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Written by Lauren Smith
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Monday, 01 March 2010 |
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 Lives of Passion, School of Hope
• Ninety-six percent of Open School alumni report that they feel that relationships are very important to them and their lives as adults.
• In a 2004 poll, 25 percent of American adults reported that they have no one to confide in, up from 10% in 1985 (American Sociological Review).
• Fifty percent of the alumni said that having meaningful relationships was the most important thing in their lives.
The Open School inspired me to open up to other people in ways that I was always scared of and intimidated by before. The school emphasized building meaningful relationships as an important life skill.
–Jay, class of 1995
No Child Left Behind and its accompanying high-stakes testing pay no attention to building meaningful relationships in school settings. The socialization process is not on the test.
As school systems scramble to adapt to the strictures of federally and state-mandated student achievement tests, the real purpose of education becomes lost, subordinated to the One Big Test Score and academic achievement. Electives are cut. Physical education: out. Classes in the arts: not required. Social skills, so crucial for success and happiness in life, are ignored as extracurricular, another word for unimportant.
Kids get the message all too well. The pressure to achieve mounts like a frightening storm. Smart kids crack. Kids who don’t fit in simply give up. The Test takes over, and many young people are left out in the cold.
The pressure I feel to do well on the tests and get good grades is enormous. I think about it all the time. I have no life, and sometimes I feel completely alienated from what I am supposed to be learning. Meanwhile, the things that are really important to me, like my relationships with friends, family, and the world, seem to be considered totally unimportant.
–Debbie, a student in a conventional high school in Marin County, California
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Last Updated ( Monday, 01 March 2010 )
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Written by Lauren Smith
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Wednesday, 09 December 2009 |
Interview Questions for Rocco Martino, author of Cancel Christmas
 Cancel Christmas
In my novel Cancel Christmas! I wanted to show how individuals with power can manipulate the law and even governments to their own ends. I selected satire as the vehicle for Cancel Christmas! I chose Christmas as the point of contention in this power struggle because Christmas is so meaningful to so many people.
Christmas is an important date for people all over the world, whether they are Christians, non-Christians, or non-believers. It has come to symbolize a season of the year and a state of mind. Good fellowship, an inner sense of joy, and a desire to make the young happy combine to unify the spirit of peoples all over the world. Even in the midst of deadly warfare, as occurred in 1914 on the Western Front, armies can stop and even fraternize.
Cancel Christmas should have great appeal to those who are concerned about government intrusion into daily life, those who are against big business, and those who favor tradition over expediency. Cancel Christmas! is about character, and the conflicting emotions and forces that permeate human life – greed, fear, love, tradition, duty, and conscience. One reviewer stated, "...a timeless tale that speaks volumes to all of us....a modern Christmas Carol."
Cancel Christmas pits people into conflicts spawned by circumstances and by their individual motivation. One reviewer had this to say: "Rocky Martino is like Rocky Balboa. His book is a punch in the heart and a hug at the same time. So hold on - don't just read it - pray it!"
Another reviewer wrote:
"Move over Ebenezer Scrooge. Oliphant Timber Bleakheart is here and he’s ready to Cancel Christmas! With great insight and wit, Rocky Martino spins a tale of the attempt to place profit over principle, finances over faith, and politics over people. This story is as timely as it is captivating and is sure to spark the imaginations of young and old alike. Cheers!"
Hence the objective has succeeded in the book Cancel Christmas of using humor and satire to show characters reacting to the age-old might versus right battle. Furthermore, the method of using money is to influence the vote of Congress in one way or another. That makes this book very timely.
Cancel Christmas should have great appeal to those who are concerned about government intrusion into daily life, those who are against big business, and those who favor tradition over expediency. Needless to say, romantics will find the budding love affair between the characters Cindy and Sam to be intriguing. Finally, the book ends without resolution of some key questions: will the move to Cancel Christmas continue, will Sam take the job offer, will Timber die, and who is the hobo?
How long did the book take you from start to finish?
The book procvee3ded very quickly. I wrote the first draft in three months and then spent another three months editing it until I was satisfied. Then I had five people read it for comments and editorial changes which I made. On the whole, it took only seven months before the book was ready for publication.
This is my eighteenth published book, but my first novel. Like all my books, I really knew how to write it when it was ready for the publisher. I had to resist every fiber of my body to keep changing it. But then, like all writers, and as it was with all my books, I wanted to be done and to see it in print. It was Churchill who so eloquently stated his own cycle in writing books. As I recall, it went something like: "Writing a new book is like having a new mistress. At first the joy of the encounter is all consuming. Then it becomes a repetitive drudge. Finally, when it is about to consume you, you slay the beast and throw it to the public."
What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
I had a hard time keeping my sense of humor in check. I could have devoted the entire book to Senator Christian. His personage could very well be the center of a series of books on his exploits past, present, and future. The idea of the 'Oink Quartet", and his habit of chewing tobacco and using a spittoon made me laugh uproariously as I dictated the book.
The romance between Cindy and Sam started slowly, and I just let it play out. I deliberately kept it low key since I feel rather strongly that sex thrown at you in print is degrading and really does nothing to advance the story. Certainly sex is present, but definitely and deliberately low key. So it should be. Love is a beautiful thing to see unfolding. Rampant sex is not.
I also wanted to interject a sense of mystery into the book. I knew the tension would build around the potential for success in actually changing the Christmas date, and stripping away the public holiday aspects of this occasion. But the mystery is built in at the end. Will Sam take the job? Will Timber die or continue to live in remission? Will Cindy and Sam continue in their romance? And who is the hobo? All food for conjecture, and potential for follow-on volumes.
So my challenge was in using restraint with rich characters and a rich topic. This is certainly a different kind of challenge that readers normally think an author goes through. I never had a 'dry' spell, as such. I could have written much more than I did. I wanted this book, however, to be short. In retrospect, it was the night thing to do. I have certainly plenty of scope for a whole series of books on the characters I created in this first book.
What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
How easy it is. For nonfiction, the research is tedious but always interesting as I discover aspects of what I am looking for that expands my book outline. In fiction, I can give full rein to my imagination and sense of humor. In both cases, I describe what is in my mind - facts or fiction. It is not hard work, but rather very stimulating. At all times I converse in my mind with my reader, anticipating, explaining, arguing, and finally coming to compromise on what is to be written - and how.
Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
Writing this novel created a whole new set of writing experiences for me. There are three specific parts to this experience.
The first concerns a mental dialogue with the reader. I approach writing as a conversation with my reader. As I dictate, I visualize the person beside me, and try to gain their interest. I anticipate responses to what I am writing, measure mental reaction, and try to anticipate what a person would say. In fact, as I write dialogue, I think of one of the participants sitting beside me. In that fashion the exchange is real for me, and hopefully real for the reader. In fact, this mental conversation often drove the narrative as such dialogue allowed my characters to grow in the minds of the reader, just as real people grow in our minds as we come to know them better.
The second item I stress is making the complex simple. I try and express ideas so they are clear and simple. I try them out on family members and friends of various ages and get reaction, often before I write. If I write first, then I pass around the draft of that section before finalizing for the book itself. In Cancel Christmas I wanted to include the history of Christmas in a simple way that would be informative, even entertaining, and certainly not boring. Readers have told they were fascinated by that part of the book.
The third thing I do is to interject humor as much as possible into the text. Somewhere in the story there must be a humorous character with a specific trait that I can use throughout the book even if that character is not 'in stage' at that point. For example, in Cancel Christmas! I created Senator Christian as a self-righteous pompadours person imbued with his sense of himself. His pet ideas including his love of pigs, and his equating of this to national security. The Oink quarter, as a phrase could then be used anywhere in the book. His use of chewing tobacco allowed me to simulate the loud noise in the spittoon when he used it. hence whenever 'thwack' appeared in the text, it was meant to create a smile or a laugh, as it did when I dictated those parts. Hence continual humor interludes are vital. |
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Last Updated ( Friday, 22 January 2010 )
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Written by Lauren Smith
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Monday, 28 December 2009 |
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Interview with Richard Jarzynka
 Blessed with Biploar
Taking something that feels like a curse and forcing the blessings out of it. Letting people know that bipolar disorder is not a death sentence. God will use it for your best. And that is true of all suffering.
How long did the book take you from start to finish?
The writing of the book took about two and a half years. Living it took about 20.
What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?
When I had written half of the book, I learned of a 19 year-old man who went online and blogged about his depression for 12 hours. He went live on a web-cam and committed suicide while an untold number of bloggers watched. He had bipolar disorder. I knew immediately that my book had to deal with that man’s agony. I could not write a book about the blessings of bipolar disorder without also addressing its undeniable, excruciating pain. I hope that I have shown a way to blessing even in the very most desperate throes of bipolar depression. Even in a depression that puts one on the verge of suicide, there is the possibility of blessing. As long as you have breath, there is hope.
What surprised you the most about the book writing process?
It was more than one process and it changed over time. In 1989 I wanted to write about my first two psychiatric hospitalizations, but I couldn’t find the right format – and I had not yet lived the whole story. In early 2007, I wanted to write about being expelled from law school and representing myself in Federal Court against the law school, but I guess I was feeling too good to want to dredge up all of that. Then, one day I found myself in the food court of a mall with a pen and paper and I started playfully making a list of all the good things that have come out of my having bipolar. When I realized that the lawsuit and expulsion were a part of those bipolar blessings, it was as though two books came together in my mind under one theme. I was then able to write everything that had been on my mind since 1989.
Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?
I met a 10 year-old boy who had recently undergone surgery for a severed Achilles tendon. I was amazed by his attitude. He wore a full cast and a smile from ear-to-ear. I am hoping that someday he will write “The Severed Achilles Blessings.”
What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book? God will use your worst suffering for your absolute best. When you put your faith in Christ, there is never reason to give up hope. But being a Christian absolutely does Not come with a promise that there will be no suffering. What projects are you currently working on? I am attempting to write articles on health care reform, the Fort Hood massacre, my favorite baseball team that just completed its 17th straight losing season, and a comment I recently heard about happiness. But I don’t consider writing “work.” The book was difficult at times, but it was always a joy. When writing starts to feel like a job, I need to take a vacation. When anything starts to feel like a job, I need to take a vacation. Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do? I sing at karaoke whenever I can find somebody who will go along with me. I also receive Social Security Disability Income. I paid into it for a long time.
Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?
I wrote mostly from experience, but my experience includes a masters degree in psychology, a year in law school, and a whole lot of Bible study. So, you could say that I have a lot of experience doing research on my own experience.
How did you come up with your title?
I liked the oxymoronic alliteration. Hopefully, after reading my book, the idea of bipolar blessings will no long be oxymoronic.
What books have influenced you the most? Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, The 1969 Baseball Encyclopedia, The Bible, and The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure – as amended to May 1, 2000
Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?
Xulon Press. I trusted them and I knew that I would have significant control over the final product. That freed me to write the way I wanted to write without too much concern for being edited – as long as I brought my foul-mouthed side under The Lord’s direction. I do have quite a vocabulary for the Holy Spirit to tame. I figure He’s up to the challenge.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 December 2009 )
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Written by by our Reviewer, John H. Manhold
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Thursday, 02 April 2009 |
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The Virtual Book Review Network brings you... Infinite Exposure  Infinite Exposure
The story begins with a secret international team of al-Qaida fighters following and apprehending an offshore web master who is part of an al-Qaida cell, which, in turn, is part of a far-ranging network. From here, the scene shifts to the financial districts of the United States, and their never ending search for ways to save money. The CEO of a huge American bank, with large branches in France and Germany, is approached by a marketing company to offshore their operations. Such a move will save millions of dollars and, in the thoughts of the executive, produce a lucrative advancement. He is more concerned with this personal gain, and does not think through the proposition, even when given hints by his second in command, who is most knowledgeable. A software company becomes involved and contributes further to the maneuvers, and the story progresses to a horrendous financial debacle, and many associated reactions. A third element enters the picture - a group of traders who deal with insider information, have ties to Account Executives in Russia, with the Russian Mafia, with China, and with the coordinator of the occult al-Qaida fighters.
To provide more details would spoil, for the reader, a most interesting and thought-provoking proposal of a possible future American agenda.
With respect to the writing, Roland Hughes quite masterfully juggles the various elements, as they shift from one to the next. His characters are interesting, and the story’s progression is at a fine pace. I read an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of this book which contained spelling and grammar problems. However, I understand the author has since had the manuscript fully edited and corrected. With removal of this jarring note, I should like to say that Roland Hughes has provided added enjoyment to a highly recommended read that presents some very serious thoughts to ponder, as well.
Buy the book here: http://www.infiniteexposure.net
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 04 April 2009 )
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