Authors Books

Hi Huda,

I was really honoured to know you in person and seat with you in acafe in Damascus last summer. Actually what amazed me is your humble character and your imaginative mind. You have the potential and the capacity to be a great writer known worldwide. I promise you will have a very brilliant future. Keep writing and God may bless you.

The character Marc (or, Marco) drifts through Orfali's stories, bringing hope and compassion to often hopeless or brutal situations. Orfali is the real Marc, in that she gives a devastatingly honest view of life's cruelty, yet brings optimism to that view. However, she does so without giving easy, contrived solutions. She also does so with charming characters and believable dialogue.

Her poems range from depictions of her Syrian homeland to scenes from treasured myths and legends. My favorite of the poems is "Flip, Flop." The narrator of that poem forces us to consider the results of violence, who is to blame for it, and who can help stop it; yet the poem also manages to surprise the reader. For that matter, Orfali's work is a constant surprise.

Blue Fire is one of the most wonderful story books I've ever read. It deals with all aspects of our lives. I certainlly beneffited from the medical information. This new way of handlind illness and death is certainly interesting. death is just a "flight unto the sun", a new beginning. I wish the author good luck in future writing. I hope she will be more optimistic in her future writing.

Blue Fire is one of the most wonderful story books I've ever read. It deals with all aspects of our lives. I certainlly beneffited from the medical information. This new way of handlind illness and death is certainly interesting. death is just a "flight unto the sun", a new beginning. I wish the author good luck in future writing. I hope she will be more optimistic in her future writing.

Excellent Work. Orfali is a great storyteller. HOLLYWOOD-take a look at this book! What wonderful movies it could make! I highly recommend Blue Fire to anyone looking for a good story. I hope to see more from Orfali.

If you are a girl, know a girl or have ever been a girl, this is the book for you. This anthology of the collected writings of teenage girls and their women mentors uplifts, inspires and transforms.

Also, when you purchase a book you help support a noble cause and allow this non-profit mentoring program to continue providing its much needed service.

This is a great book filled with every emotion under the sun! It made me laugh, cry and sing. I applaud the women and girls who gave so much of themselves to make this book a reality. A definite must read!

I am one of the writers in BOLD INK and i would just like to say that i had an wonderful time working with my mentor. Writing the pieces that went into the the book as well as the ones that didnt. I would also like to thanks everyone who left a comment. Now I can only speak for myself but i enjoyed hearing good feedback about the book. Please enjoy and thank you very much.

This book is just as other reviewers have said, inspiring. I have to add something that the other reviewers haven't said, which is that the design is one of the best I've seen for this type of book. It's a real pleasure for the eye, and very imaginatively done without distracting from the reading.

This book is so beautifully put together. I was looking for a writing guide for my 12 year old daughter -- at first, I did not think this book was it, but I'm a teacher and I was curious. BOLD INK is truly amazing. there are poems and stories from young girls, but there are also little blurbs explaining how they went about the writing process. My daughter devoured this book and has written so much more than she ever has. I think that adults can teach children all they want, but it is the lessons from their peers that they really take to heart.

I was so anxious to get my copy in mail, and it surely didn't disappoint!I read it right away! I think everyone can relate to at least one (if not more) of these poems. Everything seems to be very well thought out but so effortlessly put to paper! Some of the poems made me laugh and others made me smile on the inside! All of us who have ever experienced relationships can definitely say that it sometimes seems that we are in a Boy vs. Girl battle, this book brings some of those "challenges" to the forefront.

Upon reading this book of poems I was pleasantly surprised by the way I was able to read through the body of poems in one sitting. Even more amazing was the way I was able to relate to each and every poem as if it were about me or someone I would know. The poems highlighted everyday situations that any male or female may go through and I was able to envision their emotions through perfect wording and flow. Whether you're a fan of poetry or not this book is one to definitely read, not only for its content but also for the way the words allow you to visualize the relationship in question without making the pivotal mistake of alienating you in the process.

I can never think of thoughtful inexpensive gifts for my loved ones, but this book is it! Not a cover to cover digestion....more of a sit on the coffee table to entice/entertain guests. This book has caused me to laugh outloud at myself.

Boy Versus Girl is not your average book of poetry. It is the rare piece of literature that everyone young and old can relate to. The author uses real life situations to bring you through his ups and downs in love. Often he will make you feel as if you have experienced these situations through his use of colorful words and wonderful metaphors. It is a great coffee table book because almost any poem in this book is guaranteed to be a conversation starter. Do yourself a favor and dive into this book as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

This book was a joy to read. It is a window into the day-to-day relationships we all experience with our families and friends and co-workers. A wonderful book to read while relaxing at the end of the day.

Coming of age while facing the problems of others can cause quite the conundrum. Are you to focus on your own growth and development or put self to the wayside and turn your attention to the problems in your family? Is it feasible to do both? Nellie Kincaid deals with this in Rachel Harper's BRASS ANKLE BLUES, and the result is a spectacularly engrossing work of literature.

Fifteen-year old Nellie Kincaid enters the awkward phases of womanhood while encountering familial breakdowns. She embarks on a summer trip in Minnesota with her black father and white cousin, whom she had met only once before. Surrounded by the familiar setting of her childhood summers, Nellie faces questions of loyalty, love, and the ties that bind.

My first time reading Harper's work was memorable. While most of the main characters were under the age of eighteen, the author was able to present them in a way that made them timeless, ageless, and, most notably, extraordinarily human. The story went so much deeper than just the run-of-the-mill tragic mulatto tale. While there were a few major dramatic events, BRASS ANKLE BLUES was a more character and relationship centered novel, and Harper aptly crafted them. I would love to read more about these characters, but will read Harper's next offering whether or not they are included. I read on her web site that she is considering adapting BRASS ANKLE BLUES into a screenplay. If the movie ever hits a screen, I'll be the first in line.


Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This is a book that, although fiction, tackles a situation rarely discussed, the effects of society on the children of interracial marriages. The character at one point says: 'The only time I feel black is in a room full of white people, and the only time I feel white is in a room full of black people.' This is an indication that neither culture is willing to accept her as she (in this book 'she,' but equally applicable to a 'he') is, as a person regardless of the tone of her skin.

This is a first novel, and it is a coming of age novel. The story is full of characterization and the identification of the troubles that a family can generate among its members is impressive. Indeed the kinds of troubles Nellie Kincaid is forced to face in her summer with the relatives is almost a textbook of real life.

If this introductory book is any sample, Ms. Harper seems destined to become a major talent in her future writing.

I really enjoyed reading the book. My expectations weren't too high because I thought 'oh, another coming of age novel, great, just what we need.' Boy was I wrong. I loved the author's writing style and the characters and story were so captivating that I had a tough time putting it down. When I finished it I was sad because I didn't want to leave the characters behind. I highly recommend it even if you're not a person of color or of mixed race (I'm not and I loved it).

What a wonderful novel! Here is a fresh and exciting voice in coming-of-age fiction. Harper's earthy and sensual descriptions of landscape and memory make her story sing; reading about the Minnesota lakes made me yearn to plan a trip there. All of the characters are interesting and memorable, but the main character, Nellie, is the perfect travel companion. This novel about an American woman's journey takes the reader on a magical tour of adolescence and the development of consciousness. Nellie is seeking nothing less than her own soul. Her desire to be an adult, a person with autonomy and spirit, is clear from the very first chapter, but her discoveries along the way, including some vividly detailed encounters with memorable characters, make this a reader's dream as well. I was sorry when the novel ended. Let's hope Harper writes a sequel! Or anything else!

Rachel Harper has crafted an engaging debut novel with Brass Ankle Blues. Family dynamics drive the action in betrayal, mixed heritages, self-discovery, loyalty and forgiveness. Brass Ankles Blues is told from the perspective of Nellie Kincaid, the fifteen year old protagonist of the story. Nellie is the product of an interracial marriage--an African American father and a Caucasian mother. She is trying to find herself in a world where she feels like an outsider. In the summer of her fifteenth year, she comes of age as she leaves childhood behind and matures into an independent thinking young adult. It is a summer complicated by her parents' separation and the uncertainty of their relationship. At times, she feels abandoned and emotionally isolated from the two people that she loved the most and believed would always be together. It is the summer that she spent with her first cousin (from her mother's side), Jess, who is a rebellious, reckless, attention seeking sixteen year old who has been tossed from pillar to post by her wayward parents. On the surface, they appear to have nothing in common and barely tolerate one another. As the summer progresses they will learn the true meaning of "blood is thicker than water" no matter what color the outer exterior is. To maintain some semblance of normalcy and balance in her life, Nellie travels cross country with her father and Jess to Minnesota for the annual summer family gathering. Along the way, she has a chance to ponder life, explore her identity and experience a few roadside mishaps which actually turn out to be moments for lessons learned. In Minnesota, she will face situations that will require her to make quick decisions that will affect her as well as her loved ones and have impact for years to come.

Harper has a fresh voice and is a creative writer. Her talents are best showcased via the eloquent and lyrical prose she uses to describe imagery, places and scenery. Earthy and richly evoked settings of the Great Midwest made me want to pull out a road map and plan a summer excursion with the family. The attention to detail and small items were impeccable. Although at times the narrative slowed down the pacing as it was detailed heavy with a little too much telling and not enough showing. The characters were memorable; however, I wish I could have gotten to know a few of the secondary characters better. Nellie was a remarkable heroine, but her story lacked depth and breadth. Given that we only shared a brief summer in her life, the three month timeframe centered only on her was exasperating at times. Journeying with her included the sullen, withdrawn, angry, attitudinal teenage behavior that turns off most adults after one day; having to experience it for three-fourth of a novel was painful at times. I felt like I was reading a semi-autobiographical account of Harper's life during the summer of her fifteenth year. Stories evolving around bi-racial girls coming of age have been done...often. The story would have been a more compelling read with shifting points of view. While Nellie's parents were flawed, they were also endearing and the little that was shared about them was interesting. It would have been insightful to hear their voice...to hear the voices of parents of bi-racial children as well as what it likes to be part of a bi-racial couple and married to someone of a different race.

That aside, I appreciated that Brass Ankle Blues was more than another tragic mulatto story. Harper has a distinctive and refreshing voice and I look forward to reading future releases--outside of the interracial theme--from this gifted and talented, young author. APOOO rating: 3.5 stars

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub
www.apooo.org

Author Lisa Borders' novel, CLOUD CUCKOO LAND, the winner of the prestigious Fred Bonnie Memorial Award for Best First Novel, will introduce its readers to a talented writer with a gift for portraying the depth of emotions stored in Miri's tumultuous journey through life. Miri,the protagonist,who s abandoned by her mother, makes her way from childhood through adolescence using her amazing singing voice as her tool for survival. Miri is a paradox in the roles she plays; sometimes passionately in love with Juan and making out on the beach, sometimes a mistress for Ian a fading Rock star, and finally sharing a life with Jamie, a Gay musician. CLOUD CUCKOO LAND will take you on an emotional Roller Coaster ride. I heartily recommend this book as a must read . . . it is in fact a "page turner."

Lisa Borders debut will be remembered for generations as a paradigm shift in the art of writing. As I read this incredibly seductive novel, I recognized a wave of comfort not felt since reading McMurty and Cormac McCarthy. Ms. Borders managed this feat while drawing me in, and spitting me out into the hyper-urban music scene. I am at a loss for words in describing this transition. The novel is a gem, and I take extreme pleasure in knowing that Ms. Borders has many years of writing ahead, which will fill out her literary tiara! Bravo!!!

This book made me laugh and cry. I loved the references to the underground music scene of the 80s. I loved the realistic treatment of these complex characters, straight and gay alike. Miri, the main character of this richly detailed novel, will stay with you long after you've finished the book. She's handed some of life's worse misfortunes and a gorgeous singing voice and must somehow make the best of it. The most refreshing aspect of the book? It does not succumb to the tell-all mentality of much of today's fiction and memoir. Its portrayal of teens who trade home violence and dysfunction for the dangers of the street is real more so because of details the author chooses to leave out. With this finely written debut, the author has proven herself to be a wonderful, talented storyteller. Read this book and keep your eye on Lisa Borders. She'll be back.

Cloud Cuckoo Land begins life as an engaging coming of age story, told in a fresh and authentic adolescent voice. It's impossible not to be drawn into young Miri's world as she describes her chaotic childhood, nonexistent father, irresponsible mother, and frequent moves. We're there with Miri as she finds a sane refuge with her grandmother in Texas, and there with her as that refuge is taken away. Unlike some coming of age novels, however, Cloud Cuckoo Land doesn't run out of steam as its heroine grows up. As Miri moves from child to homeless teenager to young woman finding her way as a musician, her voice stays strong and her journeys and struggles are painted just as vividly.

Some books seem to evoke their own soundtrack, and this is one of them, from an old Patsy Cline song heard from a passing Cadillac on a flat Texas highway to early REM drifting out of a diner at 5 a.m. on a grey, haunted Philadelphia morning.

Cloud Cuckoo Land is realistic fiction that isn't mundane. Like the mythical place recalled by its title, this beautifully written novel has a strange magic that can't really be defined; it's hard to categorize and just as hard to forget.

Remember when you were young and first discovered a favorite author or book? I remember I was nine and it was Agatha Christie. I read every single installment, and then I longed for the time when I hadn't discovered her, just to have that first-time pleasure all over again. I recall actually feeling a gritted-stomach jealousy of people who still had the chance to uncork the bottle and have that first delicious taste.

I feel that way again now about those of you who have yet to read Lisa Borders' Cloud Cuckoo Land. Miri (short for Miriam) Ortiz has everything you'd ever want in a protagonist. She's lovable, smart, flawed, authentic, and layered as an onion. Experiencing the twisting road she traverses, starting with her less-than- perfect childhood in Prairie Rose, Texas, means not only the discovery of unknown and resonant worlds (foster homes of varying degrees of heartbreak; street life, at turns shadowy and joyful; the Philadelphia music scene in the 1980s) but also an opportunity to know these worlds through Miri's compelling and wholly original viewpoint.

And then there's Borders' language. Oh. So often we read books that feel affected, too self-aware, "workshopped" to death. Borders' prose, on the other hand, is at turns skippingly light and hauntingly fragile. There are turns of phrase in these pages that make you have to run and tell somebody.

Maybe I should stop being jealous, though, because the best thing about Cloud Cuckoo Land might be the feeling the author leaves you with after the book is done. Even in the face of Miri's upheavals, Borders manages to uplift with a non-saccharine kind of hope. In scenes that hover and drift back into the mind long after the cover is closed, Borders restores one's faith in in the power of human connections -- wherever and however one finds them.

This volume is shaped around intuitive explorations of women's spiritual journey: "Owning Self," "The Imperative of Intimacy, "Mothering," "Generations," "Sacredness in the Ordinary," "Images of the Divine." Though my 18-year-old daughter and I have come to perceive ourselves as women very differently, this is a volume we both have come to love. I wouldn't think of sending her off to college without her own copy!

Marilyn Sewell's work on "Cries of the Spirit" was more than worth the price and I have wanted to thank her over and over. A death in the family and I grab her book to find the right words, a marriage and there she is again, providing a womans point of view from a variety of woman that I have found extremely useful. No matter the occassion, a new baby in the family for instance, and flip of the pages and Marilyn found one more woman who said what I want to say beautifully. Not to mention the times I sit alone, staring at the bay and use the poetry for inspiration for myself. "Cries of the Spirit" (and laughter I might add) is a worth while find!

A truly rich and diverse sourcebook of poetry and prose which defines women through our writings. The book is an anthology of more than 300 poems and several of prose pieces by such authors as: Annie Dillard, Denise Levertov, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Marge Piercy and earlier writers such as Hildegard von Bingen and Margaret Fuller. My favorite writings are from the hearts and minds of writers such as Joyce Carol Oates, "Growing Together," Margaret Atwood, "Five Poems For Grandmothers," Gwendolyn Brooks, "The Mother," and Annie Dillard "Holy the Firm". These writings offer visions of women from the ordinary to the eclectic. Marilyn Sewell, a Unitarian Universalist minister & doctoral candidate, offers an inciteful introduction to this book. I often dip into this book when seeking just the right poem to review or to remind myself how diverse the women's writing movement is. I give this book a huge FIVE stars. And I hope others will be able to enjoy this book as much as I have.

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This is the only anthology of poetry that I have ever read cover to cover without putting it down. This book is comfort, a talk with your best girlfriends, encouragement, enlightenment and thought-provocation all between two covers. I would recommend it for any woman's private library and the libraries of her friends who love good words, moving images and beauty.

I've had this book for about three years, and given it as a gift numerous times to my women friends, because it's the perfect companion in any mood and for any occasion. Marilyn Sewell has collected a broad spectrum of poetry from women, both famous poets and not-so-famous, and collected the entries into categories that make it simple to find a reading for just about any occasion or ceremony. There are wise words here, beautifully presented. Bring this book back into print! Buy it! Have it on hand as an instant resource, along with the collections by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon ("Earth Prayers," "Life Prayers," "Prayers for a Thousand Years") for all those occasions when you need the exact right perfect reading for an important moment.

I found this book around the house, no idea who bought it or when, and read it over the last week in bits before falling asleep, or waiting in the car, then finishing the last 100 pages this afternoon.

Sam Shepard tells the kind of stories we all wish we had experienced - acting in movies, serious action, funny exploits, deep emotions. Lots of surprising twists, the narrator often detaches himself from the callow preoccupations of lesser mortals.

The brevity of some of the tales and the lack of continuity are offset by the continuing exposure of novel incidents and thoughts. It reminded me of sitting in front of a TV and flipping through the channels.

It was good enough that I ordered more Shepard writing from Amazon.

Through Cruising Paradise the voice of Sam Shepard kept me company during a week or two. I read his fragmented stories before falling asleep and felt at ease. I think it's the way he uses the language; lucid, clear, to the point, intense. The language flows and takes you to the images of endless roads, wide open spaces and the people who live there or just drive through it . You can feel the heat, you can hear the conversations, while all the time, in the back of your head Shepards voice leads you. He doesn't describe the situations in very much detail, he just lets the people talk, or think and that's enough. Wonderful experience. I believe it is the art of leaving out, to show what's there, in language and in imagery. Hope to find this again.

What can I say! This is simply the best book I've ever read! Shepard's short stories strike you right in the hart in a way other authors only can dream about. Who can for example ever forget about the boy with his drunken father in the desert, or the actor who travels by car from L.A. down to the djungles of Mexico? No other author I have read have so completly spellbound me before, and I have read all of the so called great authors. One can only hope that the Nobel foundation discovers the greatness in Shepard.

Cruising Paradise is a lean muscular book. The writing is sometimes brutal and always powerful. His writing is reminiscent of Hemingway and Jim Harrison, but with a Southwestern flair and a stronger sense of immediacy. It is not the plots or so much the characters in the story that drive the book, but the sense of movement and restlessness in the stories peppered with stoicism that make his stories so interesting. His stories seem to be autobiographical, even those he clearly passes off as fiction. Recommended stories in the book are Nuevo Mundo, A Small Company of Friends, and Cruising Paradise. If you are sick of reading books that seemed contrived or cliche' give this one a look.

While reading this book, I had to stop more than a few times either to catch my breath or close my eyes and let what I just read sink in. I grew up down on the Mexican border, and Shepard's descriptions of events in that part of the world rang true, and were written in a terse manner, as is appropriate for the setting and characters. Brilliant.

These stories got so far inside me I need something to dig them out with. Eskridge is a brilliant writer who writes with heart. She's doing stuff here that is new and daring, and she executes so well most of us don't even notice she's doing it.

There are two reasons I don't usually enjoy reading short stories. One of them is because I want to be fully engaged when I read fiction; most writers can't give me enough in a short story to really bring me in. That is not the case with the stories in this collection. If you like to read things that make you feel something inside, or make you ask questions about yourself, or look at things a little differently than you might have otherwise, you will like this book and this writer. These stories have a way of getting under your skin and pulling you in. Sometimes the author had me wondering, why have I never thought of it like that before, and other times, I thought -- how did she know (I felt) that? One thing you will be sure of after you read this book: Kelley Eskridge is a great writer; she is not only intelligent but also courageous enough to show us some of the depth of her heart in her stories. Do yourself a favor and order this book. Then do yourself another favor and order her novel SOLITAIRE if you haven't already. Oh... and if you want to know what space she means is dangerous, you'll have to read the story; it's a space we all have to face.

Rarely have I been so amazed, so impressed, so flat-out blown away by a collection of short stories. Even among those few writers who are skilled at the form (John Varley and Connie Willis spring to mind for science-fiction readers), their short stories can't compare to their full-length novels. They may be enjoyable, interesting thought exercises, but short stories never seemed to carry the heft or the excitement that I knew an author was capable of.

Well, scratch all those assumptions when it comes to Kelley Eskridge. As much as I loved "Solitaire," her only novel to date (and let's work on that, can we?), "Dangerous Space" moves Eskridge into another level entirely, as far as I'm concerned. The stories in this collection span the spectrum, from contemporary fiction to classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy to hard sci-fi and speculative fiction. And yet, while in another author you might be frustrated by this flitting from one genre to another, Eskridge is so talented at whatever she sets her hand to that I found myself wondering what else she might be capable of.

Love, and the many maddening, variable, indefinable forms it takes, are major themes of Eskridge's work. That's what makes the character of Mars so wonderful. It might seem a gimmick to have such a gender-neutral recurring character - indeed, from a lesser writer, that's exactly what it would become. But Mars is more than an exercise. S/he challenges our very assumptions about gender, making us first obsess about his/her sex, and then gently showing us, by the end of each story, how silly and unimportant such concerns are. Man, woman - it doesn't matter, Mars is a force of nature, one of the most complex, complete, and fascinating characters I've ever had the pleasure to read. I wish we could get a Mars novel, but I suspect that Eskridge couldn't keep the secret for that long without it becoming awkward. For now, we have "And Salome Danced," "Eye of the Storm," and the title story "Dangerous Space."

Other stories address the irrepressible creativity of the human spirit (the Harrison Bergeron-like "Strings"); the nature of pain and our humanity (the heartbreaking "Alien Jane"); and the rarely-discussed price that must be paid to balance the scales when someone is offered a unique, even magical gift ("City Life"). Few of these stories have typical happy endings, and many of them are downright disturbing, in that delicious, claw-their-way-into-your-subconscious fashion. These are stories that will stick with you long after you put them down.

Ms. Eskridge, please, please don't make us wait another five years for your next offering!

Although I loved Dangerous Space as a whole, the character that appeared in 3 of the stories and who stood out for me the most was the gender ambiguous Mars. I have tried to put into words just how powerfully and interestingly I thought Mars was written below (there may however, be spoilers in this review, so please do not read on if you would rather wait to discover Mars for yourself).
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Mars And `Dangerous Space'.

"And Salome Danced"


This first Mars story did not fail to haul me in and intrigue me about Mars from the very beginning. Here, the character's voice strikes me as strong, vibrant and female, even though no allusion to gender is ever mentioned, apart from where concerned with the morphing of Salome. I am not sure if this is just me imposing my mental voice and liking of strong female voices on Mars or if it is something else about the character that does this.

Within this first Mars incarnation, the raw and magnetic dance of power and sexuality that (s)he has with Salome is almost like a duel for each other's soul. Salome strikes me as the ultimate emotional vampire, eager to manipulate one's concept of perception and self for the rich energy and life source that can be derived from the passion of desire, and yet - Mars, quite uniquely, where others (like Lucky) are confused, at every step of the way - seems to understand this hidden game and draw on the power of essence almost innately, no matter how much (s)he is both pulled towards and repelled by this attraction and the dangerous space it compels Mars to.

By the end of the account, I was almost mentally breathless with both wanting Mars to fight Salome's spell, and an intense curiosity to find out what would really happen if (s)he succumbed to this strong and seductive desire as well.

Throughout the 3 incarnations in this book, I love that Mars is so deeply connected to his/her centred feelings of emotion, desire, and overall, control. Mars is so *there*, so *present* - so assuredly themselves, and in "And Salome Danced", and other carnations within "Eye of the Storm", and "Dangerous Space", (s)he seems so wonderfully and finely tuned to that unique essence that gives Mars that deeper view of the world. (S)he is like a finely attuned musician, who can hear the beauty and patterns of the music of life, where the rest of us can only wonder. Beautiful.

Finally, in "And Salome Danced", even after the tumultuous dance, I got the sense that although Mars had his/her most inner desires and temptations are forcefully manipulated from the inside out, the fact that (s)he had the strength to hold onto her core seems to make Mars stronger.

By the end of this tale, one feels as if that sense of understanding of one's own dangerous space has been enhanced, tinged with a little bit of stark realisation, but also a sense of renewed understanding as well.



"Eye of the Storm"


In this second incarnation of Mars, again, the gender of the character remains unmentioned, leading to that subtle hint of ambiguity that lends to the richness of Mars character throughout. And here, this younger version of Mars is on the cusp of their lives - a difficult childhood, spent fighting for the right to be his/herself due to the unfortunate circumstance of his/her birth as the child of a war rape has left Mars both torn and saddened at the relationship with his/her mother, and also on the fringes of the village life that she has no choice but to exist in. From the start, Mars is both complex and beautiful, a product of her environment, but also a constantly evolving form, adapting and changing as life happens, and all along, forming a unique sense of self.

I love the way that Mars so wonderfully learns how to fight as the "Eye of the Storm", and how, because this is the only way (s)he has been taught how to truly feel desire, it becomes such an intricate, unusual and beautiful part of Mar's emotional make-up, that is the core of how (s)he relates to things/people, is able to teach others, and ultimately governs the way Mars survives.

Again, throughout, Mars is so finely tuned into the rhythms of nature and the patterns of life, that when later on (s)he is confronted by a different kind of magic with the prince's character (who is also refreshingly gender ambiguous until a little later in the story) and secret, magical dance , Mars knows innately how to deal with it, because at a very core level Mars understands where the prince is coming from. Stunningly beautiful in and of itself. With each incarnation I can't help but become a little more in love with Mars, and on a deeper, more personal level both understand and empathize with his/her unique take on things. It is so reassuring to see how complicated can also seem so beautiful too.



"Dangerous Space"


This is my favourite of the Mars incarnations. Reading this, again, felt like one was witnessing an exquisite dance of souls. Though for me, there were three souls involved in the dance this time. (1) Mars, the ultimate musical conductor, who at an innate level can understand, tune into, and harness the raw power of the band's music. (2) The band leader himself (Duncan), who is the tortured and complex channel of the raw talent of the music that drives him to create. And then, (3) music itself, which to me seems like an like an entity all of itself, a wild child - raw, demanding, powerful, inquisitive, driving and beautiful - almost like that perfect storm sailors speak of - all that wild energy that one can never quite tame, but can only hope to harness so one can get to the other side, and hopefully live. A wonderfully described and evolving element throughout, that seems to bend with, play and almost consume the key characters at times.

The connection that this raw power of music has between Mars and Duncan, is at the same time a lure, and a bane. They both know that for all the right reasons they must resist, for the good of the band, its members, and the music that is eventually half-tamed and produced. Yet at the same time, it is also that magical pull of raw musical energy that also manages to turn them both inside out. Mars is the focus for it, both a muse and an anchor that Duncan is tempted and inspired by. And for Mars, Duncan, with his raw channelling of this wild essence of himself through the music is something Mars is both fascinated and in love with. Mars' connection to the energy of this raw music and Mars' talent for mastering and tuning it to the public's ears is a wonderful thing to see.

Again, the writer makes reading/witnessing all of this such an effortlessly intricate and visual experience, that one feels one is a hidden and highly honoured observer in this beautiful dance.

The ending of this tale is thoroughly engaging, raw, passionate and organic, and something that definitely does not disappoint. In a way, this also mirrors the character of Mars, who throughout, remains a strong, evolving, magnetic and thoroughly intriguing entity. Again, I was quite captured with how, in each incarnation, Mars remains true to self, in that unique way that (s)he is tuned into the intricacies of life - forever observant, and wonderfully skilful in a most unusual way - and filled with an innate understanding of honour, the intertwining patterns of life - all painted in such an interesting way by the author, that reading about Mars is almost like experiencing a rather individual and intriguing piece of organic art.



Summary

All I can say is that I really loved the experience of 'Dangerous Space" - it was like having my mind and soul invited to an unusual, complicated, intriguing, fascinating and dangerous dance, that left me both awed and inspired. I don't think I have ever read anything that has been able to reach inside me and play my thoughts, perceptions and emotions in as much as this writing seems to have so effortlessly done, and in such a unique and intelligent way too.

The writing is very, very visual, and even reading on a crowed London train, at the height of morning rush hour and in the midst of commuting hell, I was effortlessly transported to another space - not always comfortable, but definitely always interesting, and always challengingly beautiful.
I was strangely saddened to have to put the book down afterwards (which very, very rarely happens with me). Vainly hoping for some more (very soon), but also feeling as if I had learnt something about the world and my own dangerous spaces too.

Kelley, thank-you.

This collection of stories gives more than reading pleasure, it gives a view into many places most people don't even think to look. Using various settings and characters Kelley Eskridge tells the story of people. Through these characters we are in their skin as Eskridge skillfully reaches into the feelings and motives of the stranger you are sharing a public space with or acquintainces who you can follow from limited knowledge to the most intimate of friends and lovers.

Using art in all it's forms makes it possible for the author to share insights through the eyes and feelings of her characters. In doing this the author shows her observational abilities to the nth degree. For me the most powerful of these arts was the music. I don't know if this author is also a musician but she really gets the scene, it's authentic. It's difficult to say in just a few words how smart this book is.

Greatness in writing is hard to achieve. But it's not as hard to recognize. Great writing reaches right through the page to you, so that you are no longer reading, you are experiencing the world the author has created. Most writers never touch it, or touch it only for a moment. So when you find an author who lives in that space, you are blessed. You see life in a different way, and you are never the same again.

Kelley Eskridge is such an author. Her new collection, Dangerous Space, proves it. Weeks after reading it, I find myself wondering, "What's Mars up to? How is it working out for him and ..." Then I stop. For a moment, I might have sent him an email, or picked up the phone. But the Net doesn't go where he lives, and the country code is nowhere listed. For a moment, reality hangs by a thread, and I might go over to that music bar, Lillie's Place in Seattle, and see him working the board for Noir, a band that just might be the next big thing...

In the title story, Noir does a song with the refrain, "The water is deep here, the ground is uncertain / It's dangerous space this far inside of me". You don't read it, you hear it. And your world expands to hold it...

Buy this book.

I was captured by characters that inspire, questions that are timely if we are to create the future we want, and a land and culture that is timeless. A masterful work.

The Kresny's have combined scientific and spiritual knowledge, with a strong dash of imagination and common sense, to craft a novel that is as enlightening as it is exciting.

Darkness of Dawn is an absorbing fiction set in the locale of Albuquerque and the beautiful mountain areas of New Mexico. The authors have woven the plot on a pioneering theme of the sudden collapse of civilized life of the entire world from its zenith to a primitive low caused by a natural phenomenon. The story is the saga of struggle and sacrifice of a group of motivated intellectuals led by an Asian Indian and an American Indian in back-starting the process of recovery of civilized life from the abyss. The authors have concocted an ingenious blend of a science fiction and a thriller. The title of the book is apt as it depicts a journey in pursuit of light and hope in a condition of darkenss and despair. The characters are vivid, as if drawn from real life. The language is lucid from beginning to the climactic situation. A recommended reading for all book lovers.

Hans and Ann Kresny bring new meaning to "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" with their excellent word crafting of "Darkness of Dawn". They skillfully position you to experience a future where, in a fraction of an instant, life as we know it suddenly stops - the power plug is yanked out on the whole world and nothing works. The stoppage doesn't come from outer space invaders, or from an overheated greenhouse effect, or from some monster computer running wild - in fact, every computer has stopped and won't reboot ever again. Those fancy do everything smart chips are nothing more than cubes of worthless sand - and to make matters worse, humankind has brains that have turned mostly to cold mush. The majority of society has surrenered their individual abilities to do creative thinking, because all those collective computers apply the logic of sound reasoning to do almost all the thinking about things that need to be thought about and done. There's no need for mind control when the simple act of thinking through a problem can quickly be done for you - of course that was before the darkness came like a modern day black plague. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, and the Kresny's depict people living in a future where their minds have gone barren of basic knowledge - knowledge is seen as being old fashioned, because anything you want to know is waiting in your computer. However, vast parts of basic knowledge are missing - like primary survival skills. Even in this dark mindless future, there are sparks of thoughts that come together to light anew the torch of learning as the olden ways of doing life become the dawn of a hopeful tomorrow. This futuristic page-turner is set in the beautiful Land of Enchantment that the reader can see with word pictures, and all the highly techno stuff is based on technologies presently in the early stages of development. The Kresny's have created a unique blend of spiritual myths that help to restore the balance which thoughtlessness has taken away. Their cast of players becomes real in this unreal world that's warped back in time -to a time when time is once again told by the sun and the moon.

The book allowed me to become a participant in a world brought to a complete technological halt. I was there through experiences of panic, tragedy, and every kind of personal loss. I observed selfless giving of time, talent, possessions, and I rejoiced in the acknowledgement of the wisdom of an old soul. Perhaps the greatest gift I received from this volume was the reminder that 'BALANCE" is of major importance in our lives, never to be neglected. Yes, "Darkness of Dawn" is timely, sensitive and often beautiful. The authors allowed me to be an active participant.

This is a very moving account of a heartbroken man who was betrayed by a person he loved dearly. The pain, the trauma, the love, the anger, the frustration is evident in every single well-written sentence. This book is not only a window into the mind of one of the best British writers of the late 19th century. It is also a timeless lesson on what can happen when one falls in love with someone who doesn't truly appreciate what they have before them. Of course there are other lessons to be learned in this book but rather than point them out here, I'd much prefer you pick up a copy of "De Profundis" as soon as you can.

Not actually a "letter," though it had to be originally presented as such for him to be allowed to write it while in prison, *De Profundis* is Wilde's masterpiece--one has to have really lived and really, really suffered to have written it and it's amazing that he achieved it.

I only very recently read it--and "got" it. It rings true to me, and is very, very moving and "profound." It ain't summer beach reading.

Wilde is still and will probably always be best known as a "Personality"--that and the author of a couple of decent period plays, a short novel, a few stories, and lots of forgettable poems and such. But THIS--THIS is IT.

He really WAS a great writer, it turns out, after all.

So many people concentrate on De Profundis' accusations cast towards Alfred Douglas. Yes, it's true that the letter was written to him and that Wilde is ruthless in letting Douglas know exactly what he thinks of him but that's not why De Profundis is a great piece of work. It is great for three reasons. Number one - It contains the best account of the life of Christ. Christ as the romantic artist is the only account that has moved me to tears and the only account I can personally embrace. Number two - it is chock full of the Oscar Wilde voice and wit and as a result it reverbates as a true work of art and number three - It is ultimately a work that celebrates the things in life worth feeling - failure, love, injustice, strength and forgiveness.

Don't waste your time with the accusations towards Douglas. He is unimportant. Oscar Wilde is what's important and De Profundis is Oscar Wilde bare.

Ah, me...one doesn't know which to be more irritated
and exasperated with: whether it be Walt Whitman doing
his dissembling shuck-and-shuffle about the children
he had sired (to throw off a probing, serious John
Addington Symonds) -- or Oscar, in this "j'accuse," which
he should have spoken while looking in a mirror, rather
than writing it on paper to Lord Alfred.
This is without doubt a fascinating, horrifying,
and yet in places humorous, "piece de Miserere mei"
(to combine a bit of French with Latin).
If one chooses to believe Oscar, his only fault
was weakness in "giving in" to Lord Alfred. Oh,
come now. Blinded by Eros, reason flies out the
door...if ever reason was in control. There are
some sentences which are devastatingly revealing,
but Oscar doesn't seem to see it. "The trivial in
thought and action is charming. I had made it
the keystone of a very brilliant philosophy expressed
in plays and paradoxes." Ye gods, and little fishes!

And this man dared to call himself a "Classicist?!"
Yikes!!!
The best exercise for the reader is to just take
many of the things which Oscar accuses Lord Alfred
of, and turn them toward the self-blind, self-
justifying Oscar, to see their devastating hitting
of the mark. Never having met the young man, but
only having the "benefit" of hearsay (mostly from
Oscar's literary defenders) Lord Alfred seems to have
been calculating, temperamental (using anger to get
his way), manipulative, etc., etc., etc. The best
description of him may be Wilde's referring to him
with the lines from Aeschylus' play AGAMEMNON,
about the lion cub being raised in a house and
being let loose to wreak havoc and ruin.
But Oscar bears his share of blame -- more than just
that of the "sin" of weakness which he constantly falls
back upon in his own justification. Even in the midst
of what purports to be some sort of penitent cry from
the depths of hell...Oscar still is ever the poseur:
"And I remember that afternoon, as I was in the railway
carriage whirling up to Paris, thinking what an impossible,
terrible, utterly wrong state my life had got into, when
I, a man of world-wide reputation, was actually forced
to run away from England, in order to try and get rid
of a friendship that was entirely destructive of everything
fine in me either from the intellectual or ethical point
of view...." Er, when was the last time that the
"everything fine" had last seen the light of day?
Was Oscar an "Artist," as he consistently claims?
Was he the wronged, harmed Artist? Perhaps only the
reader can decide that for himself. Without doubt
he was witty, acerbic, funny, cute, clever, perhaps
even charming (to some -- sort of like a Pillsbury
Dough Boy with flair and a clever tongue), perhaps
stylish (in a frumpy, velveteen sort of way). Was
he wronged by a predatory clinger and manipulator,
and a hypocritical social prudery and class power
play (Oscar is no Socrates--that's for sure!)? He
hardly seems worthy, in some ways, of being a poster-boy
for Gay Pride parades. More likely, he is a better
warning poster boy for the self-excusing, and never
take-responsibility-for-your-own-actions crowd.
But this is an incredible piece to read and think
about. There is some of it that is mordantly hilarious.

One of the most famous - and infamous - letters in all of literature, De Profundis is a strange little piece of work: either much more than it appears on the surface, or much less. It is something I think everyone should read, if only for its insight into the human character, particularly that of one under great personal suffering. Wilde wrote this extraordinarily long letter from prison to Lord Alfred Douglas, his friend, lover, and the man who - by all accounts - was the reason Wilde was in jail in the first place. Despite repeated assertions in the first few pages alone to the contrary, Wilde seems reluctant to blame himself. He clearly blames Douglas to the hilt, and harbors a certain bitter resentment towards him. And yet... he clearly still hold much dear affection toward - and even loves - Douglas. He still seems to be asking for forgiveness - despite the fact that, by all accounts hardly excluding his own, he was the man wronged. It is quite clear from reading this letter that, desite the view history holds of him, Wilde was clearly a man of very high moral character. Certainly, one would not put Wilde atop a pedastal as the zenith of ethics - he himself says that morals contain "absolutely nothing" for him, and clearly admits - and is proud of - his having lived the high life to the hilt during his youth - but Wilde was a man of principles, and he stuck to those principles to the tragic, bitter end. Perhaps you might say he carried them too far. One gets the sense in reading this letter - or a biography of Wilde - that, not only could he have stopped his immiment imprisonment, but could have severed his ties with Douglas completely - had he wanted to. Apparently, he had his own utterly compelling reasons for not doing so. Whatever the case, Oscar Wilde is one of the most fundamentally and perpetually interesting characters in the whole of history. A self-described man of paradoxes - Wilde was subsequently the true essence of his time, while also being far ahead of his time - De Profundis makes for required reading by one of the most endlessly fascinating individuals you'll ever read about, and also provides a startling - indeed, perhaps too much so - insight into human nature.

De Profundis, though long for a letter, is not a long work in the conventional sense. Consequently, as many editions of Wilde's collected works are available, buying this on its own may be deemed questionable. I highly reccommend purchasing a Collected Works of Oscar if you have not done so already - it's well worth the price - but, should you desire to have more compact editions of specific works, an edition such as this will be privy to your needs.