappears before it can be traced. To make Detectives Qigiq and Kandy’s job even more difficult, someone has put up an ad to replace iPods that are “defective”. Then the person sends a replacement with a explosive attached to it. Mash Up is an exciting page turner. You will not want to put this book down until you have read every word on every page. Another five star novel from Mr. Joe Klingler. I highly recommend Mash Up.

 The Horsefly Chronicles by Phil Siracusa

Cover of Phil Siracusa's Horsefly Chronicles


The Horsefly Chronicles is the first book of Mr. Siracusa’s life of living with the paranormal. He has gone through life with a spiritual entity that is with him always. He talks about doing dark spells, rituals and the use of the Ouija board. He tells of when the Ouija board is used how a portal is opened and can be very dangerous. When the portal opens, there is a chance that dark spirits or demons come through.

In his family’s home there is a spirit named Sara that lives mostly in his closet. Although, Sara has stated there are many more that live in his home. Whenever anything is about to happen a huge horsefly appears. It either flies around him or lands and stares at him. Mr. Siracusa also talks about the weight loss centers he opened and when he worked for the Mafia. He would also do rituals for people who wished to communicate with loved ones who have passed on.

If you are curious about the paranormal and how it can affect someone, I recommend this book. If you are already familiar with the paranormal, I recommend this book. I know you will enjoy the Horsefly Chronicles as much as I have and cannot wait until the next one comes out!

Surviving Mental Illness: My Story by Linda Naomi Katz

Linda Baron-Katz' Surviving Mental Illness: My Story cover image

Surviving Mental Illness:My Story is the story of author Linda Naomi Katz as she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and how she learns to live with it and becomes an advocate for the mentally ill. She has included some valuable resources in her book, like NAMI, the National Alliance for Mentally Ill. She meets and marries Charles Katz, and he also has a mental illness. They are able to support and understand each other since they both have some form of mental illness. They learn to work through the hard times in their marriage, which can be hard even without mental illness. They are both very special and brave for learning to overcome these obstacles. Ms. Katz should be commended for everything she has been through and for being able to advocate for the mentally ill. She wants people to understand how they are people too, and can work and live just like people who do not suffer from illness. She works hard to make the stigma and other prejudices a thing of the past.

If you know someone who suffers with any kind of mental illness, you should definitely read this book. You will be able to understand and possibly learn of resources that can be beneficial to your loved one or friend. If you don’t know anyone, this is still an excellent book to read, so, that you may understand and let go of any prejudices you may have toward the mentally ill. I think this is a very good book and recommend it.


Under The Blood Moon by Alexis Kennedy

Under the Blood Moon cover image

 Under the Blood Moon is a fantasy/thriller and the first in a series. Seth, the king of the Lycans, wakes after having a curse put on him 200 years before only to find out that his clan has been killed off. He has to find the right mate that can help him defeat the Prince of Darkness before the Blood Moon and an apocalyptic battle begins. Brad a gypsy of darkness has to find a bride for Prince Armando and awaken him before the Blood Moon to begin the battle. Seth has help from a gypsy fortune teller, Madame Elmira, who warns him that Julia may not be the right mate. Seth argues she must since his amulet showed her everything when she held it. I highly recommend Under the Blood Moon. It is thrilling and will keep the reader on the edge of their seat page after page. I loved this one better than others written in this genre. It has suspense and mystery and will keep the reader wanting more. I am very much looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Thank you Ms. Kennedy, you definitely have a winning series with Under the Blood Moon!

 

The Price of Love by Maggie Smith

Maggi Craft's book cover for The Price of Love

The Price of Love is an excellent romance novel. The story is about Slayde Price and Arden Simms. In high school, Slayde Price, a football jock, dated Kenedy, the beautiful popular girl and also Arden’s sister. Years later, Arden is enrolled in medical school and after eight years of not taking any breaks, she decides to go to Paris where her sister is living and working a a model. When Arden arrives in Paris at the apartments where her sister lives, she finds out her sister Kenedy is in Milan ona photo shoot. Slayde notices Arden and and to her surprise gives her a hug like they were the best of friends and invites her to his apartment. After awhile they fall in love with each other. When Kenedy comes back she is not at all happy about them being together.

Will Slayde and Arden’s love overcome the obstacles that are thrown their way?! Read The Price of Love and find out what happens in this exciting novel of love and romance. Price of Love will keep the reader wanting more. This book will keep the reader interested page after page. I highly recommend The Price of Love by Maggie Smith. Definitely a five star novel of love!

Misdiagnosed: The Search for Dr. House

(cover available soon!)

Color image of author Nika Beamon

Author Nika C. Beamon

Misdiagnosed: The Search for Dr. House is an excellent book about Ms. Beamon’s search for a diagnosis. She has written it so the story is interesting and keeps the reader interested page after page. She goes through when her symptoms start and how her health deteriorated as she went to doctor after doctor after doctor searching for help, relief from what was happening to her and a diagnosis so healing can begin. She also researched on her own on the internet which is very important when doctors don’t know and won’t admit they don’t know. She includes how difficult it was for her to find and maintain relationships because of her chronic illness especially when she would become seriously ill and need to be taken to the hospital. She had a relationship with one man that lasted quite awhile, but he was out seeing other women also and lying about it to her. She never gave up and persevered until the elusive diagnosis was found. Ms. Beamon includes very
valuable websites and addresses and advice in her book. I highly recommend this book and rate it 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!!

Synchronized Chaos June 2014: Experience Distilled

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Welcome to another month’s issue – and Happy Father’s Day to those who wish to celebrate!

This month, the submissions hone in on a particular slice of life: a social group or subculture, or an intense experience, or a singular line of thought. The creators then draw broader observations using that as a starting point.

We begin with Janine Canan’s piece, which invites us to awaken to the experience of life, to become fully present and compassionate.

In her monthly Book Periscope column, Elizabeth Hughes shares three novels that bring us to colorful new worlds while urging us to look inward as well. Joe Klingler’s action thriller RATS explores the lingering consequences of war and the landmines and trauma left behind. William Jefferson’s Messages from Estillyen offers a sanctuary for characters and readers, a forested enclave where monks illuminate old manuscripts, time slows down and people can think. Adam Brown’s Astral Dawn transports readers to a fantastical realm, where good must be defended from camouflaged, vividly terrifying embodiments of evil, into which we can transform when we choose negative thoughts and behavior.

Ayokunle Adeleye, in his monthly column Minding Your Own Business, and his essay “Youths, Save Nigeria,” looks once again at how character and wisdom can guide our personal and commercial ventures. He encourages us to start while young, or bring the purpose and energy of youth to our goals and enterprises.

Several Georgia Southern students bring academic analysis to American subcultures, creating formal social science essays about people who could live next door to them. Moon McCroskey gets to know visiting international students at her university, while Mary Dunaway samples the world of Latin dance. Andrew Perry describes the hidden universe of software engineers, and Chris Kerrigan feels for the beat of hip hop dance. Eleanor Ferrara puts her hand to the keyboard for a game of League of Legends, a popular online roleplaying game, while Anne de Lua sneaks across campus to avoid zombies hiding in plain sight during a round of extreme tag. Kayleigh Hunter visits an elementary school to job-shadow a teacher for a day, and interviews her about what she likes, and doesn’t appreciate, about the classroom.

The topics of some of these essays seem earnest but whimsical, yet hidden meaning lies beneath the descriptions. Anne de Lua points out that Humans vs Zombies: Extreme Tag reminds us not to stop living, even in the face of small and large dangers, and Mary Dunaway and Chris Kerrigan comment on the balance of curiosity and respect necessary to enter into others’ cultures and activities. Eleanor Ferrara looks into concerns about gender and harassment as a female entering a stereotypically male space, and is pleased to find a polite and welcoming environment. Moon McCroskey and Andrew Perry uncover plenty of practicalities driving the decisions people make, in the tech and the educational world. Each essay contributes something to a larger question, of how to create spaces that are both safe and open, where curious newcomers and diverse participants can be accepted, yet the unique character of the space and its culture can remain.

Kayleigh Hunter finds teachers who care about their jobs and students, but who struggle when kids and others disrespect them, and when they end up having to take on roles that others in society used to play, and are not supported in that. Pauline Pang, an immigrant to the USA from Shanghai, also looks into teaching and learning, and the awkwardness that can ensue with changing roles. Her essay is more hopeful overall, but brings up the alienation she felt in China and in the USA, as she never completely fit either culture.

Jordan Taylor writes extensively about her father’s funeral, using the event as a starting point to portray a complex man who drank too much and made plenty of mistakes, but who also stayed married for nearly sixty years and created distinctive memories with his children. The piece conveys how the father and his family journeyed together towards redemption and forgiveness.

Elsie Augustave’s novel The Roving Tree, as reviewed by Susan Maciak, also highlights the strong pull of heritage, whether personal or cultural. The heroine, a young woman of Haitian descent adopted by an American family, finds herself seeking her complex past through volunteer work and personal growth.

Susan Maciak’s own work, Add to Your Edge: 12 Ways to Excel in the 21st Century, focuses on our own ability to take initiative and shape our own destinies. We are influenced by our pasts, but still retain some level of ability to differentiate ourselves as individuals by choosing our own actions and attitudes.

A scattering of poetic selections look deeply into events, and slices of life. John Grey shows us the precarious excitement of a duck hunt, climbing the Rockies by car, and following the call of creativity. John Wesick offers a blend of cleverness, nostalgia and subtle ennui, gently lamenting the departure of aging actresses from the screen, non-wealthy people from San Francisco, and his weekends on Sunday nights.

Stephen Prime peers into a conflicted and complex relationship. Then, he looks at the precarious balance between possessing confidence in ourselves and in our ability to live on through building legacies greater than our own lives, and avoiding hubris so great that we literally outshine the stars with our vanity. Christa Ward’s work crystallizes a moment of intense emotion, where we can empathize with the physical sensations of her speaker even without knowing the situation. Peter Jacob Streitz illustrates an imperfect, broken man enjoying a moment of intimacy, then gives a commentary on the ugliness and classlessness of racism.

John Middlebrook looks at the experience, aural, aesthetic and visceral, of words and paintings, and then imagines a comforting, embryonic realm of silence inside a black hole. In a similar vein, Christopher Bernard elucidates the details of Ivan Arguelles’ new work Ars Poetica, describing how this modern poet can draw upon the finer points of traditional writing craft while still expressing original ideas and personal emotions.

Thank you for taking the time to savor this issue and become aware of the worlds and ideas evoked by small groups and single moments. Many thoughts to ponder lie within the pages of this issue.

Ruins of an old temple against a landscape at sunset or sunrise

Landscape by Frederic Edwin Church