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Reflections from Shadow: A Novel
The meaning of Jared Clarkson's lifetime of prisoner dreams is revealed at Dachau concentration camp in 1969. This coming of age page-turner resonates, entertains and surprises. Scroll for details. www.malcolmwattsmsw.com
314 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2004
9 people want to read
About the author
Malcolm Watts
2 books18 followersReflections from Shadow is an engaging work will keep the reader enthralled until the very end. A Must Read!!
Delores Thornton BlackRefer.com
INTERVIEW BY DELORES THORNTON:
DT: How long did it take to write Reflections from Shadow?
MW: The book took me around 6 years to write. Partly this was because I worked at it in my spare time, and partly because I wrote the story without an outline. I rewrote it umpteen times. My need to write it arose from my own troubled childhood, Evangelical upbringing, as well as 20 years clinical practice with troubled children, families, adolescents and adults. I wanted the world to hear the voice of a child trying to understand the adult world.
DT: Why did you write this story?
MW: Part of the reason I wrote the book was to give voice to children, and adults, traumatized by the western Judaeo Christian concept of a punitive masculine God. The growth of evangelical fundamentalism in North America (as well as Islamic fundamentalism in other parts of the world) is alarming to me. God is not man or woman, Christian or Hindu and faiths that promote themselves as having an ultimate truth that people must believe, or else, at the risk of eternal damnation, are wrong and destructive. Promoting these beliefs to innocent children, instead of generic values of humanity and inclusiveness, is emotional child abuse and socially destructive.
Mankind’s survival now depends upon our appreciation of difference in beliefs and acceptance of what people want to do and believe as long as those beliefs do not infringe on the rights of others by maintaining they constitute the ONLY truth there is and seek to impose themselves on others.
Despite what theological scholars will insist, most ordinary people understand intuitively that there are basic truths that underlay most religions and ethical contructs, i.e., the Golden rule. These universal ideas are what we need to pay attention to and understand that other aspects/structures of religion and belief systems are the result of political/cultural and sociological factors that range back hundreds and thousands of years. As the pinball wizard in my book says, They are all true, and yet none of it is completely true. Each faith contains an aspect of truth -- facets in the gem of understanding.
DT: Was Jared based on someone you know? Or was his character straight from your imagination?
MW: Jared is an amalgam of many kids I knew growing up, including myself, as well as children I have worked with in my clinical practice. We care for Jared, I think, because he has a way of questioning his world yet lacks the maturity to reconcile his questions. He also represents that child extant in all adults that continue to feel bewildered by certain questions of life, death, meaning and belief.
DT: Why did Jared not seek out his birth parents?
MW: Remember that in the past it was very difficult, nearly impossible for people to search for their birth parents. Also, such actions were generally viewed negatively by adoptive parents in that era. Children felt compelled to repress such desires and could not even speak of them for fear of “hurting” ones' adoptive parents. Many writers in the professional literature on the subject of adoption refer to this as the child playing out the role of “Good” adoptee vs “bad” adoptee. Strictly in terms of the story, I never really thought about having Jared pursue this. Generally, in those days, if someone was to search for birth parents it would not be until they were older than Jared was at the end of the book.
DT: Have you visited locales mentioned in the book?
MW: Yes, I have traveled extensively. I met my wife while traveling in Europe in 1974. I spent time in Amsterdam and Germany, and many other places, and yes I visited Dachau camp museum. I studied history in University and am particularly interested in world war II. I wanted to describe Amsterdam as it was in those days, and is to some
Delores Thornton BlackRefer.com
INTERVIEW BY DELORES THORNTON:
DT: How long did it take to write Reflections from Shadow?
MW: The book took me around 6 years to write. Partly this was because I worked at it in my spare time, and partly because I wrote the story without an outline. I rewrote it umpteen times. My need to write it arose from my own troubled childhood, Evangelical upbringing, as well as 20 years clinical practice with troubled children, families, adolescents and adults. I wanted the world to hear the voice of a child trying to understand the adult world.
DT: Why did you write this story?
MW: Part of the reason I wrote the book was to give voice to children, and adults, traumatized by the western Judaeo Christian concept of a punitive masculine God. The growth of evangelical fundamentalism in North America (as well as Islamic fundamentalism in other parts of the world) is alarming to me. God is not man or woman, Christian or Hindu and faiths that promote themselves as having an ultimate truth that people must believe, or else, at the risk of eternal damnation, are wrong and destructive. Promoting these beliefs to innocent children, instead of generic values of humanity and inclusiveness, is emotional child abuse and socially destructive.
Mankind’s survival now depends upon our appreciation of difference in beliefs and acceptance of what people want to do and believe as long as those beliefs do not infringe on the rights of others by maintaining they constitute the ONLY truth there is and seek to impose themselves on others.
Despite what theological scholars will insist, most ordinary people understand intuitively that there are basic truths that underlay most religions and ethical contructs, i.e., the Golden rule. These universal ideas are what we need to pay attention to and understand that other aspects/structures of religion and belief systems are the result of political/cultural and sociological factors that range back hundreds and thousands of years. As the pinball wizard in my book says, They are all true, and yet none of it is completely true. Each faith contains an aspect of truth -- facets in the gem of understanding.
DT: Was Jared based on someone you know? Or was his character straight from your imagination?
MW: Jared is an amalgam of many kids I knew growing up, including myself, as well as children I have worked with in my clinical practice. We care for Jared, I think, because he has a way of questioning his world yet lacks the maturity to reconcile his questions. He also represents that child extant in all adults that continue to feel bewildered by certain questions of life, death, meaning and belief.
DT: Why did Jared not seek out his birth parents?
MW: Remember that in the past it was very difficult, nearly impossible for people to search for their birth parents. Also, such actions were generally viewed negatively by adoptive parents in that era. Children felt compelled to repress such desires and could not even speak of them for fear of “hurting” ones' adoptive parents. Many writers in the professional literature on the subject of adoption refer to this as the child playing out the role of “Good” adoptee vs “bad” adoptee. Strictly in terms of the story, I never really thought about having Jared pursue this. Generally, in those days, if someone was to search for birth parents it would not be until they were older than Jared was at the end of the book.
DT: Have you visited locales mentioned in the book?
MW: Yes, I have traveled extensively. I met my wife while traveling in Europe in 1974. I spent time in Amsterdam and Germany, and many other places, and yes I visited Dachau camp museum. I studied history in University and am particularly interested in world war II. I wanted to describe Amsterdam as it was in those days, and is to some
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July 10, 2010
Book Reviews:
Reflections from Shadow
Malcolm Watts
310 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1797; ISBN 1-4120-1419-0; US$26.50, C$30.50, Trafford 2004
NOW AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK FOR $9.99 Trafford.com 2009
Malcolm Watts is a mental health professional; and his understanding of the human psyche is evident in Reflections from Shadow, the story of Jared Clarkson, a young man on a quest for self-understanding and, ultimately, redemption.
As a foster child growing up in Ontario, Jared wonders why he is different from other children. Why doesn’t he live with his real parents? Why isn’t he athletic like other boys? Why is he so talented at writing stories? Why is he so ugly? (Not that Jared is really ugly, but because of a birthmark on his face—made much larger, even grotesque, by his imagination—Jared feels ugly; and feeling ugly is enough.) And, finally, why is he the only one who can see the monster that lurks underneath the cellar steps?
Jared Clarkson is a complicated character, a young man tormented by a sense of self-loathing, as well as visions and lapses in time that he can in no way explain. As he comes of age during the turbulent 60’s, an era marked by anti-war protests, hippies, Rock & Roll, and psychedelics, Jared embarks upon a journey to find the missing pieces of the puzzle of his life. Although unsure of his final destination, he knows he must find the answers; and find them he does, but in the most unlikely of places, and these answers ultimately threaten not only Jared’s sanity but also his very existence.
Malcolm Watts is a talented writer—with a gift for imagery, description, characterization, and language—and he has written a story that one cannot easily put aside for a moment or, when finished, easily forget. In fact, Reflections from Shadow will haunt the reader for a long, long time to come.
Professor Carol Culver-Rzadkiewicz
Dept. of English (creative writing)
University of Phoenix 2008
"I like the psychological aspects...daring subject matter. Writer ambitiously explored deep internal conflicts of main character. Opening chapter set-up is intriguing. Prose clean and clear. Delves deeply into shadow we all repress."
Judges Commentary: Writers Digest Self-Published Awards 2004.
"I absolutely loved 'Reflections from Shadow.'"
Delores Thorn Marguerite Press Review
"...Intellectual honesty in this work had me cheering from the sidelines."
John Schemelefske M.A.
"I purchased your book at the street sale that was held this Sunday past, and started reading it on Monday. I was totally immersed in the book and finished it Tuesday morning before heading off to work. I tend to read an average of one to three books a week depending on my time and how much the book captures me. I truly enjoyed this one. Jared's story keeps you going without ever letting your interest wain as it is totally unpredictable. The reference to past lives and the inner workings of his mind kept me captivated. A remarkable good read. This is one book I will talk about to many as a book well worth reading. Thank you. I am looking forward to reading anything else you have written. I like the way your mind works."
Nancy Ewens 2006
Reflections from Shadow
Malcolm Watts
310 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1797; ISBN 1-4120-1419-0; US$26.50, C$30.50, Trafford 2004
NOW AVAILABLE AS AN E-BOOK FOR $9.99 Trafford.com 2009
Malcolm Watts is a mental health professional; and his understanding of the human psyche is evident in Reflections from Shadow, the story of Jared Clarkson, a young man on a quest for self-understanding and, ultimately, redemption.
As a foster child growing up in Ontario, Jared wonders why he is different from other children. Why doesn’t he live with his real parents? Why isn’t he athletic like other boys? Why is he so talented at writing stories? Why is he so ugly? (Not that Jared is really ugly, but because of a birthmark on his face—made much larger, even grotesque, by his imagination—Jared feels ugly; and feeling ugly is enough.) And, finally, why is he the only one who can see the monster that lurks underneath the cellar steps?
Jared Clarkson is a complicated character, a young man tormented by a sense of self-loathing, as well as visions and lapses in time that he can in no way explain. As he comes of age during the turbulent 60’s, an era marked by anti-war protests, hippies, Rock & Roll, and psychedelics, Jared embarks upon a journey to find the missing pieces of the puzzle of his life. Although unsure of his final destination, he knows he must find the answers; and find them he does, but in the most unlikely of places, and these answers ultimately threaten not only Jared’s sanity but also his very existence.
Malcolm Watts is a talented writer—with a gift for imagery, description, characterization, and language—and he has written a story that one cannot easily put aside for a moment or, when finished, easily forget. In fact, Reflections from Shadow will haunt the reader for a long, long time to come.
Professor Carol Culver-Rzadkiewicz
Dept. of English (creative writing)
University of Phoenix 2008
"I like the psychological aspects...daring subject matter. Writer ambitiously explored deep internal conflicts of main character. Opening chapter set-up is intriguing. Prose clean and clear. Delves deeply into shadow we all repress."
Judges Commentary: Writers Digest Self-Published Awards 2004.
"I absolutely loved 'Reflections from Shadow.'"
Delores Thorn Marguerite Press Review
"...Intellectual honesty in this work had me cheering from the sidelines."
John Schemelefske M.A.
"I purchased your book at the street sale that was held this Sunday past, and started reading it on Monday. I was totally immersed in the book and finished it Tuesday morning before heading off to work. I tend to read an average of one to three books a week depending on my time and how much the book captures me. I truly enjoyed this one. Jared's story keeps you going without ever letting your interest wain as it is totally unpredictable. The reference to past lives and the inner workings of his mind kept me captivated. A remarkable good read. This is one book I will talk about to many as a book well worth reading. Thank you. I am looking forward to reading anything else you have written. I like the way your mind works."
Nancy Ewens 2006
Displaying 1 of 1 review