The Book Lover's Chill Spot: Books

Reviews Roll in for Elemental: The Power of Illuminated Love

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:56:06 GMT

Following its official launch at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for the Arts in Savannah, Georgia, on May 29, 2008, critics have started to weigh in on ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love (ISBN 0972114270) a coffee table gift book that showcases the work of acclaimed artist Luther E. Vann and poetry by noted author Aberjhani.

Writing in the June 4, 2008 edition of the weekly news entertainment magazine CONNECT Savannah, news editor Linda Sickler described ELEMENTAL as, “a beautiful book…the reproductions of the paintings are outstanding. The poems were inspired by the paintings, and make perfect companions for the reproductions. All in all, Elemental is a real delight and was definitely worth the wait.”

In her review of Vann’s exhibit at the Telfair Museum, The highly regarded art critic and painter Bertha Husband described the artist’s work as “real painting” that is “realized in the process of its creation, and the end result can often surprise the painter, himself.” She further described the style and method as a demanding one that most artists avoid because of the extensive time and “commitment to the language of painting” involved to employ it. Nevertheless, she noted, “Vann succeeds because he has a subject––the life observed in houses, on the streets and in the parks of his city––and a technique he has made his own…”

Another renowned critic and author, Ja A. Jahannes, spoke at the launch for Elemental and called it “A wondrously amazing book.” He added that, “I see the universal mind in both the painting and poetry of Elemental. The ‘universal mind’ is always multi-dimensional––there is always the physical and the spiritual. The book has fusion of here and otherworldliness.”

Vann’s exhibit is currently scheduled to remain on display at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for the Arts until September 14. His book, ELEMENTAL, The Power of Illuminated Love, is available at the Jepson Center Gift Shop, at Barnes and Noble , and through Soar Publishing at http://www.soarpublishingllc.com/ .

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Three Excellent Reasons to Love Books In April 2008

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:19:23 GMT

The more the fate of books in the world are called into question ––as they compete with the ever-increasing domination of techno gadgetry–– the stronger and more enduring their impact seems to become. There is, apparently, no such thing as a permanent substitute for the written word adorned by human imagination and artfully bound in hard or soft covers.

This observation is particularly evident in April 2008 for three strong reasons. Number one: this is indeed National Poetry Month and celebrations of it are in full swing, complete with the first “Poem in Your Pocket Day” slated for April 17.

Number two: the great and mighty 92^nd Annual Pulitzer Prizes were announced this past week with Junot Diaz taking the fiction prize for his novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao; Tracy Letts picking up the drama prize for August: Osage County; Robert Hass receiving the poetry prize for Time and Materials; Saul Friedman receiving the nonfiction prize for The Years of Extermination; John Matteson getting the biography prize for Eden’s Outcasts; and David Lang receiving the music prize for The Little Match Girl Passion. Music icon Bob Dylan received a special citation “for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”

The third reason April is such a powerhouse month for books is because April 23 is World Book and Copyright Day. Instituted by UNESCO in 1995, the idea for World Book and Copyright Day grew out of the practice of giving one book as a gift with every book purchased on Saint George’s Day in Catalonia. April 23 itself was adopted as the symbolic date for world literature in recognition of Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, all of whom reportedly died on this same day in the same year of 1616. In addition, it is the date of birth or death of other notable authors like Vladimir Nabokov, Manuel Mejia, Druon, K.Laxness, and Josep Pla.

As stated on the United Nation’s website: “It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.”

by Aberjhani
author of The Bridge of Silver Wings
and Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

Tagging Books and Authors to Watch in 2008

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:30:24 GMT

A big part of the fun of entering a New Year is making a list of noble resolutions, some of which we work hard to keep and some of which become lost causes shortly after midnight on New Year’s Eve. Another part of the fun is making lists of people and events likely to stand out as the New Year 2008 unfolds. This blog introduces my list of Books and Authors to Watch in 2008 . Rest assured that the list, maintained on my Amazon author profile page, is an evolving one.

One of the first things some of you will notice when reviewing my 2008 canon is that neither of my own two new releases, The Bridge of Silver Wings and Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World , are on it. Does this mean I don’t expect my own humble offerings to make any kind of impact in some corner of our beautiful world at some point in 2008? It certainly does not; only that these titles have not yet made it into Amazon’s book catalogue (yes I am working on it). Please rest assured that upon their inclusion, they will take their proper place on the honor roll barring any unforeseen glitches.

Secondly, you may notice the list contains some fairly well-known names, at least one famous but perhaps unexpected name, and some others that are not so well known at this point. That’s a good thing because it indicates a number of excellent writers are still producing excellent work and a variety of relatively new voices are presenting the world with fresh stories, perspectives, and insights worth our full attention. Rather than include a summary of the list here, I invite you to click on the link provided and enjoy an early harvest of selections from this year’s literary crop.

As I said before, making such a list is fun but it’s also important. Why? Because despite the nonstop forward march of the digital revolution, people still turn to books for reading experiences that inform, empower, and generally enhance their lives. So it’s good to have some idea about what’s out there to help them/us do exactly that. In the event the above link does not work, please click or paste the following: http://www.amazon.com/Books-and-Authors-to-Watch-in-2008/lm/R1H643PYYGUJ1L/ref=cm_rna_own_lm

Author-Poet Aberjhani
Books and Authors to Watch in 2008

Deliverance in Action

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:02:04 GMT

FROM The Bridge of Silver Wings

Between the hopelessness of despair capable of destroying a life, and the strength that comes with self assurance capable of empowering a life, there sits a great chasm with which many people struggle when attempting to cross from one side to the other. For some, the struggle occurs only once in their lifetime and, if they manage to achieve victory, their triumph endows them with a sense of confidence, inspiration, and conviction that serves their needs for the rest of their lives. For others, crossing the gulf between desolation and faith can take the form of a battle that they wage on an annual basis. For millions more––possibly your next door neighbor, a favorite grocery store clerk, your pastor, or yourself––the battle explodes into a raging war which they are forced to fight every day.

How do we make our way out of the pit of freezing shadows that can stall a life in progress upon learning one has contracted an irreversible disease? How does a spouse or parent make his or her way back to sanity after receiving the mind-crippling news that someone who “meant everything in the world to me” has been killed in a desert thousands of miles away, or on the college campus just down the street? By what means can one hope to reestablish individual balance or wholeness after suffering heart-crushing trauma at the hands of a stranger who himself is stumbling blind through grief and rage and confusion?

The truth is we do not always know how we go from falling off the edge of one cliff to running with determination beside the ledge of another. The Bridge of Silver Wings is what I’ve come to call the unknowable unquantifiable process of deliverance in action. It is what saves a given soul when that soul no longer has any idea how to save itself. It may be described as Creator, divinity, the angelic, love, good fortune, dharma, grace, faith, or any number of ways that provide hints but no irrefutably definitive explanation. It arrives when there’s no logical reason to believe it shall and provides not only a sense of salvation but one of transformation. Whereas the conditions of a specific life may not undergo any kind of miraculous change, the manner in which a person perceives and addresses those issues do. With a revised awareness of what is required to bring balance, healing, hope, and prosperity back into one’s life, a person is often able to achieve exactly that.

The journey across The Bridge of Silver Wings can be extremely frightening. At the same time, it can be filled with the kind of joyful revelations and thrilling affirmations of one’s self and destiny that are experienced only when one dares to take it.

by Author-Poet Aberjhani

Creative Thinkers International

Savannah Artist Book Cover Art Now for Sale

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 21:31:35 GMT

Framed prints of Luther E. Vann’s original art used for the cover of Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World—without the lettering used for the cover--are now available in three different sizes at the artist’s recently established Art For Life Shop .

The title for the original artwork is “Soul of a Black Skylark Singing.” Although this print does not have the lettering used on the novel, which is by Aberjhani, plans are underway to also make the book cover available as a print.

Vann, whose work is scheduled for a show April 2008 at the Jepson Center for the Arts , in Savannah, Georgia, described himself as “basically a classically schooled artist plying my creative trade in a neo-school techno world.” It was for that reason, he added, that he has waited until now before making any of his prints available online. The prints will also make his work accessible and affordable for those unable to attend his various installations around the globe.

In addition to learning more about his work at Luther’s Art for Life Shop please visit his page on Creative Thinkers International at this url: http://www.creativethinkersintl.ning.com/profile/weallare111

Introducing Uncut Goodies

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:48:01 GMT

INTRODUCING UNCUT GOODIES

Some Hollywood directors are famous for the “ruthless” manner in which they cut precious scenes from a given film, and many music producers have similar reputations for what they will or will not allow on a final recording project. What both have in common is the wisdom to save their deleted jewels and present them within a context or package––think “Director’s Cut” or “Extended Song Versions”––separate from the star project and yet completely viable in its own right. Editors and writers do something similar and my “Uncut Goodies” series falls in the tradition of salvaging lost scenes from the cutting room floor at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewwork.asp?AuthorID=25279

To cut or not to cut a given word or passage from a manuscript has long been one of the battles that sometimes divided brilliant editors and just as brilliant writers. It might surprise many readers to learn the issue is not always one regarding semantics, syntax, or ego. Often it has been about the number of dollars (or pounds or yen or marks) it took produce a book of––say 300 pages versus 1,400 pages.

I didn’t think my book Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World needed to lose any weight when one of the early editors for a proposed publisher requested I drop an agonizing number of words. I nevertheless acquiesced in the spirit of combining expertise, exercised admirable editorial tough love toward myself, and got the novel down to its current sleek yet voluptuous figure. I had to admit that doing so made the book, which by its nature is not your typical linear structured novel, a tighter faster-moving read. Yet I also had to mourn the loss of huge chunks. Some of those chunks might hold certain keys for some readers. Other readers might disagree but still enjoy the backdrop provided by Uncut Goodies, which in fact include the original first two chapters.

To make them easier to keep up with, each segment of the series will be titled Uncut Goodies Part 1 or 2 or 3 or whatever it happens to be. They can make an entertaining supplement to the novel or a very enjoyable read on their own. You can read the series in Amazon Author’s blog or at this url: http://www.authorsden.com/Aberjhani

Aberjhani

10-Year Milestone for Savannah Author and ESSENCE Magazine

Tue, 22 May 2007 03:23:05 GMT

Along with its annual celebration of Black Music Month, the June 2007 edition of ESSENCE Magazine includes the poem “My One Favorite City,” by Savannah author-poet Aberjhani, marking the writer’s tenth year publishing work in the famous periodical.

“I’m not just happy about reaching this personal milestone,” said the writer, who last year won the Connect Savannah Readers’ Poll for best poet and spoken word artist. “I’m especially happy just to know that ESSENCE Magazine still publishes poetry since a couple of years ago it was announced that they no longer would. That announcement was a huge blow to the literary world because ESSENCE is one of few major magazines––with a readership of 7.6 million––that takes poets and poetry seriously.”

The author’s poem appears on page 204. The first work he published in ESSENCE was a cover story in 1997 titled “This Mother’s Son,” about the challenges of becoming a caregiver. The magazine later began publishing his poetry every year and listed his Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance (with Sandra L. West) on its listing of holiday gift books.

In addition to the poem in ESSENCE, readers have also taken note of Aberjhani’s “A Dancer’s Strength and Grace,” a poem that he wrote as a review of actress-author Victoria Rowell’s bestselling memoir, “The Women Who Raised Me.” Ironically, “A Dancer’s Strength and Grace” was posted on the Amazon.com page for Rowell’s book just as the Internet giant was preparing to release Aberjhani’s new Amazon Short title: “The Harlem Renaissance Way Down South.”

Other poets in the June issue of ESSENCE include Cathy Delaleu, Wendi E. Hill, Lisa Gillard, Jahbu, Tawana Moore-Cedeno, Omar Massey, Tanya Bush Richard, Gabriela Hall-Chung, and Linda J. Fuller-Browne. Grammy-winning hip hop artist Mary J. Blige is featured on two alternate covers of the issue, one by herself, and one with her husband Kendu Isaacs. The magazine also shines spotlights on performing artists: Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Jay-Z, Rihanna, The Roots, and T.I.

Poets of the Angels

Tue, 15 May 2007 05:06:29 GMT

Feet sandaled with dreams
tread paths of vision leading
to wisdom’s sharp peaks.

On a bridge spanning
earth’s delights and heaven’s tears
jeweled throats shine psalms.

Stars ink your fingers
with a lexicon of flame
blazing rare knowledge.

Hurricanes grow calm
for the pleasure of hearing
your souls’ hidden rhymes.

You are the hybrids
of golden worlds and ages
splendidly conceived.

To accommodate
humanity’s whims, gore floods
your cleanest pages.

In obedience
to eternity’s beauty
prayers cloak your heart.

Your pain is a school
unto itself––and your joy
a lovely temple.

Syllables gathered
on the shores of your genius
sing moonbright wonders.

Yours is a language
of parables made classic
by love’s sweet anguish.

The same hot lightning
that burns your blood with passion––
cools your fears with peace.

By Aberjhani
© 2007