Saturday, December 23, 2023

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

 


 

This is the true story of a teenager who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust. Dita Adler—Dita Kraus in real life—was only fourteen years old when she became the secret librarian of a clandestine library in Auschwitz.

 The library consisted of only eight books that she had to hide consistently. The discovery of those books by the Nazis could have led to her execution. Amid the dire living circumstances, the set of books offered the unique opportunity to nourish the imagination, spark hope and learn something about life. Sometimes reading one of those books meant hiding herself beside a latrine. Dita guarded them carefully. It was an act of freedom.

  Reading a book was dangerous. Iturbe explains this clearly in a few words:

“Throughout history, all dictators, tyrants and oppressors, whatever their ideology—whether Aryan, African, Asian, Arab, Slav or any other racial background; whether defenders of popular revolutions, or the privilege of the upper classes, or God’s mandate, or martial law—have had one thing in common: the vicious persecution of the written word. Books are extremely dangerous; they make people think.”

 The Librarian of Auschwitz is a riveting read. It gets more engaging with each page. 



 Dita and her parents lived in Prague, where her father worked as a lawyer. Under  Hitler’s command, Germany annexed the Czech lands. In 1943 Dita and her parents became prisoners in Auschwitz. Their only crime was to be Jewish; the Nazis had stripped them of everything: their possessions, home, jobs and safety. At first, they were forced to move to a Terezin ghetto, where they lived in crowded conditions and worked hard without compensation.

 Jews lived under the constant threat of hate crimes. They were harassed for no reason, slandered and scapegoated. Hitler’s hatred for the Jews translated into several laws. Jewish children, for example, were no longer allowed to attend schools. In 1943 Dita and her parents were shipped to concentration camps. In Terezin, Dita had met Fredy Hirsch, a man who had a passion for education. He created a clandestine school and the secret library in Auschwitz.

 Hitler established a totalitarian regime and invaded various countries in Europe. In 1939, German troops invaded Poland. In 1940 they expanded to Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, and then France. Norway and Denmark were conquered that same year.

 Hitler took control of all the newspapers in all the occupied countries and published propaganda to uphold his regime. He confiscated radios. Those who resisted his irrational regime belonged to the so-called Resistance. Members of the Resistance were sent to concentration camps or executed after being interrogated.

Millions of Jews died in gas chambers. Others died of starvation, diseases or were shot to death.

  How did Dita manage to survive the ominous conditions of the concentration camp in Auschwitz? How did she manage that secret library for a while? How did she endure  starvation, lice, diseases and other harsh conditions? Iturbe's book will help you to understand how she survived. Many Jews were forced to labor in factories without enough food. The atrocities Dita had to witness make me look at her in awe today: the humiliations, brutality and barbaric actions she suffered in the hands of the Nazis did not crush her spirit. 

 The Librarian of Auschwitz has been an intense, emotional read that shook my heart and inspired me to read more books about the Holocaust.

 When I write about cultivating inner peace I think of Dita Kraus. Despite the trauma of her teenage years, she never stopped fighting for her dignity. She became an English teacher and promoted a love for books. She is now ninety-four years old. You can listen to this recent interview here:

  I strongly encourage people to read The Librarian of Auschwitz. It is a very well-researched novel based on real facts and people. When Antonio Iturbe learned about the minuscule library in Auschwitz from the book The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel, he dived into the research that led him to write this book. 

 His interviews with Dita Kraus played an important role in the craft of the novel.

 On October 7, the barbaric acts of Hamas in Israel reminded me of the sadism, brutality and cruelty of the Nazis. The enemy today is called Hamas. Hamas wants to destroy Israel and exterminate Jews. To understand this terrorist organization, which has ruled Gaza like a cult since 2006, you can listen to somebody who escaped the regime in Gaza: his name is Moseb Hassan Yousef. He is the son of one of the founders of this organization. Poorly informed people call Hamas a group of “resistance” or “liberation”. This is not correct and we should explain it. How is Israel supposed to stay safe while Hamas continues to have the intention to repeat the attack it perpetrated on October 7?

   Whenever I ask this question, I get no response. 

 My Writing Life blog promotes the freedom to read books, supports democratic principles everywhere and stands up against any kind of hate.

 This book blog is taking a break until February 2024.

Thank you for visiting My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration.


If you enjoyed this post, feel free to read my writing on the following book:

 Life Went on Anyway by Olev Sentsov

Here's a well-researched article about the evidence on links between Hamas and Vladimir Putin:

https://www.mei.edu/publications/essential-questions-about-russia-hamas-link-evidence-and-its-implications




Thursday, December 21, 2023

ManuScrita: Poems on Life, Love and the Nature of Reality by Michael Teichberg

 


“It’s always something to know you’ve done the most you could. But don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last!”

Charles Dickens

 This time of the year is a period of reflection for some of us. Witnessing so much violence, hate and extremism across the world, the mind seeks the light afforded by wisdom and hope. Today’s poetry collection responds to this need. It is a favorite of mine because it offers a sanctuary of wisdom, a universe of aspirations, and an introspective journey in which the spiritual-self reunites with the bonds that are meaningful to us, the connections that leave an indelible memento in the heart…

 Confusion and helplessness are part of grief, so it is a relief to settle on this poetical land of fortitude to embrace who we are amid the chaos, to acknowledge that life matters, even when others try to convince us that this is not the case. 

 Peace without safety may remain elusive. Yet inner peace is still something one can cultivate amid dire circumstances as a fuel that sustains one’s inner strength and resilience.

 Michael Teichberg’s poetry is unique, but it contains the wisdom and simplicity of Kahlil Gibran’s poetical style. Teichberg’s writing is direct and sincere. I am sharing a fragment of his poem “Anger Management”:

“Always strive for a life of peace.

For the heart easily sways to a negative place.

Let not the things that trouble us, trouble us.

The mind is fortified by the peace we choose and trust.

Existence is simplicity and in simplicity

We find great capacity

To embrace the positivity and beauty of the world.

 

We are quick to react to evil,

Letting brute instinct unfurl.

But self-discipline and reason can reign supreme

To overcome the chaos of our reactive extremes.

Those on the path to Enlightenment

Must embrace the oneness of all, without resentment.

In moments of conflict, patience is key,

For rash actions only serve to multiply the debris”.

 

 


  There is something addictive about Teichberg’s poetry. I feel compelled to understand how his consciousness swims through the mystery and confusion of life’s uncertainty. With many of his poems, I fall into a trance of emotions or thoughts and ideas that transport me…

 His poems are endowed with percipience and a sense of hope, but some of them simply feel magical in the way they help us to connect with our own roots. For example, the first poem, “My Light”, is about his grandmother:

“New loves and friendships may arise,

But none can compare to the familial love

From my first moments to her final ones.

Her laughter, my favorite song.”

When he describes his grandmother, I think of my own grandmother:

“Her warm disposition, a hug with each gaze,

Her selflessness, a rare and precious gem.”              

The metaphor of their bond is accurate and heartening. I feel the same way about my own grandmothers:

“A bond built on laughter, safety and comfort.

Our own temple, a retreat from the world,

Where we talked about everything.”

 This is a poetry collection “to be transported, challenged and moved” while “celebrating life, love and the nature of reality through a mystic’s lens.”

  The land of his poetry is a place where the reader can take a break and reflect upon the complexity of the self, the freedom of being detached from the prisons of stereotypes and labels, without being confined to the tyranny of prejudices.

  I appreciate how Michael Teichberg’s poetical world awakens the reader to see something beyond the expected conventions of reality, reminding us that the mystic’s lens nurtures the mind in a way that may leave the soul in a place that is unfamiliar to others. (The author of this blog post creates that lens from the clay of experiences, discipline and steady intentions).

  Do I agree with every message? Not necessarily. I don’t embrace the animalistic concept he shares in a couple of his poems because this concept can be used as a weapon to place humanity on a pedestal. The author of this post does not believe that humanity has earned such a position. (As I mentioned in another post, I don’t need to agree with everything a writer says to love a book). I also disagree with the drastic distinction made between East and West in his poem “The Divide”. I don't see "the east as being obsessed with the self as part of everyone and everything else." 

    Teichberg’s insightful poetry collection includes prose poetry and photo poetry as well…

 “Being driven to live life from within creates a greater mind that when hatched can achieve anything. A life lived solely externally is one run by shallow desires and limiting moralities.”

 Poetry speaks for itself, so my words here are somewhat redundant. I will close the post on MichaelTeichberg’s ManuScrita with a fragment from his poem “Babbling Bliss”:

 “In the shadowy corners, where ideas take root,

Like mushrooms sprouting amidst the darkness,

Even as authoritarian forces seek to tear them apart,

Silky threads of freedom persist.

 

The heart, propelled by revolutionary fervor,

Is catapulted into bleeding passion for change.

Words possess the power to transform,

Turning brothels into sanctuaries of worship,

Where sin and vulgarity can dissolve the veils of myth.”

 


 Photo by Benjamin Lizardo. Source: Unsplash.com 

 Everyday I think of the hostages abducted by Hamas, and I hope that peaceful negotiations will be reached to set them free as soon as possible. My heart is with them and with their families. Let's not forget them. Let's speak up for their release.

 

 

 

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Remember This Day by Linda Drattell

 


 

  Linda Drattell’s latest poetry collection is a reflection born out of resilience. Wisdom emanates from life experience when one chooses a path of humility and growth. Her poems are about tenacity, healing, dealing with unexpected trials and contemplating the wonder of everyday life. It may be a subtle invitation to accept challenges with authenticity, patience, perseverance: the gifts that the wisdom of experience can provide when we open up to them…

   My favorite poem from Remember This day is the one she dedicates to her special friend: an ageing horse whose tenderness and gentle attitude captivated my heart. Every time I read this poem to somebody tears flood my eyes.

   I appreciate that there is no preaching in her poetry. Her poems honor the precious bonds with loved ones and contemplate the transformation that results from resilience. There is a paradox between the fragility of life and the strength that evolves from life struggles.

   I like to revisit her words, to savor them in silence or share them… Linda is a poet, author and advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing in California.

  Linda Drattell is also the survivor of a terrorist attack by a radical Islamist on Bastille Day in Paris in 2016.

  One of her poems narrates her terrifying experience and reveals the inner emotional landscape of being the survivor of a terrorist attack, but I will only share a brief fragment of her poem:

 “Trauma creates a gravel road in our brains.

Thinking too much about what happened

widens that gravel road…

I avoid crowds these days.

Always keep my phone charged.

Every so often, my husband and I cry.

July 14, 2016.

I am slowly forgetting the date.

Then a similar attack occurs another date,

elsewhere.

How do we know when we are healed—"

 

  Let’s not forget

 I received a copy of Linda Drattell’s Remember this Day in exchange for an honest review.

 You can learn more about the author’s literary works by checking her website.

 


Photo by Pieter Van Noorden. Source: Unsplash.com

Friday, December 1, 2023

The Darkness Manifesto: on Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklof

 


 Who doesn’t appreciate the beauty of a starry sky? The quiet light of stars and planets and the serenity of the moonlight evoke a sense of mystery and wonder.  For many living beings, however, the light from the stars and the moon is a guide and a resource required for survival.  On the other hand, the artificial lights that humans infuse into the night erase the delicate nature of the night sky.

 The abusive use of garish human lights confuses insects, birds and various living beings who depend on the moon and the stars to get food, mate and thrive.

  Life is regulated by rhythms. Both day and night form the natural rhythm of the world, and respecting this balance supports human health. I appreciate how Johan Eklof details the effects of darkness on the way the human body functions. The hormone fluctuations that result from respecting the natural cycles of light and darkness support the quality of sleep, restoring and bolstering health and stamina.

 Half of all insects are nocturnal. They need several hours of continuous darkness to obtain food and find a mate. Eklof explains it clearly, “The night’s limited light protects these insects, and the pale glow from stars and the moon is central for their navigation and hormonal systems. Disturbances in the natural oscillation between light and dark is therefore a threat to the night insects’ very existence.” The lighting in cities disrupts the health of thousands of living beings in various ways; Eklof’s book helps readers understand this phenomenon on multiple levels. In the state of Florida, for example, research showed how the lighting in cities inhibited the birds’ immune system and the impact of this situation on human beings: “Sparrows with West Nile fever were infected an average of two days longer if they were exposed to artificial light during that time. This increased the risk that the virus would spread to human beings.”

 A single bat can eat 3000 insects in one night. For this reason, they are very good at controlling the population of mosquitoes. Bats can make a big difference in the comfort felt on a terrace on quiet summer evenings. In Asia rice is the most important food for billions of people. One hundred million tons of rice are destroyed every year, but bats help to reduce the loss of rice by feeding on the insects that destroy those crops. Pesticides are not as effective as bats. Besides, pesticides have an impact on human health and the environment. Bats contribute one million dollars a year to Thailand's economy. In North America bats save three billion dollars every year by protecting corn and cotton crops. Bats are also pollinators, just like hummingbirds, bees, bumblebees, and moths. Furthermore, their droppings are effective fertilizers. In order to survivebats need the darkness of the night.

After a powerful earthquake in Los Angeles in 1994, a power outage hit the city. As a result, the Milky Way, which had not been seen for decades, became visible. The emergency services were flooded with calls about the strange light phenomenon. The power outage allowed people to see something that light pollution had kept hidden...

 Human beings insist on negating the need for darkness by inundating the night with unnecessary lights. Light pollution is often ignored. Yet it contributes to the extinction of several species, disrupting entire ecosystems and wreaking havoc on human health. Eklof’s book educates readers to understand the need for a paradigm shift in the attitude toward the darkness of the night. It inspires us to cherish it and to recognize the essential role it plays in our lives.

  France is ahead in the field of addressing light pollution, but it is not the only country that began to tackle the issue. “France passed legislation in 2019 over how much light can be emitted into the atmosphere. In 2021 the law was fully implemented and regulates everything from brightness and color temperature to time of day and the coverings of street lighting. It remains to be seen how this will be implemented in practice and what the effects will be. But more and more countries are undertaking similar initiatives. In the Austrian capital of Vienna, they’ve started turning out the lights at 11:00 p.m., and in Groningen in the Netherlands industry and agriculture lights are regulated by law. Western Europe seems to have woken up in this regard, while the rest of the world is still at the starting block about the threat of light pollutants.” There are promising examples in other places. For example, the city of Flagstaff in Arizona received a special recognition: the Dark Sky City status as a pioneer in introducing lighting regulations to enhance the night sky. Their ambition was to be able to see the preserved night sky in an urban environment; astronomers were the driving force of the regulations.

 In the meantime, it is not difficult to turn off the lights when we don’t use them. It is even easier to avoid wasting money on lights that invade the precious darkness of the night. We may be rewarded with the image of a peaceful sky illuminated by the glow of the moon and the stars. It is empowering to know that we can save lives through simple actions. 


Photo by Neida Zarate. Source: Unsplash. 

Here's an article with more information and ideas on how to address light pollution:


Light pollution threatens coastal marine ecosystems. Here's an article on this:

Saturday, November 25, 2023

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

 


   A fragile friendship bloomed between Sage Singer and Joseph Weber in New Hampshire in the year 2013. After losing her mother in a car accident that she survived, Sage, a twenty-five- year-old lonely baker, joined a grief support group where she met Joseph, a ninety-five-year-old man who had lost his wife. Their intimacy eventually led Joseph to reveal something dark about his past: he had been an Auschwitz guard for the Nazi regime. Sage, on the other hand, was the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Joseph had a special, desperate request for Sage.  It was an unethical kind of request, and, by the end of the novel, Sage found herself in a snare.

 The revelation about Joseph’s past prompted Sage to learn about her grandmother’s life story, one that Minka had kept hidden from her.

  Minka, her Jewish grandmother, had dreamed of being a writer, and during the time she was in a concentration camp her talent for storytelling saved her life. The way this happened is carefully revealed throughout the novel, so I will not disclose more information about this aspect of the story.

 The atrocities and horrifying situations Minka witnessed and experienced become vivid in the narrative she shares with all sorts of details. (I would not be able to watch a movie of this book because it would be traumatizing).

 The different chapters are written from the point of view of the main characters: Sage, Minka, Joseph and Leo. This feature of the novel helps to gain a deeper understanding of the plot and characters.

 There is suspense, romance, humor and various turns and surprises that enhance the reader’s interest. Philosophical reflections and ethical issues shake the reader to the core. It is not easy to put this novel down. Jodi Picoult is a remarkable storyteller. I appreciate the way she develops her characters and how their relationships unfold. She knows how to evoke the undertones and challenges of those relationships with graceful artistry and precision.  This novel was an emotional rollercoaster and it made me think about issues I had never paused to consider.

 In the early 1940s Minka’s father had been a baker who had the habit of making a special roll for her. The core of the delicious roll contained chocolate and cinnamon, but the main ingredient he used was love. The art of baking is interwoven into the story in a way that delights the senses and boosts the reader’s interest. 

 Sage had a true vocation for baking; her great-grandfather’s abilities and passion for this art resuscitate in Sage Singer’s talent and work.

 I highly recommend The Storyteller. It is the perfect book for a book club because it offers various topics for discussion.  The worst and the best of humanity are in full display in this shocking novel. The love for family and the sacrifices attached to it are only some of the themes that run through the story; there are many more. I would like to write about this novel for hours, but this is not possible because I must avoid spoilers here.

  I also think it is important to learn about the Holocaust. After reading The Storyteller I realize that there is so much about the Holocaust that I did not know… Even though this is a fictional story, the experience of witnessing hate crimes, being forced to live in a ghetto and living in  concentration camps was real to millions of Jews. Starvation, executions, torture and the separation of families were real. Antisemitism was the excuse underpinning these crimes against humanity, but Jewish people were not the only ones persecuted. Gypsies, dissidents, homosexuals and people with disabilities were also executed. 

 The context of the novel is very well-researched. I appreciate the work Jodi Picoult did to elaborate this riveting story.  She provides the references she used to craft The Storyteller. Jodi Picoult's book has educational value. 

 I like to compare this novel with a yarn ball made of several pieces of yarn tied together to complete the ball.

At the end of the novel all the parts come together like the pieces of a puzzle. The final chapter, however, has two shocking surprises. I had to read it a few times to convince myself of the outcome...

 All in all, this is a novel that will leave you with questions and reflections. It has the potential to kindle insightful discussions and conversations, and the characters are memorable. I look forward to reading more books by Jodi Picoult.

 Here's an interview with Jodi Picoult in which she shares her experience interviewing Holocaust survivors for her book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMD5pLTjKHk

 

Thursday, November 16, 2023

The Island by Gary Paulsen

 


  Wil Neuton was fifteen years old when he discovered the island near his new home. An abandoned boat helped him to reach it. The island seemed to invite him to stay there.

  Wil and his parents had recently moved to a small town in northern Wisconsin from the city of Madison. Will had left behind the familiar places and people that had shaped his life there. He had no friends in the new small town, but he soon met Susan, a girl his age who introduced him to the simplicity and idiosyncrasies of the new place. A new world of discoveries awaited him…

  The island was part of that elusive world, and he felt he had to stay on it. It dawned on him that staying on the island would help him to understand things about life. He observed nature around him: the herons, the turtle, the fish, the lake. Everything made him pause and reflect.

 Wil also looked back on his past. His mind conjured up happy and poignant memories of his deceased grandmother whom he had loved dearly. Now he began to understand her better as he reminisced about the time he had spent with the sweet, jaunty woman. He wrote down his thoughts and meditations. He drew with pencil and painted with watercolors. The island afforded him a precious space to exercise and move his body, to watch the living beings around him. A new kind of awareness awakened in him.

  Wil did not know when he would return to his parents’ home. His camping on the island piqued the curiosity of several people. His parents were puzzled and wondered if there was something wrong with him.



   The Island by Gary Paulsen has a unique voice that combines humor and wit. It is an introspective contemplation on life, a quiet reflection, a respite from the chaos of the world. If you have a teenager in your life who will appreciate this gentle masterpiece, don’t miss the chance to share it.

   There are some hidden treasures of wisdom in this exquisite novella. I highly recommend it.

 This is the second book by Gary Paulsen that I’ve read. My first one was The Glass Café; you can read my review here.

 


 

 Photo by Dave Hoefler. Source: Unsplash.

Monday, November 6, 2023

One month ago...

 

  On October 7 I went to work feeling an inexplicable sense of sorrow inside myself. I could not fathom why I was feeling this way. Everything around me was going well. Yet I could not dispel the sadness inside myself… then, on my way back, I turned on the NPR radio station and heard the news. The Hamas men had assaulted and attacked the peaceful Israeli communities near Gaza: the Kitbbutzim. The Hamas terrorists had destroyed everything on their path. Peoples’ homes were burned; Jewish people were brutally murdered in their own homes. Some of the residents of the Kibbutzim had been kidnapped. Jewish women had been raped. Even babies and children had been brutally killed by the Hamas men. The brutality of the Hamas men was made clear for the world to see.  Many of  the people attacked by Hamas were activists for a Free Palestine

   It is distressing to read that some people now try to justify the Hamas attack or to  excuse it. Let's make this clear: Hamas men do NOT care about the freedom of Palestine. The Hamas men’s intention is to kill Jewish people, and they don’t care about the wellbeing and safety of Palestinians. Their cowardice is evident in the fact that they use Palestinians as shields. The Hamas men invested in a terrifying network of two-thousand tunnels under Gaza when they could have spent those resources on the wellbeing and future of Palestinians. Hamas is a fundamentalist organization with no respect for human rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. Hamas men have no respect for individual rights. The main purpose of Hamas is to destroy Israel. I am surpised that this is often left out of the conversations. 

 The bombing of communities in Gaza is heartbreaking. Innocent people in Palestine die and suffer the consequences of the bombings, but the destruction in Gaza would not have happened if Hamas had not attacked Israel. If Hamas had an interest in helping Palestinians, they would release the Israeli hostages.

  Hamas is a cult, a fundamentalist terrorist organization that has been ruling Palestine since 2006, and it oppresses Palestinians on a daily basis. Hamas is NOT a liberation movement. Erdogan referred to it as a liberation movement. He is wrong and he knows it. Erdogan has no ethical principles to start with. Please, read my post on A Coup to learn more about Erdogan and what he stands for. He now claims to care about the deaths of Palestinians. He does not. Now Vladimir Putin is also happy because this war helps to keep the attention off Ukraine and enables the agenda of fundamentalists, dictators and authoritarian regimes.

 The current situation in Israel and Gaza is very complex for both Palestinians and Israel. My heart is also with the Israeli hostages and their families. I hope they will be liberated as soon as possible. If Hamas genuinely cared about Palestinians, they would be releasing the hostages.

 It is outrageous and incomprehensible that some people across the world choose to align with hate. I am referring to the horrifying hate crimes happening in different places. When this happens, tyrants and terrorists win. Empathy and human dignity lose. Hate breeds more hate. Let’s all remember that hate is NOT the answer. Hate is the root cause of this conflict. Hate kills innocent people and destroys the future of millions of people. Hate pollutes the soil where people need to grow food to survive; it pollutes the air we breathe and the water we drink.

 The questions that can lead to helpful answers are the following: Who funds Hamas? Who are the people who support and fund Hamas? These questions require urgent answers and investigations…

  I am sharing some articles that can bring balance and sensibility to the conversation . They will hopefully help people understand the complexity of this situation. I support both a free Israel and a free Palestine. I send my love to the innocent victims of this war, and I hope that a peaceful resolution will be reached. A two- state solution is important and necessary, but with tyrannies on both sides of the border, it appears to be an insurmountable goal. This is why it is so important to vote for democratic leaders in elections. Fair and free elections and peaceful transfers of power are the foundation of every healthy democracy.

 I am thankful for the Humanitarian organizations providing aid and support to the innocent victims of this war.

 We all have to encourage peaceful coexistence without oppression of any kind. Peace and respect for life are the ways to health, growth and a hopeful future for everybody.

 

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/10/27/manela-two-state-solution/

https://time.com/6323178/antisemitism-israel-gaza-attack-essay/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-plagued-poverty-hamas-no-shortage-cash-come-rcna121099

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-gaza-palestine-hamas-cease-fire-rcna124632

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-criticism-polls-rcna123564

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwvsrybklf8

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/decolonization-narrative-dangerous-and-false/675799/


https://www.ajc.org/news/7-ways-hamas-has-conned-americans-and-spread-hatred-of-jews

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/israel-women-hamas-rape-rcna126047

https://www.sasktoday.ca/highlights/commentary-explaining-hamas-islam-and-the-treatment-of-women-7751888



Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Beyond the War on Invasive Species: a Permaculture Approach to Environmental Restoration by Tao Orion

 


 

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”-Charles Darwin

Thousands of animal and plant species are in the process of migrating to adapt to the conditions that climate change imposes on them for their survival. Considering this fact, how can we expect ecosystems to be “unchanged”? We can’t. Ecosystems are dynamic. The concept of “invasive” species becomes a controversial one when one cares to analyze the intricate ways in which everything is connected.

  New species have to adapt to their new surroundings. You are not alone if you have been wondering about the implications of the new situations that arise as a result of climate change and other phenomena. I have noticed how this subject has been conveniently neglected, so I am thankful for Tao Orion’s book.

    Tao Orion explains that non-native species are the symptoms of a complex situation caused by human actions such as logging, mining, emissions of greenhouse gases, unsustainable agriculture, pollution, war conflicts and other human destructive behaviors. The root causes of the presence of invasive species are not even taken into consideration when resorting to the use of herbicides and pesticides with the futile goal of eradicating a species under the delusion that these chemicals will not affect the native ones. (These chemicals may increase the revenue of the manufacturers, but there is no evidence that they support biodiversity, human health and the environment).

 When Tao Orion was employed to restore land in 2010, she was shocked to learn that she was expected to use Round Up for her work. As an organic producer of food, she disagreed with this management. Today we know more about the effects of herbicides and pesticides, and we are continuously learning about the consequences of climate change, so Tao Orion’s book has become more relevant.

  Research on the effects of Glyphosate, for example, continues to emerge. In 2023 research conducted by scientists at UC Berkeley School of Public Health showed that “childhood exposure to the world’s most widely used weedkiller, glyphosate, is linked to liver inflammation and metabolic disorder in early childhood, which could lead to liver cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life.” You can read about it here, and learn more about the researchers’ recommendations.

 

  While it is necessary and important to foster the growth of native plants, it is also crucial to understand the issues that bring in new species to a place in order to address the root causes of the shift instead of adamantly trying to eradicate a so-called “invasive” species. It is also crucial to understand how new species interact with the environment, because this may help to advocate for strategies that can integrate non-native species into the new environment. For example, pollinators may benefit from flowers that are not considered to be native.

  Even though Tao Orion’s book was published in 2015 and some specific points may be outdated, her approach introduces the science of permaculture to restore ecosystems, and encourages us to apply this knowledge to our daily choices in our own gardens. The book contains a foreword by David Holmgren.

  Tao Orion advocates for methods that consider the relationships in ecosystems, not only those among the living beings in specific habitats but also their interactions with water, air and soil.

 Classifying species into “native” and “invasive” groups is akin to labeling them as the “good” versus the “bad” ones.

We could define nativism as the war against naturalizing species, an ideology that sought to separate nature into good and bad species according to some fixed historical reference.” A paradigm shift is necessary. Ecologist Haikai Tane in New Zealand coined the term “ecosynthesis” to describe the restoration of ecosystem function in the process of combining native and foreign species that colonized abandoned landscapes.

 

I invite you to read this interview with Tao Orion to learn more:

https://macskamoksha.com/2022/02/beyond-the-war-on-invasive-species-interview-with-tao-orion

  You can also listen to a podcast with Tao Orion at Reseed Canada:

https://www.reseed.ca/listen/remembering-we-are-stewards

 


 As I type these words, my gaze wanders out the window to embrace the vibrancy of the fall leaves swirling and settling on the ground, creating a composite of hues: ochre, yellow, red and orange. Leaves are an excellent source of nutrition for the soil. Putting them in plastic bags to send them to the landfill is a very poor decision. Leaves are rich in minerals that can support the soil and the development of new plants. People waste money buying mulch when they could simply use the leaves as mulch. The leaves can also be shredded before using them for compost. This link provides some ideas.

 The leaves on the ground also form habitats, establishing new sources of shelter and food for various creatures. There are many worlds of life around us that we often take for granted…


 

 If you enjoyed this post, feel free to visit my writing on the following books:

Sweet inTooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World by Kristin Ohlson

Deer Man by Geoffroy Delorme

The Wisdom of Wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher


Helpful links I encourage you to visit:

https://www.beyondpesticides.org/

https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/alternatives/

https://www.drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/


Thursday, October 12, 2023

A Coup by Phyllis Skoy

 


    This mesmerizing novel made me reflect on the power of friendship and love. Adalet is a Muslim woman in love with Mark, a Jewish man in New York. Mark wants to marry Adalet, but Adalet is apprehensive about moving to New York. Yet they sustain a strong long-distance relationship.  She lives in Istanbul, Turkey. Adalet is Nuray’s best friend. Nuray also lives in Istanbul, where she works as a journalist; she is the owner of a small Women’s magazine.

 Who can anticipate that a small magazine can get in trouble for criticizing the president of a country? The problem is that when the president behaves like a tyrant, the simple act of expressing a disagreement can be a death sentence… or an excuse to be tortured, beaten and even raped.  The situation of dissidents in Turkey reminds me of the one in Russia under Vladimir Putin. Tyrants behave in similar ways wherever they have a chance to rule. (Iran is another example that comes to my mind, and it is a reminder of the consequences of allowing religion to infiltrate the government).

 One day, on her way to visit Adalet, Nuray crossed paths with a soldier who served the interests of the president. This happened in July 2016. The streets of Istanbul were in turmoil, so she was compelled to report what was going on. When she showed the young soldier her journalist identification card, the soldier grabbed it. He would later threaten to report her to the police if she did not sleep with him. Nuray refused to acquiesce to his harassment. This would lead to her arrest.

  Nuray had written a couple of articles criticizing the president, which was enough of an excuse to be arrested, jailed and accused of being a terrorist. Tyrants take advantage of situations of political unrest to gain support and persecute dissidents. In fact, Erdogan called the attempted coup of 2016 a “gift of God.”

 The so-called soldier would later desert his post in the army to join a radicalized terrorist organization…

   Reading A Coup by Phyllis Skoy has been a remarkable experience. The tension is so intense that it is difficult to put this novel down. We root for the main characters as we contemplate the different aspects of their culture and life in Turkey. I inhabited their minds while I "savored" their foods, appreciated their surroundings and plunged into the depths of their conflicts and situations. I feared for their safety and wondered about their future. I kept thinking of them when I was not reading the book. This is what good literature does. It fosters empathy, which is why tyrants support the banning of books. The novel may help people understand the horrifying consequences of enabling tyrants who support authoritarian regimes.



  Tyrants sow hate and division. They scapegoat groups of people, oppress anybody who dares to disagree with them--even if they belong to the same party. They censor and distort information to abuse their power. The novel shows clearly how an authoritarian regime ruins the lives of people.

  Phyllis Skoy entices the reader into the realms of a vivid experience. The story delivers something invaluable in response to the intrigue it creates. I researched the context of the novel, and I am sharing supplementary reading material at the bottom of this post to help you gain a deeper understanding of the present situation.



   One of the central aspects of the novel is the friendship between Adalet and Nuray. Their friendship helped Nuray during the darkest moments of her life, but there are other threads of resilience that propelled Nuray forward amid her calamities, and I will let the readers find those. These aspects of the novel can inspire fruitful conversations about resilience…

     Phyllis Skoy’s first novel, What Survives, was shortlisted by the Santa Fe Writers project and was a finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards and First Runner-Up in the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize shortlist. Her memoir, Myopia, is about what it is like to grow up with a refugee father consumed with the fears and struggles of his past.

   I received A Coup in exchange for an honest review, and I now have the privilege to interview the author, Phyllis Skoy, for My Writing Life blog: Awareness, Reflection, Inspiration. I thank her for her time and cooperation. 

 Interview

Julia: I was impressed by the details on the social and political situation in the novel. These details are woven carefully into the plot of the novel. In-depth research is required to attain this. What sources of information helped you?

 

Phyllis: I read a great deal, both novels and nonfiction, poetry and essays. I have a friend who is a retired AP journalist who sends me all the articles she receives on Turkey. There is a good deal of propaganda circulating in both in the Turkish press media and in social media, so I do my best to read as much as possible and to sort it out as best I can. I was asked the very question that you have posed by a young Turkish gentleman in a predominantly Turkish audience. After I responded as I have above, I asked him if he had been able to recover all the facts from the attempted coup. He acknowledged that he had not and everyone smiled. As we know all too well, even from our own government, the truth is often obscured. Turkish politics are extremely complicated. But remember, the novel is fiction, even though it is historically based.

 

Julia: The Turkish culture is vividly featured throughout the novel. How did you accomplish this? What inspired you to write A Coup?

 

Phyllis: My husband and I first traveled to Turkey in 1998. We both fell in love with Turkey, its people and its culture--not uncommon for American tourists. I became very friendly with several Turkish women. When we moved from Manhattan to Placitas, New Mexico, I learned about The Turkish House (The Raindrop Foundation) in Albuquerque. I studied the Turkish language for two years there, as I believe that language shapes people and cultures, and I joined their wonderful cooking classes. The language was very difficult for me at this point in my life, but I will always be grateful for what I gained from its study. My husband and I returned to Turkey in 2014, and we rented an apartment in Istanbul so that I could work on the first novel in A Turkish Trilogy, entitled What Survives. When the attempted coup happened in 2016, I was on WhatsApp with the Turkish woman who had rented us the apartment in 2014. Her experience was frightening, and I knew then that I would have to write about it.

 

 

 Julia: You have a talent for developing realistic characters and getting inside their minds. You make them interesting and intriguing. I was hooked from page one. Are these characters based on people you’ve met in real life?

 

Phyllis: In “real life” I was a psychoanalyst. For a time, I was a psychotherapist for the Deaf in American Sign Language (ASL) I also worked with children and families. After a time, I narrowed my practice to psychoanalytic patients on the couch. I retired in December of 2018. All of my characters are conglomerates of people I have known in my practice or in my nonprofessional life. No character is based on any one individual. Since I have studied the workings of the human mind for many years, listened to so many stories, I suppose it is not difficult to make them feel real. That is what I attempt to do, in any event, and so I thank you for your kind words.

 

 Julia: Are you planning to write another book about Nuray and Adalet?

Phyllis: After completing the trilogy, I decided to take my next novel in a different direction. Although it is difficult to leave Adalet, most especially, since she is also my protagonist in What Survives, I wanted to address different issues. The second book in the trilogy, As They Are, a prequel to What Survives, focuses on Fatma, an older friend and mentor to Adalet in the first novel.  As They Are goes back in time to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of The Republic of Turkey. Nuray appears only briefly in What Survives, and not at all in As They Are. Again, my objective is not so much to convey history but to focus on how history, how politics, how disaster, affect ordinary people.

The earthquake in Turkey in February 2023 has given me an opportunity to take on several topics of importance to me through new characters, some Turkish and Muslim, some American/Turkish and Jewish. Antakya, Turkey was devastated in the earthquake, killing the last leaders of a tiny remaining Jewish community there. This fact caught my attention and stayed with me. Immediately, I began to read and research this compelling topic. I hope to do this topic and related issues justice in my current undertaking.

 

 

    Supplementary reading material:

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/turkeys-new-media-law-is-bad-news-but-dont-report-it/

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/10/14/turkey-dangerous-dystopian-new-legal-amendments

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/15/turkey-erdogan-enes-kanter-renditions-critics/

https://time.com/5885650/erdogans-ottoman-worry-world/

https://stockholmcf.org/i-heard-screams-of-women-being-raped-at-a-turkish-detention-center-says-torture-victim/

 https://www.turkishminute.com/2020/12/31/female-journalists-turkey-face-discrimination-and-harassment-at-work-says-media-association/

 

 Photographs are courtesy of the author.

 A special thank you to Cristina Deptula for her cooperation and support.