The Creative Spark with Uvi Poznansky discussion
This topic is about
Apart From Love
The Writing Process
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Great going. My apologies for being offline for quite a while."
Not a problem at all, Aniruddha! We all need time off, or else we would not be able to create. I totally get it.
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★★★★★ Simply Brilliant July 21, 2013
By diebus
"Twisted" by Uvi Poznansky has been on my reading list for some time. After having read and adored "Home" and "A Favourite Son" I decided to save this expected treasure for a special occasion but I only lasted a week.
The book is nothing short of amazing. It is a fantastic selection of four short stories, all slightly dark and - as the title promises - with their own kind of twist.
My favourite story is the first, a tale about Job's wife that is based on a very imaginative and simply terrific idea. Job's wife, who in the biblical story told her husband to curse God, who is trying Job's faith with all sorts of misfortune, faces the consequences of her dis-loyal action. God and Satan's bet about Job's loyalty is one of the key stories in the bible in my view in that it asks believers to have blind faith. Job's wife just had about enough after plagues and death and what not and represents one of the most challenging and controversial figures in the Bible. Told in her own voice this is a rather fascinating and intriguing story that almost ended too soon for my liking and addictive personality.
The second short story reads like a take on creationism by giving a voice to a clay figure who observes her creator. With the mentioning of Adam in this story the Biblical reference is implied albeit less specific, yet challenging one's perspective of the Eden story.
Freedom, identity and fate are some of the themes running through the stories.
This is an amazing and exciting read, one that is playful as it is intellectually stimulating and founded in sharp observation. The characters created are certainly quite a long way from the norm and a firework of originality.
Adding unusual elements, such as the mention of a lift and the King David Hotel in a biblical story, using the perspective of a cat and of a clay figure, these pieces take the reader deliberately out of their comfort zone and out of their experience into their head, only to draw them back into the story and the reality the characters are experiencing.
A great book, not easily forgotten.
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Want to know more? Please check out my interview at Nikki's place:
Uvi Poznansky Is In My Chat Chair!
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Anthony starts with this premise:
Let’s discuss the premise before looking at the words. It is an axiom in academic writing that poetry must speak for itself. A writer cannot interpret meaning for the reader, giving insight to his own words as if they required his presence to clarify the work’s intents. The poem must stand up to the scrutiny of the reader alone...
From my work, Anthony selected the poem Late lover, with my oil painting to accompany the poem. Check it out here:
Poetry Today: Trends and Traditions
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The lamp swings like a pendulum
Pictures sway on their nails
Then slip down the walls, leaving scratched trails
Amidst the quake, the grief, the confusion and scare
Slowly ascending is my father's armchair
And beyond all these outlines of what I see there
Beyond the sofa, the knickknacks, the old furniture
Light pours in, and it paints something new
It reveals, it unveils at this moment a clue
The clue to a presence only he could once see
A presence he longed for, because only she
Could call him back home, and envelop him so
Touching-not-touching, her hands all aglow
These pages, upon which he'll never scribble a line
Are floating out of shadows, into the shine
Only she can now read the blanks, she and no other
He's ascending into the arms of his muse, his mother.
Listen to my narrator, the tallented Kathy Bell Denton, read these lines, Here.
Love the music of words?
Treat yourself to a gift
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Audiobook coming soon
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Apart From Love --only $0.99 today only!
And while you're at it, I warn you: do Not check out the audiobook, because you may be seriously tempted to get it...
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It has been such a joy, listening to my quirky characters come to life through the voice of my brilliant narrator, Heather Jane Hogan. So now, this baby is out of my hands and on its way. Please stay tuned: in a few days I will kick off new facebook launch event, inviting you to celebrate the launch of audiobook edition of Twisted.
Take a listen to the opening credits, HERE.
Get Twisted:
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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★★★★★ The sharper the perception--the more complex the interpretation, July 28, 2013
By Oleg Medvedkov "How to Prevent Unicorns from Stealing Your Car"
This book, "Twisted," is a collection of stories that give a feeling of being painted on the page. When you read them, come loser to see the touches of the brush and then stand afar to see the whole picture. Then, turn away and savor the after-taste before looking back to make sure you have really seen all of it.
In her potent style, Uvi Poznansky weaves mythology with modernity in "I Am What I Am." Elevators and high heels are mentioned together with camels and sheep in what might have been a retelling of a Biblical story. Yet, this is far beyond any retelling or re-imagining. Trying to find an answer to a seemingly simple question "What's my name?" the Wife of Job moves through emotions and the labyrinth of logic to arrive to a conclusion that will surprise the reader and is open to a slew of interpretations.
"The One Who Never Leaves" is a story that is seen through the eyes of a cat. But is it really about a cat? The story has a lot of symbolism that makes the careful reader relate and think and paint her own image of what this story means.
"The Hollow" takes you in a world of a strange perception where you, little by little, lose the touch with reality and give in to the sensory stimuli of the imagined(?) awareness.
My favorite story by far in this collection is "I, woman." When you start reading it, you get a sense of "Oh, I know what's going on! It's just a retelling of the creation story, be it original. Well, aren't I smart!" Then, as you read on, you lose that certainty, bit by tiny bit. When you are almost done, you are hundred percent sure that your first hunch was wrong and you have created a new theory as to what the story is all about. Yet, when you finish reading, it hits you. "Wait a second! Could it be? No, surely not... Perhaps, but... What's going on here?"
To quote the author: "The sharper the perception--the more complex the interpretation." This statement applies to all the stories in this book. Yet, I'd like to add to that statement that with the sharper perception, your interpretation becomes not only more complex, but from a singular, it will split into multiples, then it all will twist in on itself, and then branch off into whatever direction your mind is capable of taking it.
Yes, this is that kind of book, written for a smart and perceptive reader, who is not afraid to let her imagination fly. If you are that person, pick up this book, your won't be disappointed.
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Guess: Going Down Or Coming Up?
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Let's party! Go to Get Twisted and click Join.
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For the audiobook edition, I adjusted my design not only for the square proportions of the cover, but also for the inclusion of the narrator's name, Heather Jane Hogan. Come here to my blog in the coming days, to hear her voice.
As you can see, the colors used for the text goes from hot orange for the title, to cool light gray-blue for the author's name, to an even cooler dark gray-blue for the narrator's name. This ensures that the book title stays the most distinct text field on the cover, the one that 'jumps' at you. The hot to cold play of hues is also apparent, in a more subtle way, in the background itself. It goes from warm at the left edge to cool at the right.
★★★★★ Print and ebook editions just out!
Get Twisted
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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This hour is so intimate; so sweet, and it is fast coming to its bitter conclusion.
And the only thing that disturbs me, the only thing that stands here between us, is not being able to look each other in the eyes, during the last moments that remain to us.
My mother gets up. She is a petite woman, but the snakeskin shoes give her some stature. She throws the remains of the damaged coat back into the chest. Then she pulls out one of her fur hats and sinks her face into it, taking in the smell. “The air of the hunt,” she says, then hands it to me. “Here, put it on.”
After that, my mother attends to the cooking. I can hear the hiss, the slight hiss of the pot as it comes to a boil. I can smell the aroma. Somewhat bland to my taste; but then again, this is the way my father likes his meat. At any rate, he can barely swallow food nowadays.
She ladles a steaming hot portion onto a platter and sets it upon a large tray, so I can carry it over there, to his bedside. Then she gives me the slightest of hints. It is all set up. The time is now.
My arm covered with the hide of a kid, I stand up. Pretending to be that which I am not, I am ready, at long last, to do her bidding. Ready for my defining moment with my father: The old man is on his deathbed. He is waiting for me. Waiting there, in his tent, for his trusty, favorite son.
Yankle in A Favorite Son
message 315:
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Uvi, Author, Poet and Artist
(last edited Aug 08, 2013 03:51PM)
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rated it 5 stars
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Apart From Love (audiobook edition)
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"Congratulations, Twisted is now on sale at audible.com. And we plan to make it available on iTunes and Amazon within the next few days"
Here the audiobook edition of Twisted, take a listen:
And second, I have just approved the production of Home, so my poetry book will soon be available on Audible and Amazon, too!
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Here's how.
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“Job’s wife, I presume? Hallelujah! I have been expecting for you for quite a long while,” says Satan. His voice is sweet. He must have sung in a choir in his youth, because in some ways he sounds as pious as my husband. “Shame, shame, shame on you,” he wags his finger. “You sure made me wait, didn’t you...”
And without allowing time for an answer, he brings a magnifying glass to his bloodshot eye. Enlarged, his pupil is clearly horizontal and slit-shaped.
Which makes me feel quite at home with him, because so are the pupils of the goats in the herds we used to own.
Meanwhile, Satan unfolds a piece of paper and runs his finger through some names listed there. Then, with a gleam of satisfaction he marks a checkbox there, right in the middle of the crinkled page. At once, a whiff of smoke whirls in the air.
Satan blows off a few specks of charred paper, folds the thing and tucks it into his breast pocket, somewhere in his wool. Cashmere, I ask myself? Really? In this heat?
Back home, when I would count my gold coins, this was something I craved with a passion... It would keep me warm during the long winter nights...
Then, without even bothering to look at me, Satan says, “I swear, madam, you look lovely tonight.”
For a moment I am grateful that my husband is among the living. Or so I think. Nowadays, influenced by the elders, he regards swearing as a mortal sin, as bad as cursing. He even plugs his ears, for no better reason than to avoid hearing it. But if you ask me, I swear: without a bit of blasphemy, language would utterly dull, and fit for nothing but endless prayer. Sigh.
Strangely, Satan does not frighten me that much anymore. And so, swaying on my hip bones, I strut out of the cave in his direction. I feel an odd urge to fondle his horns. Along the path toward him I make sure to suck in my belly, because in the company of a gentleman, even a corpse is entitled to look her best.
Job's wife in Twisted.
Listen to the last paragraph, narrated by the one and only Heather Jane Hogan, HERE.
My sculpture, half-life size, "In Darkness Take a Leap"
Treat yourself to a gift
Get Twisted
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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Meet Uvi Poznansky, California-based Author, Poet and Artist
message 321:
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Uvi, Author, Poet and Artist
(last edited Aug 18, 2013 03:38PM)
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rated it 5 stars
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Twisting My Tale As A Way To Provoke You
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Join me for a visit in the The Kings Court. It is a 2-hours conversation, so bring a glass of wine or a cup of coffee! The conversation is well worth your time, I promise, as both Bathsheba and I read excerpts from our poetry!
Bathsheba and I in the King's Court
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Win a FREE DOWNLOAD of the audiobook edition of A Favorite Son!
Here's how:
Raffle: Win a FREE Audiobook Download of A Favorite Son
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Come Into My Twisted Universe
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/♥\./♥\ /█\ /█\ /♥\
✰¸.•*¨`*•.. .||. .||. ||_ ||_.||. ¸.•*¨`*•..
Hi, everyone! The Get Twisted event is fast coming to its high point (Wed 08/21 at 12:00 pm PST.)
Don't miss the Grand Finale:
Dance, coffee, desserts, all with a twist
Announcing the 3 front-runners of the contest, plus--surprise!--a wildcard winner, picked by me out of a hat!
So show me some love: invite your friends, the more the merrier! Invite them to Get Twisted
★★★★★ review:
"So immaculately constructed that each work becomes a little treasure to visit repeatedly"
Get Twisted
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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Round and round and up and down
The finest story all over town...
Show me love, love deep and real
For Heaven's sake, don't make me kneel
You'll learn to do this:
Get it now, the Twisted Twist!
To hear the twist go here:
The finest story all over town
My ceramic sculpture, Dance With Me, Darling...
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Come HOME and JOIN!
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Perhaps she is immersing herself in the grays and purples quivering there, on the other side of the glass, reaching a blur in the cold October sunlight. Perhaps, with great patience she is waiting there, waiting for the night, for the darkest hour, which is when her image may finally appear. It will come to the surface in front of her as if it were a sunken spirit, rising from the deep. Out of nowhere.
For now she seems lost, searching for something—perhaps her reflection—in vain.
I worry about mom, about the little things, which to someone else—someone who does not know her as I do—may seem trivial, insignificant. I worry she is missing her pearl earrings. I must find them for her. The little hole in her earlobe has shrunk away, turning somehow to flesh.
In a whisper I say, “Mommy?” and wonder how the air vibrates over the tender membrane of her eardrum, how it changes into noise, how she gets it when pitch rises, when it falls.
Can she sense the change?
At what point does it translate, somehow, into meaning? By what path does it penetrate, going deeper? Does it excite the nerves, fire signals up there, between regions of her brain? Does it make some sense, at least at times? Is there any point in talking to her? Is she listening? Can she detect the thin sound—scratched like an old, overused vinyl record—which is coming faintly from behind, from the far end of this space? Can she understand the words? Is there sorrow in her? Is there hope?"
Ben in Apart From Love
★★★★★ bookreview:
"A feast for the armchair psychologist.
Reveals insights that can touch and frighten each of us"
Listen to voices of Anita and Ben:
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
Mod
It was extremely difficult to photograph this piece, because the layer of gold--which is exposed in places--reflected light in unpredictable ways. So I snapped a photograph of the painting in one room, then another, with diffused daylight coming from the side, the front, the top, with and without flash, then took it outside and snapped it in sunlight, in the shadow, here, there and everywhere... Yes, you get the picture.
At last I found one version that looked fine to me. First I had to fit the image to a prescribed size (according the book size I have in mind.) Then I created the shadows of the lettering. You may notice that the shadow's color is not black, but rather it is the darkest purple of the painting (which can be seen in the lower left corner.) Also, I blurred these shadows, so they do not have hard edges, but fuzzy ones. Then I selected a soft yellow, with which I typed the title, Home; and a less bright version of this yellow, with which I typed my name and my father's. Being brighter, the title 'comes forward' in relationship to the author names.
Normally I would make sure that all text fields are of the same width, or that they are arranged in a way that the one on top has the shortest width, and the one at the bottom has the longest width, which creates a sense of stability. Not so here, because I view my childhood home through the shaky lens of memory...
For the audiobook cover I brightened the font color, so it stands out more over the painting. Also, because of the square dimensions I had to 'extend' the image of the painting to the right and to the left. And in addition to the authors' names, I added the name of the voice actress for the audiobook, Kathy Bell Denton.
Audiobook coming soon
Treat yourself to a gift--ebook FREE today!
Get Home
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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Congratulations, Home is now on sale at audible.com. And we plan to make it available on iTunes and Amazon.com within the next few days.
Check out the list of audiobooks, and don't forget to play the voice clip for each one! Take a listen, here:
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So it goes, up and down...
You are my twisters; so wherever you are
spread my message, near and far
Let it spin north and south
'Cause all I can hope for is your word-of-mouth
To listen to the closing credits go HERE
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The first of the two reviews is by Lynelle Clark has one of the most endearing sentences in her Goodreads author page. She says, "I am an Aspiring Writer and is still learning the art." But in addition to her book, A Pirate's Wife, she has garnered several top rankings: #4 top users, #4 top readers, #31 top librarians, #44 most followed, and #23 best reviewers. So I am deeply honored that she posted this review on Goodreads and Amazon.
★★★★★ Unique, August 22, 2013
By Lynelle "Aspiring Writer" (South Africa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Reflections of women seeking their own identity and validation in a world that ignores, misjudge and scoff at them. Written from different view points, each poem has a unique setting, where each is confronted with their own self worth. To be validated. Poetic and honest each poem gives you a deeper look into the physic of her thoughts as she reach out. Sinister in its approach it comes to particular conclusions as their worlds are explored and revealed.
Twisted an interesting name that reveals more than you expected.
★★★★★ Superb!, August 23, 2013
By T. Stockton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)
These are four exquisite stories in one volume that dare pull a reader outside of conventional boxes. A unique amalgamation of imagination, perspective, art, and discovery, Twisted leads a curious mind and seeking soul into the deep. Superb!
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Writing Contest
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What fascinates me most about you is that you write, make art and promote yourself. How do you find the time and how do you balance the three?
Want to know my answer? Read it here:
A Proper Chat with Christoph
Interesting :) you may also find my new poems (some of them) at http://talesforlove.blogs.sapo.pt
BTW I'm thinking about creating some new poems in English. Do you know any literary review interested in new poetry? With some small payment if poetry is accepted.
Regards
BTW I'm thinking about creating some new poems in English. Do you know any literary review interested in new poetry? With some small payment if poetry is accepted.
Regards
Also I have three free apps at Windows phone with my poetry. RuiM_ poetry 1, 2 and 3
See you
See you
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BTW I'm thinking about creating some new poems in English. Do you know any literary review interes..."
Lovely poetry Rui! And written with a feather touch... You are welcome to post your poems right here. I liked Our Chaos and Forbidden Fruits.
Mod
Written by my father, translated by me
I plucked a wildflower from my resting place
And it was blue, as if it wore my name, my face
But I was startled suddenly by a snake
Who slinked across the path with one tail shake...
Listen to the poem (read for the audiobook edition by Kathy Bell Denton) HERE:
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Here's how:
Win a FREE audiobook in this RAFFLE
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Trust me, being dead to your brother is not all that it is cracked up to be, but it does set you free—oh, don’t act so surprised! It frees you from any lingering sense of obligation. Brother, you say to yourself. What does it mean, Brother? Nothing more than a pang, a dull pang in your heart.
You have betrayed him. Accept his hate.
Yankle in A Favorite Son
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Author Spotlight--Uvi Poznansky
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Here's how:
Got Home? Your image here
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Then cast your vote for your favorite entry in the writing contest!
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★ HOME ★ TWISTED ★ A FAVORITE SON ★ APART FROM LOVE ★
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Bring a flower, uncork the wine
Come home tomorrow, don’t be late
We’ll have our moment, we’ll have a date!
Our Home event is fast coming to its high point (Fri 09/06 @ 2:00pm PST.)
Don't miss the Grand Finale!
☻ We’ll celebrate with bread, wine, cheese, desserts... Virtually delicious!
☻ I’ll be nnouncing the 3 front-runners of the WRITING CONTEST, plus--
☻ Surprise!--a wildcard winner, picked by me out of a hat, plus--
☻ I’ll be announcing the winner of the RAFFLE
★★★★★
" Written in an elegant style, this publication contains
both poems and story-like sections of prose.
It's lyrical, expressive, and poignant"
Treat yourself to a gift
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
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And it is not until the end of the song—when everyone sitting in the divide between him and me has joined in an intoxicated, disorderly chorus, singing loudly, I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schoen—that the next line makes his hands fall, suddenly, into his lap.
I've tried to explain, bei mir bist du schoen,
So kiss me, and say that you will understand.
It is at that phrase, and say that you will understand, that I see him wincing. Having sensed, somehow, the weight of my gaze, his jaw clenches. My father turns his head abruptly, to pull himself back from view—but not before I realize, to my complete shock, that he is awash in tears."
Ben in Apart From Love
★★★★★ bookreview:
"A feast for the armchair psychologist.
Reveals insights that can touch and frighten each of us"
Listen to voices of Anita and Ben:
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
Mod
★★★★★
" Written in an elegant style, this publication contains
both poems and story-like sections of prose.
It's lyrical, expressive, and poignant"
Treat yourself to a gift
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
Mod
Poem by my father (translated by me)
You're asking me to put here in writing, once more,
All that I lost, my esteemed counselor?
To list in detail, then describe and refine
And bring two witnesses tomorrow to sign?
My father's gold watch--I could just hear the sound
Had three lids that were shining
Reflected in it I could see us, standing around
All faces aglow and rejoicing.
The watch also had a heavy gold chain
Coiled twice over, over his vein
The tips of its hands gave a hint of a spark
Shooting green glow, right into the dark
It ticked, counting years for each girl and boy
Marking seasons, holidays, morning and night
I remember Sabbath candles flickering with joy
Sparkling brightly, like starlight.
You're asking me to record, on paper to pour
All that I lost, my esteemed counselor?
There was an old synagogue my grandpa had built
Burning scrolls, flying ash, dying spirit
Ancient Torah aflame, letters lifting, all gilt
Thou shall not kill, shall not steal, shall not covet
There was my sister. She was delicate, tender
In her eyes I remember a twinkle
Her name was Batia, my beloved little sister
She grew up--and then--it was simple:
She grew up and married, gave birth to a son
with a blue glint in his eyes, and a dimple
And blond hair, like a pure 'Aryan'--
The murderers, they threw him right into the Nile
There were aunts, there were uncles, boys and girls in our midst
The murderers decreed: they should not exist
You're asking me to record, on paper to pour
All that I lost, my esteemed counselor?
I demand to return, reopen that door
Find parents and sister, each girl and boy
Back there in that synagogue, with that spirit of yore
Sabbath candles aflame, father's voice filled with joy.
It's not property I ask for, not mere pieces of land--
Hebrew school, friends around, all of us in one band
With hope that inspired to survive, to withstand.
Bring the murderers to trial, that is what I demand.
You will not understand; it's of no great import--
I demand that which had been cut short
HOME is now available on Amazon--and at a reduced price!
Take a listen:
✿ Audio ✿ print ✿ ebook ✿
Mod
Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
"Enchanting"
Would you consider the audio edition of Twisted to be better than the print version?
As I love to read, it is difficult to compare, but I have enjoyed every second of hearing it.
Twisted is perfect for narration.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I love the wife of Job in I Am What I Am.
What does Heather Jane Hogan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience
if you just read the book?
Her narration was perfect.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Definitely, I laughed.
Any additional comments?
As I mentioned earlier, Twisted is well suited as an audio book with its four artistically
described tales. The recording quality was outstanding.
Customer review
Mod
By
Warrior Princess (Karmoy, Norway)
Amazon Verified Purchase
A famous poet, translator, and philosopher Samuil Marshak once said that frequent use of highly emotional words robs them of their meaning, making them dull and lackluster, like an old coin losing its shine. And that's exactly what Anita, the young wife of Ben's aging father, says to her husband in the story:
"Just say something to me. Anything." And I thought, Any other word apart from Love, `cause that word is diluted, and no one knows what it really means, anyway.
Coming from uneducated Anita, who is a far cry from being a poet or a philosopher, this thought acquires an even more poignant and raw meaning. She is not trying to impress anyone, she is speaking her heart and her mind, trying to cope with the turmoil of her aging husband's fast decline and her growing attraction for his adult son Ben.
Emotions run high in this story by Uvi Poznansky, made even more prominent by her use of alternating points of view throughout different chapters. All the main characters get a voice and an opportunity to share their thoughts, desires, internal struggles, and guilt, just like Ben eloquently expresses in this passage as he is falling for Anita:
"...I should have been more careful...I am surrounded - and at the same time, isolated. I am alone. I am apart from Love."
A beautifully-written and deeply philosophical book. Highly recommended.
Get ★★★★★ APART FROM LOVE:
★ Audiobook ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
The Creative Spark with Uvi Poznansky
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Here's how:
✿ Tell me (via PM here or on facebook) you are reading Twiste..."
This is the best feature, you bring on for readers, Uvi.
Great going. My apologies for being offline for quite a while.