California Dreaming by Lily Iona MacKenzie

 

 “The Capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.”- Julia Margaret Cameron

  Mrs. MacKenzie’s poetry is an exquisite dance of words on the crevices of both pain and joy. She grew up on a farm in Canada, where her surroundings inspired her to see the beauty in everything.  

 It is not easy to summon up a common thread to all these poems.

 A number of poems at the beginning reflect on the inquisitive nature of the art; the last few poems of the collection seem to harmonize with the first section, for the poet conjures up questions that lack answers.

  A section is dedicated to the impact of Covid-19, and another one deals with a lyrical exploration of emotions. Her words carve a gentle trail into the soul of the reader.

  There is an array of her poems that meditates on the power of specific masterpieces by Matisse, Vermeer and other artists. The images of the paintings are included, so one gets to “see” the poems through her words.

 The musical rhythm of her verses along with the ingenuous quirks embedded in some of her poems assemble to create a unique style of expression. I think the magic of her poetry is also revealed in the variety of themes and elements she offers.

 I find the author intriguing. I have added one of her novels to my reading list: Freefall: A Divine Comedy.

 Lily Iona Mackenzie’s literary works have appeared in more than 160 literary magazines, and she teaches literature and creative writing at the University of San Francisco, California.

This lady's enigmatic gaze has captivated the attention of various generations of people. Mrs. Mackenzie traces the energy of this intriguing painting by Johannes Vermeer in one of her poems. I will share a fragment of it:

“It’s the contrasts

that make her enigmatic.

Her lips hover on the verge of sensuality,

her expression

chaste as well as inviting,

pale skin

lit from within.

 

A force of nature, she can’t be contained

for long in that frame, watching

the world pass her by.”

 

 One could say that Mrs. Mackenzie’s poetry celebrates the power of art, so I expected Mrs. Mackenzie would transcend the boundary of focusing on the female artistic muse and include the artworks of women artists as well. My curiosity propelled me to search for them in her collection, but I was sad and disappointed to see that no poem was dedicated to the masterpieces of women artists.

 Women artists have worked as hard as men to create their masterpieces. If we celebrate art, shouldn’t we celebrate the art of women artists as well?

 Unfortunately, biases against women artists continue to be alive and well.

 According to a website from Yale University, research has shown that women’s art appears less frequently than men’s art at auctions and galleries. A study of Yale Art School graduates over 120 years suggests that institutions pose bigger obstacles than market participants. If you attend art auctions or wander through an art gallery or museum, you will find that the majority of artworks is likely to be by men.

 One study found that men’s work made up 96 percent of art sold at auctions around the world from 2000 to 2017.  This may be due to the biases of buyers, curators or museum managers against women’s works. Institutional barriers may play a role too.

 Women’s names are still less likely to be mentioned in books, so there is less awareness on their works. Therefore, curators need to work harder to support women that are not in the spotlight. The biases against women artists have been well documented, and I am sharing a few links at the bottom of this post to help you learn about this important issue.

 

  California Dreaming was published by Shanti Arts Press.

 I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for visiting My Writing Life blog, a space of awareness, reflection, inspiration.

 Till next month.

 

Supplementary reading material:

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/gender-discrimination-art-study-2171375

https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/

https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/is-the-art-market-fair-to-women

 https://www.npr.org/2020/01/24/799163534/gender-bias-reveals-consequences-for-female-artists

Ride Cycle The World by Eyewitness

 

  I am thankful to live in a place where drivers are respectful to bikers. I use my bike as a means of transportation whenever I can. It fills my heart with joy to see the smiles of children as they persuade their mothers to get out on their bicycles instead of using their car.

 The rippling effects of biking go beyond a simple ride. I cherish the sense of freedom and lightness biking affords, for it expands the mind and invigorates the body. Whether you choose a quiet ride by the pine trees, a jaunt through the countryside or the exploration of a city, you get the chance to appreciate the experience of being fully present, to absorb the unique beauty of each scene, and to inhale the scents with a curious mindset.  

 

You become motivated to welcome the surroundings with a renewed sense of wonder and delight.

 

 Ride Cycle the World takes the adventure to a new dimension: it invites us to use the bicycle for journeys across the globe.

 In this book you will find ideas to take your bike across various landscapes and cultures. There are practical recommendations, photographs and maps to inspire everyone. You can choose the routes that suit you.

 I haven’t finished this book because I like to savor it slowly. Every night before going to sleep I read three pages from Ride Cycle The World to go on an imaginary ride somewhere. Every page awakens the mystery of a new adventure, offering a path, trail, or road that regales you with ideas on what to enjoy about a specific place that will lead you to discover new sites and opportunities to rejoice.

 

  The book takes you to every continent except Antarctica… I don’t know if I will ever make these trips, but the marvel of any ride—even if it’s close to home—creates more space to dream and to relish the magic of every moment through a deeper perception.

  Who doesn’t love the excitement of reaching a special peaceful spot? When the city gets too noisy and crowded, a bike can help us find a place that leaves us in awe, a sanctuary where the mind rests and restores itself, where we feel a deeper communion with Mother Nature.

 

 Have fun reading more posts/blogs related to bicycling:

https://travellingtwo.com/

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a35866989/historic-women-in-cycling/

Bicycling with Butterflies, a review of Sara Dykman's book

The Creative Lives of Animals by Carol Gigliotti

 

  How do non-human animals’ creative processes contribute to the diversity of the planet we share? This question guided Carol Gigliotti through the maze of writing The Creative Lives of Animals. I had this book in my reading list before it won the 2023 Nautilus Book Award in the category of Animals and Nature, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn about this recognition.

  The author examines the scientific research on the multiple ways non-human animals create, blending into her narrative  insights, reflections and memorable personal experiences.

 Based on her detailed work of research, Gigliotti asserts that animals are creative in ways that are similar to humans and decidedly unique.

 Before delving into the examples of creativity in animals, she explores the concept of creativity, acknowledging some of the qualities that make up the mosaic of creativity, such as flexibility, curiosity, intelligence, persistence and comfort with complexity. Her book also reflects on how creativity intersects with empathy, cooperation and morality.

 The creative process engages emotional aspects as well as cognitive ones.

 “If you created anything, whether that something is a favorite recipe, a garden plan, or a new app, you know that thoughts about the past, the future, and the feelings of others often arise in the creative process you used to make that dish, plan that garden, or design that new app, and may influence it.”

  Traditional views of creativity used to be restricted to focus on the most celebrated human artists, scientists and innovators, but the concept has expanded to appreciate the creativity of ordinary individuals and the cooperation among groups of people. How can creativity play a role in a community and impact a culture? How does creativity manifest in the world in ways that go beyond the human contribution?

 “The creativity of animals exists on the individual, group, species and ecosystem level, and the loss of an individual animal is the loss of that individual’s contribution to those interactions.”

 We are only one species out of millions of species who inhabit the earth. The chapters of the book describe acts of creativity in various species of animals. 

 Over the last five years research has evolved considerably in the field of animal behavior. Non-human animals are no longer viewed as automatons that follow natural instincts but as complex individuals with personalities, intelligence, emotions, and even aesthetic sensitivity.  There is still a lot to be learned about their complexity.

  “I made the decision to focus on the creativity of animals not in comparison or in contrast to human creativity but to see both as part of a ‘deep source’ of encompassing creativity. “

 One of the most memorable experiences she shares in The Creative Lives of Animals takes us back to a remote mysterious place where the lives of humans are deeply intertwined with those of animals. Respect and knowledge are at the core of their coexistence. Her days there “opened her eyes to animals as members of families and cultures”. Gigliotti stayed with the Kitasoo/Xai’xais in the village of Klemtu on the island of Princess Royal in northern British Columbia, home to the Spirit Bear. There are still no roads there. “The ratio of humans to land is quite low and so, compared to many places on earth, untouched by humans.” The unemployment rate was reduced from eighty percent to ten percent. Money is used to protect the people and the animals, and to sustain their communities. The Coastal Guardian Watchmen protect the wolves, bears, raptors and other animals from trophy hunting.

 Gigliotti spent many hours talking to the people at Klemtu to understand the relationship between the community of indigenous people and the animals who inhabit the tribal lands.

  Animals that are considered “ferocious”, evil” or “hunting trophies” by other human cultures are treated with respect in Klemtu. Doug, a former chief leader, as well as other bandmates are very knowledgeable about bears and other animals in the region, and their curiosity and understanding of bears contribute to a peaceful coexistence.  For example, they understand the bears’ reactions to different colors. They’d researched this by wearing different-colored clothes on different days.

  After an interesting journey by tugboat through glacier-carved fjords, a visitor asked Doug about a case he had been carrying. The visitor was convinced it was a gun. Nothing could be further from the truth. The case contained a camera. Guns would have made things tense; bears and other animals would have treated them with distrust if Doug had been carrying a gun. Those were not needed.

  Perhaps her book will inspire humans to embrace ideas and actions that appreciate and respect the unique lives of animals as contributors to the diversity of the world. This intriguing book will hopefully encourage the newer generations of people to open up in the direction of new paths of cooperation and empathy not only toward non-human animals but also toward each other.

 I am sharing a couple of videos about the region and culture I mentioned in my post: Klemtu.

This one is about bears in Klemtu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTD4-FfRf3I

This one is about  how they have addressed unemployment and so much more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3JLBcLXnNA

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, you may be inclined to read my reviews on the following books:

The Wisdom of Wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher.

Sweet inTooth and Claw by Kristin Ohlson.

What A Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories and Personalities of Bees by Stephen Buchmann

 

  Bees remember and recognize human faces. I wrote about this on a post last year, and I mentioned some facts about the fascinating brain of a bee.

 The brain of a bee is about the size of a poppy seed, but it contains almost one million neurons.  I was thrilled to discover Stephen Buchmann’s book, which was published by Island Press this year, so I borrowed it from the library as soon as I learned about it.

 Buchmann is a pollination ecologist who specializes in researching bees. His book takes us on an adventure to explore their sensations, minds and experiences. His goal is to spark wonder and curiosity for bees, and to dispel fears. 

 Buchmann describes the structure of a bee brain and the ways it functions. I was astonished to learn that brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that exist in our own brains and influence our behaviors also exist in bees. For example, serotonin and dopamine are also found in bees. 

 What a Bee Knows reveals details about the intriguing lives of different species of bees. We learn about their behaviors, moods, nutrition and special abilities. Most bees feed on pollen and nectar.

 You may have heard about the “bugs” living in our gut, and how these bugs make up the composition of our microbiome. Our microbiome is linked to our health and general wellbeing. You will be surprised to learn that bees also have a gut microbiome. Researchers are actively studying their microbiome and how this amazing assemblage of bacteria, fungi and viruses is connected to their health. For example, Buchmann and his colleagues have found Lactobacillus in the gut of honey bees.

 Some of the components of the bees’ microbiome transfer from the pollen of flowers when the bees visit the flowers, and some of the protein from the microbes in the pollen are part of the nutrition of the larvae of the bees.

 Pesticides and herbicides in the environment cause a disruption of the microbiome of bees, and this has the potential to compromise their health. Currently, bees are in serious decline and there are many reasons for this.

  Climate change is an important one. The massive amounts of carbon dioxide spewed by burning fossil fuels continues to worsen climate change. Everybody is impacted by climate change. Bees are not an exception. Pesticides are fossil fuel- based, so they belong to the same issue that deserves our attention and understanding.

 Let’s share some figures from Buchmann's book to emphasize the need to protect bees:

"About 80 percent of the world’s 369,000 species of flowering plants depend upon insect pollination for fruit and seed set. More than 80 percent of the leading 115 major crop species worldwide depend on or at least partially benefit from floral visitation by animal pollinators. Pollination by animals, with bees predominating, contributes to an estimated 35 percent of global total crop production. Globally, the annual value of insect pollination of crop plants is estimated to be around 253 billion US dollars".

 Bee pollination improves both the quality and quantity of the crops. Food, fiber and beverage production depend on bees. Bees even ameliorate shelf life and commercial values. "We need bees more than they need us". 

  It is time to push human arrogance aside and do what it takes to support them. The good news is that we can help bees to survive and thrive by making mindful choices:

 

Plant wildflowers. If you don’t have a yard, use your window sill. Everything helps. Avoid buying hybrid flowers because those plants are selected to please humans, not pollinators, so they may have little nectar or pollen. Choose plants that are adapted to the local soil and climatic conditions. Native plants will entice a vast array of pollinators and will enliven your garden in delightful ways.

 Avoid using insecticides. Neonicotinoids, for example, are responsible for decimating bees and other pollinators and they still continue to be on sale.

 You can learn more about this here:

 https://wisconsinpollinators.com/Articles/Neonicotinoids.aspx

Roundup contains glyphosate, which affects the gut microbiota of honey bees. Other ingredients in Roundup are also toxic.

Avoid using lawn chemicals. Lawn care products contain hidden insecticides and herbicides. Besides, you risk harming yourself, your family and your pets. Enjoy the dandelions and clover. Remember that clover enriches the soil.

Avoid herbicides; they lower the number of blooms. Roadside weed blooms are food sources for various pollinators. Even though fungicides used on fruit trees don’t kill bees directly, they contaminate the food used for the bee larvae. This contamination affects the gut microbiome, whose integrity they need to stay healthy. 

Avoid mulching flower beds or paths. Thick-chipped bark mulches in flower beds harms bees. Around four thousand species of native bees in the United States are ground nesting. They need bare ground to make their nests.

Dead trees or limbs provide a habitat for leafcutter bees, mason bees, and other wildlife. Don’t remove them. 

There are projects you can join to support bees as a citizen scientist. You can also visit sites that post relevant information about bees:

https://www.beesinyourbackyard.com

  It goes without saying that everything we can do to address climate change is crucial  to protect bees as well. 

 Understanding the complexity of their brains and behaviors is an important aspect of the book. However, when the author compared the bee brain to the human brain he stated that human beings are born with a fixed number of neurons, and that this number does not change after birth. This has been debunked by research. Neurogenesis has also been documented in human brains, and it is also relevant to emphasize the concept of neuroplasticity. 

 Neuroplasticity is the process through which new connections and pathways develop in the brain, and brain stimulation plays an important role in boosting neuroplasticity. Doing activities that stimulate the brain, such as reading, learning new skills and other activities can help to foster neuroplasticity. The good news is that keeping a healthy lifestyle with adequate nutrition, sleep hygiene, exercise and meditation helps to support the neuroplasticity of the brain. The bottom line is that neuroplasticity happens in bees as well as in human beings.

  I found this amazing interview to Dr. Julia Basso. She is a neuroscientist, yoga instructor and dancer who researches the effects of yoga and dance on the brain. Last but not least, if you want to keep your brain healthy, avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs as part of your supportive plan.

 I never understood the fear of bees. I work alongside them without any kind of problem. If we treat bees with respect and consideration, they have no reason to attack us, so it is time to make choices that support their survival. We can all do our part to protect them. In doing so, we are supporting our own wellbeing as well as the present and future of all life in this beautiful planet.

 

References related to this post:

https://wisconsinpollinators.com/Articles/Neonicotinoids.aspx

 https://phys.org/news/2023-05-evolution-honey-bee-brains.html

https://beyondpesticides.org

 

The Impossibility of Love by Kate Wilson

 

  Kate Wilson sculpted a marriage between her poetry and Vincent Van Gogh’s artworks, evoking emotions and messages that capture the essence of his oeuvre.

  Each poem harmonizes with one specific painting. I read the book twice, because the second time I searched for each work of art. Traveling through time and space I dived into the soul of Van Gogh, revisiting the sense of communion he experienced with whatever or whoever inspired him to draw and paint.

   Kate Wilson’s poetry contemplates Vincent’s artworks with tenderness; it is rich in imagery, devoid of cliches, engaging.

 One of the saddest poems is about a woman called Sien. It relates to the drawing entitled “Sorrow”.  It is about the woman he loved, whose life was ruined by an addiction to alcohol. I’m only sharing a fragment of this delicate poem:

“She is sorrow

in pencil and parchment,

discolored over time.

 

I cannot see her face,

but I can hear her

shake and shudder

with the suddenness

of motherhood.”

 

  I believe, however, that the title of the collection, “The Impossibility of Love”, does not represent Vincent Van Gogh as a person and an artist. Vincent Van Gogh was love. He was inspired by love, and love was the foundation of his artworks and letters. Every medium he applied became an expression of it.

  Love was the light of inspiration that guided him through his creative journey.

  Kate Wilson’s poetry collection awakens all the senses and pulls at the reader’s heartstrings; she makes this possible through her artistry and emotional connection with Van Gogh. Her poetical world seems to paint at times her own platonic feelings for the artist.

The Impossibility of Love was published by Bosporus press.

I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

A Life of Service by Peter Coppelman

 

 “When my spirit is broken

I retreat to my spirit home,

The wilderness…”

Peter Coppelman

   An attorney turned into a poet--Peter Coppelman-- shares life experiences with candor and humor. It takes courage to expose one’s intimate thoughts and vulnerability. Coppelman’s poetry helped to save his life, building a path of resilience and gratitude.

 “Each day that I’m alive I have a choice:

To wallow in despair or to rejoice…”

  Coppelman devoted his legal career “to public interest work, trying to help make the world a better, more just, more peaceful place.” At the end of the book there is information about his legacy. The essence of his career was inspired by Murphy Bell (1930-2017), an attorney who worked to end segregation in school districts around Louisiana. 

  Some of Peter Coppelman's main accomplishments have to do with the conservation of public spaces that were endangered; he created new National Monuments that were threatened under the Trump administration; he also worked to support the rights of disabled people in California (You can learn more details about his achievements from A Life of Service).

   There comes a stage in life when one is inclined to reflect on the past and examine experiences from new perspectives, dredging up wisdom and offering inspiration for new generations of people. His poetical world sifts memories of childhood, youth and adulthood through a creative lens. Sometimes he quotes poets like Walt Whitman and Mary Oliver, merging their words with his own verses. This happens, for example, in his poem “I contain multitudes”.

 “So many personas, the list goes on,

When writing a poem I can choose one to don.

Worrier, sinner, athlete, musician.

The sky’s the limit of what my life includes.

I contain multitudes.”

 

  The poetry collection also reveals the ways the recent pandemic impacted his life and the lives of others, and how the power of his imagination had the potential to create a refuge in times of uncertainty.

  My favorite poems from this collection are “Dances with the Whales”, “Journaling” and “Baby Gordy”. 

  The only poem I disliked was the one about bullfighting. I found this poem to be at odds with the rest of his collection, and it contradicts his vision. I think that the cheering of a bullfighter indicates how the normalization of violence and cruelty influences societies, and this normalization blinds people to the tragic consequences of such attitudes and actions. Rules and regulations are not enough to work against acts of violence. A change of mindset is also required. The fact that he was not disgusted by the bullfighter's behavior is a clear indicator of what I am trying to convey through my words.

  Torturing and killing animals for amusement is unethical and disgusting.

  I now recall Mahatma Gandhi’s words: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”

  Bullfighting is an act of cruelty and it is not an acceptable “cultural tradition”. Even though 76 percent of citizens in Spain oppose it, it is still legal there. You can learn more about this issue by checking the site of the Humane Society International.

https://www.hsi.org/issues/cruelty-entertainment/

 

https://www.hsi.org/news-resources/bullfighting_how_help/

 

 I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed this post, you can check my writing on the following books:

Inside Animals Hearts and Minds by Belinda Recio

 

Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer Holland

 

The Animals Agenda: Freedom, Compassion and Coexistence in the human age by Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff

Six Hours: Running for my Life in the Grand Canyon by Rick Mater

 

 

 At age 64 Rick Mater’s goal was to run the Grand Canyon in less than six hours. His plan was to run from the top to the bottom and back: a 17-mile round trip.  The challenge had a caveat: Rick had suffered a massive heart attack five years earlier, and he’d had four stents placed in his heart.

  Marathon runners are at greater risk for cardiac events.  In his specific case the risk was even greater. His running habit had become a matter of medical controversy. Despite the warnings, Rick managed to resume his running routine while coping with the uncertainty of his medical condition.

  Rick Mater describes distance running as something liberating, exhilarating and fun. When he joined the Boy Scouts as a child, he did not feel at ease in the system imposed on him. His free spirit did not welcome the rigidity of such an environment:

“I’d been a Boy Scout once, when I was ten years old, only to find myself at odds with the rules and the structure, the quasi-military nature of it: uniforms, earning achievements, badges, learning the different types of rope knots…”

 He preferred to explore nature by himself: “The entire time I wished I could go off by myself to a lake that was nearby and just enjoy spotting sunbathing turtles. Maybe find some frogs and tadpoles.”

 The description of the geology of the Grand Canyon can be considered a metaphor of his own unpredictable situation when he made the decision to pursue his goal to run the Grand Canyon:

 “The Great Unconformity was off-kilter, full of faults, layers at sharp angles, and disorganized sections of hardened primal sediment.” His narrative explores the history of the Grand Canyon, incorporating Native American history, geology, and environmental concerns. It kindled my interest to learn more about the environmental challenges of the region.

 I did not know that so many people had lost their lives hiking and running in the Grand Canyon. Rick takes the time to share their heartbreaking stories.

   The author narrates the challenges of being a devoted runner while weaving into his memoir chapters about his past life: the crises of his youth, when he considered the possibility of ending his life; the laborious battle to become a parent after he married Kathy; the loss of their first baby (Josh) and the birth of their daughters; the first time he was diagnosed with coronary artery disease and the vulnerability he experienced when he was hospitalized for the first procedure (the angioplasty):

 “I lay on my own gurney, clad in a pale hospital gown, wearing only my underwear underneath, stripped of my Blackberry, cellphone, wallet, keys—all taken away in a bag of personal possessions along with my clothes and shoes. Kathy stood nearby, protective, running interference for me with the medical staff.”

  

 The end of the book has its own surprises. I avoid spoilers, so I will simply finish this post by pointing out that Six Hours: Running for My Life in the Grand Canyon is a memoir with the potential to inspire you to do whatever makes your heart sing, and to embrace your passions with joy and gratitude. It is about focusing on the juice—the life force-- that makes everything flow. Amid the uncertainty we may have to contend with, we can still claim our space to celebrate what our life force has to offer.

 Enjoy this reading adventure and ask yourself: what would you do if you knew you had six months left to live?

  Rick Mater’s memoir will lead you toward that question at some point, so be prepared… would you do anything different?

 

Richard Lewis Mater is a longtime runner and Emmy-nominated TV executive living in Los Angeles. He was born in Pinner, England, and grew up in California, New Jersey, and Munich, Germany. He has run the Grand Canyon twice as a cardiac patient. You can learn more about his books by visiting his site.

I received a copy of his book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

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

Running for Good, by Fiona Oakes

Chase that Smile, by Harold Cabrera