#also the print he signed is just BEAUTIFUL and the fact the quote he chose is one i absolutely love I'm just!!!

[seaofashes]

Ben Starr is genuinely one of the kindest VA's I've met, he was a delight to talk to and nerd out over final fantasy with.

[thewingedwolf]

Not Telling: A Study in How Much We are Actually Told About The Characters, Part One of Two

AKA that meta I started writing/promised to post fully a year ago and then never finished or posted bc I’m a mess. It’s being posted in two parts because it got a bit long.

So we all have our own idea of what the characters look like although many people believe the characters look roughly the same, with some minor differences from headcanon to headcanon. But what does the text itself tell us? The answer is...both more than I expected but also in keeping with Not Telling, not a whole lot at all.

I want to start this with a caveat that I kept very good notes on TT, ACoK, and TaT, mediocre notes on KoA and passable ones for QoA lol. however, it does give us a decent picture of what everyone looks likes. This is like 70% quotes and 30% extrapolation, but I try to explain my thought process on some of my conclusions.

Eugenides:

There’s a few instances that I remember reading (mostly in The Thief) that I forgot to mark but I know all of those dealt with his height and hair - that his hair is long, that it’s dark, and that he’s smaller than Pol and the Magus. So here we go:

“..the man wearing it was tall. Taller than I was, of course, but taller than the magus as well.” - Note that he’s talking about the one of the gods here, which indicates that

eugenides is very short at this point

the magus when compared to other people is probably pretty tall

“Scabs that were black against my prison-fair skin.” - Indicates that his skin has lightened noticeably since he was in prison although that’s the only indicator we get about what he looks like until literally the very ending with...

“He mentioned an Eddisian mother to explain his dark coloring.” - Which is exactly what I mean in Not Telling - we are told enough to have a clear blue print of him, but we are left to fill in the details of how he looks.

About his wound: “it’s taken a divot out of your face...it might heal clean.” and “I was quite certain I’d have a feather-shaped white scar.” - Note that Eugenides thinks this is a sign of approval from the Eugenides the god.

We get just as little in The Queen of Attolia, although note that this is the first time we are getting Gen from someone else’s point of view, instead of him describing himself:

“...his dark hair covering his face...He’d grown...he was not quite her height, but with his hair cropped short under his helmet, she hadn’t looked twice at him when she had seen him.” - that’s the only real description we get of him in the beginning of QoA before It Happens, and it’s from Irene’s point of view. There’s also several references to him looking “young” “naive” and “guilless” - young pops up about half a dozen times, and she remarks often on him being “a boy” and “half-grown.” Obviously part of that is guilt, but I did want to note that when we’re in Gen’s mind, he doesn’t focus on how short or young he looks, but when we’re in someone else’s mind, they immediately zero in on how young and small Gen is.

There’s a lot of descriptions of him after The Thing but it’s all involved in how sick he looks ie bruises showing against his yellowed skin, being so pale that his scar looked dark against his skin, that he’s lost a lot weight, stuff like that. It gives us the sense that he is very sick but no real indication of how he looks when he’s not suffering from fever and blood loss.

“His dark hair blended into the darkness behind him…” - first physical description in KoA

“The Queen was several inches taller than Eugenides…” in KoA during the dance scene

“His usually dark skin was so pale the scar on his cheek showed against the lighter skin around it.” - during the assassination attempt

“Costis was sufficiently taller than the king…” - I think this is our first reference to Costis being very tall, but of course nowhere near our first reference to Gen being short.

“His face was pale, his normally dark skin yellowed.” - My note has nothing to do with his look, but the fact that his skin is usually dark but is now both pale AND visibly yellow makes me think his liver was damaged by the assassin and that’s why it took so long to heal.

“He chose Mede coats with the long bell sleeves because no fighting man who’d seen the muscles in the king’s wrist would have underestimated him the way the Attolians had. His other wrist with no hand at the end of it appeared oddly narrow and delicate. Costis tried not to stare and found himself looking instead at the king’s scars. The long line across his belly was an angry red, but there were other marks: ragged tears around his knees and elbows, and lighter shining bands around his ankles that could only be the mark of fetters, as well as the various lines left by edged blows on his chest and arms, and one long one on his thigh. There were also a number of bruises, some newly purple and black and some fading almost to nothing. Costis wondered where they could have come from.” - WHEW long description for the first time and its all about Gen’s scars.

“...skinny and prison pale, incongruous with the clean clothes the Magus had picked out for him.” - Sophos’ PoV from AcoK. This seems to imply that Gen is usually darker than he is in the Thief - which we’ve been told before, that he’s darker skinned but stints in prison and a number of serious injuries seem to frequently make him look sickly and pale - but also that he’s usually heavier - whether that means, like Sophos believes, that Gen is normally not as skinny or that he’s gained weight since becoming Attolis is anyone’s guess.

“I kept going until I could see his face, see every detail—the quirk of his eyebrow, the twist at the corner of his mouth, the mark on his cheek, where he’d said the Attolian guards had once shot him when he was running away…” - Kamet’s description of him.

“I remembered him as a boy, small for his age. I found him taller, broader in the shoulder, much older than the intervening years would explain, with a hook where his hand had been—wholly changed, in fact, but for the scar on his face and that smile.” - Gen is finally like a normal height lmao, but also he’s gotten bigger in general, which seems to imply IMO that re: Sophos’ assessment earlier, most of the weight (and likely muscle as Costis points outback in KoA) is the result of his time in Attolia and not weight he lost in jail. But whether THAT is due to him like, eating more potentially or having a different fighting style/routine that is bulking him up, or just a natural consequence of getting older or a combination of the two is again, your guess.

Helen:

“By far the least attractive of the women stood up.”

“She had black hair, like Attolia, and her gown was red velvet...tended to stand like a soldier. The ruffles on her shoulders made her arms seem long enough to reach to her knees. Her nose had been broken and reknitted crooked, her hair was cut short like a man’s and curled so much over her simple silver crown that crown itself was nearly invisible.” - all Gen’s point of view.

“She was short and too broad to be called petite. Her father had been broad shouldered, Attolia remembered, and not over-tall. Eddis had a serious expression.” - From QoA, in Irene’s pov. It seems the shortness of Gen is something that runs in the family.

“She’s ugly...she’s short, she’s broad-shouldered, and hawk-faced with a broken nose. I would say no, she is not ideal...I’ve seen men fall on their knees and get to walk across hot coals for her after one of those smiles.” - Gen talking about her with the Magus. I feel like it’s relevant that Gen calls her “the least attractive” when he’s with her, but only “ugly” when talking about her with other people.

“You look a little vulpine yourself.” - probably more a personality quirk than anything, but I still wanted to include it.

“Eddis reached to touch her own crooked nose. ‘If I laughed,’ she said, ‘it is only at the idea that we make a matched pair now, you and I.’” - for both her and Sophos here. Love flirting in the form of pointing out your irregularities, girl’s got game.

“The queen of Eddis is as beautiful as the day and as brilliant as the sun in the sky..he chuckled and quoted Praximeles about beauty being in the heart and not the eye..” - obviously Sophos’ opinion is colored by his love for her, but STILL, he does offer a description that she’s beautiful, is immediately contradicted by Akretenesh, and then basically thinks “it’s not my fault you’re stupid as fuck.”

Irene:

“Her hair was black and held away from her face by an imitation of the woven gold band of Hephestia. Her robe was draped like a peplos, made from embroidered red velvet. She was as tall as the magus, and she was more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen.” - Gen’s PoV in the Thief. We have a hint of his feelings for her in the way he describes her, and also there’s her Hephestia cosplay as well.

“Her hair was held away from her face by the ruby and gold headband that crossed her forehead just above her dark brows. Her skin was flawless and so fair as to be translucent. She dressed as always in an imitation of Hephestia.” - Gen calling out her Hephestia cosplay lmao. I also notice that she’s specifically not just “fair skinned” like Sophos or other Attolians, she’s described as almost weirdly pale.

Sophos:

I KNOW I forgot to mark a scene where Eugenides describes Sophos in TT as like...fair or pink-cheeked or something like that but I’ll be damned if I can find it.

“They were both obviously well bred...I wondered if they were brothers...the older one had darker hair and was better looking.” - obviously the older is Ambiades.

“One member of the crowd, a young man with a broken nose, a lip twisted by scar tissue, and dirty clothes that combined to suggest a person of violent and criminal habits…” - good description that also tells us that Useless the Younger looks significantly different since we saw him four books (and several years) ago. It’s not just that he’s older, or scarred, it’s that he *looks* dangerous now.

“I was taller than Malatesta by inches.” and “I wasn’t heavier than [Hyacinth] but I was taller and bore him to the ground.” - both give us an approximation of his height, weight, and strength.

“I felt my upper lip and rubbed my thumb against the scar tissue. I could feel it distorting my mouth. My nose had a new bump in the middle of it as well.” - scar healing badly

“Measuring myself against [The Magus], I realized we now saw eye to eye.” - considering several references to how tall The Magus is (which we’ll get to), this means Sophos is incredibly tall.

“...my hair all cut away and ragged.” and then they mention they dyed it. Once they get to Attolia however, “A barber came in to trim and shave us, taking off the last of my darker hair and leaving it tidy, if short.” So it’s gone back to his natural color, but this implies he usually wears his hair long.

There’s also a mention of him eating a lot, which isn’t a physical description, but does, IMO, imply something to his size - like how many sheer calories a lot of Olympic athletes have to eat a day.

“I smiled until I felt the scar tissue tighten...I had never let him see what I looked like when I smiled: my uncle.” - ICONIC.

ALSO - Sophos is frequently compared to animals. These animals include a lamb, lion, rabbit, bunny, puppy, and then back to lion.

Costis Ormentiedes:

I couldn’t find any description of him beyond a few references to him being tall in KoA which either means that I just missed it bc I got to emotional over KoA (which is likely) OR we don’t get a real description of Costis until TaT which is an interesting choice. ONWARDS:

“He was a very large Attolian…” - Kamet’s first impression of Costis, yet again reminding us how big Costis is

“He was a typical Attolian: sandy-brown hair, a broad face, light-colored eyes. Altogether he had a simple, straightforward look to him, and he seemed perfectly serious.” - gives us a general idea of what Attolians as a people look like.

“He was large, as I already knew, and a soldier. He had the scars on his hands and forearms and the unmistakable muscles from swinging a sword day in and day out. I had no doubt he was good at what he did - he rather reminded me of an ox, very strong, not terribly quick - but I thought killing was his work, not his pleasure….he moved easily, so he was no veteran crippled’s in his country’s service, but he was too young to have done his twenty years - my own age, or perhaps younger.” - Lots of information here from Kamet. The ones that stick out to me are: moves easily, which means Costis has likely not even been minorly injured before, but he has scars, which of course means he’s had a lot of flesh wounds. The other thing is that Kamet instinctively knows that Costis doesn’t like killing - I don’t know if that means Kamet is a good judge of character or if there’s something about Costis, whether it be the way he carries himself, or something physically like his expressions, his youth, his eyes, that tells Kamet this, but it *could* be something physical.

Kamet makes several references to Costis being hot lmao. He uses the word “attractive” several times in several different chapters and others agree with this assessment.

“She sent him to the potter to see if he could use a young man with a strong back.” - more comments about how ripped Costis is.

Kamet

Couldn’t find any description of Kamet in QoA, and he doesn’t really describe himself in TaT. I’m worried I missed something, but this is what I found:

“Normally as warm-toned as myself…” - Kamet comparing his own skin tone (undertone?) to Laela’s.

He also describes himself as small and skinny compared to Costis several times - once saying his face is roughly at level with Costis’ chest - and mentions flogging scars on his back.

EDIT: THANK YOU FOR COMMENTS, we get this like in QoA about Kamet: “The slave’s almond shaped eyes and red-brown complexion set him apart from the Attolians.”

—————

Not sure how to end this but anyway that’s what we’re given for the main PoVs. Surprisingly, we get more description for Helen than we do for Irene, and barely any for Kamet. There were some things that I had misremembered - I thought Gen was described as “brown skinned” but instead it’s “dark skinned” or “dark coloring” and I thought he described Helen as ugly more than once, but it’s just to the Magus, when they’re discussing Sounis’ potential marriage, which is....interesting to me, and sounds a lot more like Gen trying to downplay his cousin so the Magus will fuck off, especially when he offers Agape as an alternative that is, notably, prettier and also holds significantly less power. I also thought Costis was described as “blonde” or “fair haired” like Sophos but instead he’s “sandy brown” and I think the idea of him being Blonde was a fandom thing that I just misremembered.

[iwbfinterviews]

Jake Brown Interview

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Is there a particular reason you chose to write about music, singers, etc?

I didn’t actually, lol.  I’m a songwriter/producer first, I grew up playing and writing music but always wrote as a way to kind of get through school because I was terrible at math, sciences, tests, etc.  I think there’s alot of people in the music business who started out like that.  It kind of happened accidentally, I was working for a record label right out of college and started writing copy for their catalog titles, press releases, etc and it just expanded from there.   I met a literary agent through that who suggested I try to write a book, and we sold the Suge Knight memoir to Amber Books, who gave me my start.  Another big early foot in the door moment was when I had the opportunity to write books with Ann and Nancy Wilson & Heart in 2007 and in 2009 with Lemmy Kilmister and Motorhead.  Then the book nearly 10 years into my career that really kind of made me appreciate this career was the opportunity to work with legendary guitar player Joe Satriani on Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir.  I’d also started specializing in anthology-style books that feature LOTS of exclusive interviews in one book in chapter profiles so you could tell a bunch of people’s live stories at once, including the BEHIND THE BOARDS series, which began 10 years ago as a Rock & Roll producers’ series, the aforementioned In the Studio series with Heart, Motorhead, and others, and then finally about 10 years into living in Nashville I began working on the NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series and most recently the BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE book.  SO: the long answer to that question is, because I love telling the behind-the-scenes stories of both the hits and those who make them, be it songwriters or producers or drummers in the case of the BEYOND THE BEATS rock drummers series, or Hip Hop producers with the DOCTORS OF RHYTHM audiobook and upcoming physical version in 2021.  I’ve also been fortunate to write memoirs with some interesting characters like Kenny Aronoff, country rapper Big Smo and upcoming Freddy Powers The Spree of ’83 book which features Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.  So it's been an interesting run.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I work on several at once usually, that’s kind of my process, half day on one, a day on another, but for BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, I spent 4 straight months day in and out writing this book exclusively as it was over 600 pages.  I was reading the audiobook for Blackstone as I was writing it too, which was the first time I’ve ever done that.  Usually the audiobook is read after the book is completed.  Then it’s about a month of editing before its handed into the publisher.  So this was a real push, but it was worth it because of the feedback I’m getting first from the producers I worked quite extensively in many cases with on their individual chapters, and collectively in the book being a first of its kind for country music fans where they can read about how their favorite hits by country’s biggest stars were made while listening along on Spotify, iTunes, Tidal, etc.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Oh, I don’t know... I write every book thinking from the outset before I’ve even started putting words down to paper thinking about how that book will be marketed and promoted upon release.  There’s no point in writing something no one is going to read because when you get to the finish line you don’t have a gameplan on how to make readers aware of it.  Publishers, to be honest, can only do so much in that arena, every publisher’s publicist is usually like a social worker with 30 cases on their desk, so yours can only get so much attention.  So for instance, I always recommend to a writer to hire a great publicist and know that while that’s a considerable expense, it may be the best money you spend in getting the word out about your book because that publicist is working for YOU, not for 30 authors at once.  It's just a fact of the business that I think should get more light shed on it because you’re competing with that number I  mentioned above of 60,000+ books a YEAR coming out.  I also negotiate the right to press my own promo runs of 100 if needed because if not, you’ll wind up with a paltry 10 copies from the publisher, who for their own budgetary reasons, might not for instance be able to service all the physical review copies you’ll have to give away during the book’s promotion, whether to a disc jockey interviewing you on the air or the listener he or she is giving away a free copy to during that broadcast, as just one example.  If you don’t plan ahead for that, you’ll wind up paying that publisher $6 or $7 per promotional copy, which is something I’m SURE some of my own publishers would hate for me to pull the curtain back on, but its true.  Writers are paid LAST usually in the royalty chain, especially early on, but you move up in that order as you build a value into your name as a writer, which only comes with people hearing about you and your book.  So again, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST, HIRE A PUBLICIST!  Your agent can be helpful too, but its typically up to you as an author to maintain your own social media presence and look for every available avenue to spread the word about your book so it has a chance to be read.  This is equally important for newer or more established writers, because there’s always a new generation of equally-as-talented new wordsmiths knocking on those publishers’ same doors... 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

In a studio making music or writing books for the various publishers I work for, or recording audiobooks for Blackstone Audio, so it’s pretty time-consuming.  I did just sign a worldwide music publishing deal for my songwriting catalog with Streets Music and David Gresham Company.  So I’m lucky to stay busy, to be honest, you have to too make a living in the entertainment business.  I have a wife and a dog too, so I spend what time I have left with them. ☺ 

Your 50th book is coming out June 23rd, “Behind The Boards: Nashville”. Can you give us insight on what it will be about? 

First, I exhale deeply every time I get asked that because it's finally DONE!  I spent 2 years collecting extensive, first-hand – many for the first time in a book – interviews with 30 of country music’s biggest producers, and in some cases, that meant waiting for a break in their busy studio schedules to talk, in others it meant multiple conversations over a couple years as we wanted to make sure we had all their current hits as they kept banging them out, and in other cases, because of the sheer volume of their catalog – some of these guys have been in the business since the early 70s – it took that long to chronicle it all.  That’s just the interview process too, then I had to write it and I write everything in one shot vs. a chapter here and there.  Its to me like staying in character as an actor throughout an entire performance, and when you’re writing a book like this, you’re in a headspace that never lets you sleep because creative narrative is CONSTANTLY hitting you about specific hits, and there’s over 300 # 1s in this book.  Additionally, there’s an EXHAUSTIVE amount of research I do to source out certain critical quotes of praise, for instance, from way back in the 80s, 90s, early 00s, etc from magazines that aren’t even in print anymore, as well as supporting quotes from the actual superstars these producers work with in the studio, which also takes a great deal of time.  So after all of that prep, once you begin writing, there’s another 3-4 months before the manuscript comes to life as a finished product.

As a result of that, country music fans here are given arguably the MOST definitive to date book chronicling the stories behind the making of their favorite hits in the studio, again how those artists specifically and uniquely work at their craft – i.e. does George Strait sing each hit over 3 or 4 vocals or 25 or 30 takes, etc – as well as how specific # 1s within those individual catalogs of Greatest Hits were created in the studio.  Then from the other side of the boards, so to speak, you get the producer’s first-hand recollections of their own personal journeys from the time they could first crawl and walk and started discovering music to their teenage bands and first tape-recorder or 2-inch reel to reel or 4-track or laptop home recording sessions all the way up through their rise to become the biggest names in the business working in country music today.  

Collectively, BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE features Dann Huff, James Stroud, Jim Ed Norman, Dave Cobb, Justin Neibank, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Chris Destefano, Jesse Frasure, Norbert Putnam, Josh Osborne, Luke Laird, Clint Black, Frank Liddell, Shane McAnally, Jimmy Robbins, Josh Leo, Nathan Chapman, Paul Worley, Jeff Stevens, Jody Stevens, Bobby Braddock, Michael Knox, Don Cook, Frank Rogers, Joey Moi, Ray Baker, and Buddy Cannon, who did the Foreword, which was a TRUE honor.  Frankly, it was an honor to have every one of these legends speak to fans so candidly and openly about both their personal and professional lives in the music business.  Their stories are inspiring, ear-and-eye-opening, exciting, insightful, and hopefully educational for those kids growing up on their records now hoping to break into the same business.  So hopefully, there’s something for everyone who opens the book.

What were the methods you used to get ‘the’ interview with all the big names you’ve written about?

When you’ve been around this long, fortunately you can get in touch with just about anybody, whether they say yes or not to the interview is another story! (laughs)  But I’ve been pretty lucky, especially for instance with my NASHVILLE SONGWRITER book series, which has TWO volumes and 50 of the biggest songwriters in country music in the first two volumes, and a THIRD volume with another 30 legendary songwriters coming out at the end of 2021, and especially with BEHIND THE BOARDS: NASHVILLE, which has 30 of the most legendary record producers in country over the past 50 years, guys like Norbert Putnam, who ran Quad and produced Jimmy Buffet’s “Margaritaville,” Jim Ed Norman, who produced Hank Williams Jr’s Born to Boogie album, Ray Baker, who produced that whole 70s Honkytonk soundtrack including Moe Bandy, Whitey Shafer, and Merle Haggard and Freddy Powers among others.  Then you have the Millennial generation’s biggest names like Joey Moi, Dave Cobb, Dann Huff, Jesse Frasure, Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, Ray Riddle, and on and on.  

What do you think makes a good story?

Well, for this book, the most common thread woven throughout many of the chapters/live stories of these producers were the long-term working relationships they’ve  maintained with many of country music’s biggest stars throughout their entire careers or the majority, for instance, Jeff Stevens and Luke Bryan, Byron Gallimore and Tim McGraw, Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney, Michael Knox and Tony Brown, Frank Rogers and Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert and Frank Liddell, the list goes on and on as long as the Greatest Hits track listings do.  Equally as importantly for a book like this, is the fact it takes the reader quite literally inside the studio and pulls back the curtain on how their favorite country music stars record their biggest hits, and almost literally re-creates their recording from behind the boards by the producers interviewed.  Then on a totally separate front, from the academic side, its a 600-page book full of tips about how the recording process works from all sides, points of views, approaches, ages, and technologies, old and new, from analog to digital and the hybrid of both in the “in the box” generation of record making.  Hopefully, we’ve covered all sides of the process, that was the aim anyway so readers get a 3-D look, so to speak, at how the recording business really works.  

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I sold my first book to my first publisher, Amber Books, in 2001 and Tony Rose gave me my start in the business and I wrote for them almost exclusively for the first 5 years and 10 books of my career from 2002 to 2007.  So having a stable and still exciting publisher willing to take chances on you and equally-as-importantly, the kinds of books you might approach them with, is KEY for any new writer because writers must remember EVERY time a publisher takes a chance on their book, they’re putting real money behind it before they ever see a dime back.  It's a big leap of faith, and carries with it alot of obligations for the author, where it doesn’t just end with handing the book in, but also helping promote it and building a brand for your name so it can become more and more reliable for both readers and new publishers, as any writer’s goal should be to eventually build a catalog where they write for as many publishers as possible throughout their career.  But be prepared to start out writing for one, or anyone for that matter, who you can verify has a good track record as a publisher, or if they’re new to the game, doesn’t just want to put out an e-book, which anyone can do without a publisher, and is willing to commit to a physical pressing, and promotion of that pressing.  I wouldn’t go looking for advances on your first or even necessarily second book out, but start asking for them as soon as possible as its an important piece of the income stream for any working author, as much as royalties are later on down the road.  An advance lets an author know a publisher first can afford to put money into their book, and values them, vs. Alot of these starter deals that promise big back-end but nothing up front.  You have to be able to afford to take that hit once or twice out of the gate, but its not a career model any writer should plan on if they want to make a living as a working author.  The other reason I mention all this is because being a working writer is not just about the creative side of the process, but the entrepreneurial one too, because you have to be a self-promoter, and not be shy to doing interviews or promotion on social media, etc, as you’re competing with a THOUSAND new titles a week minimum these days between all the digital e-books and print books out there. I think the statistic was to be something like 60,000 books published in 2018 alone, so that tells you the competition you’re up against to even get a book sold to a publisher, let alone compete on bookstore shelves for the reader dollar.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

Of my own books, I wouldn’t say any are underappreciated, I’m grateful for the fact that people still read my books after 20 years and 2 or 3 generations of teenagers (which are a primary part of my reading audience) still buy my stuff.  I try to give them consistently interesting reading subjects, either in the personalities I co-write with – like country rapper SMO, whose memoir My Life in a Jar: The Book of Smo, was released in 2019, or the Freddy Powers Spree of ’83 memoir, which is presently in film development and that I co-wrote a screenplay for with Catherine Powers last year, that was also something different, and say something like legendary R&B producer/artist Teddy Riley’s forthcoming memoir Remember the Times, which we’ve been working on for the past 6 years off and on and is looking like it might be heading to Teddy’s fans’ hands in the next year.  One key thing I tell new writers when asked for input into starting a career in the current climate for our business is be prepared to commit as much time to a book as the artist needs, its similar to an album – if the publisher wants it on a deadline, be prepare to deliver, but getting an artist to open up in depth about their life takes time, both to build trust and to physically take the time to do the interviews not only with them in principle but also with the huge list of supporting cast members between peers in the band and business and family members and friends, record executives, peers, etc that usually wind up on those lists.  It's a process you should NEVER RUSH yourself, only move at the rhythm of the people you work with and for, and you’ll wind up working alot longer in the business than those who are in a hurry.  

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Haha, I actually have a folder called “Projects That Probably Won’t Happen” and its filled with all kinds of “famous” bands/musicians books that just never got off the ground for one reason or another, but they’re all under contractual deals where I can’t talk about them in case they want to put a book out in the future, and I hope they all do.  Sometimes you encounter someone who is thinking about writing a book but is really 10 years before they’re ready to, or they aren’t really committed yet past the concept, so you do some sample chapter interviews but it never gets past that starting line.  I’ve thankfully left on good terms with the majority of those names, but with 50 published books in my catalog, most of what I have committed my time to has thankfully made it to store shelves.  That’s important for any new writer to remember, because with every new book project you take on, you’re committing a year to two years of their life to that process from the start of interviews through the completion, handing it into the publisher, editing, etc.  Anyone in a rush usually isn’t going to get anywhere is what I’ve found, it takes time, even if your mind is moving a million miles a minute, and your ambition even faster, pace yourself and you’ll last a lot longer in the race I’ve found anyway (cheesy sports metaphor aside ☺).  

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

Haha, I’ve had some good and bad experiences there over the years.  I have NO problem with a consumer buying my book and then reviewing it one way or the other on say Amazon or Audible, etc, because that’s part of the business, but as far as book reviews from other writers, I just have to hope they like it and write fairly about it as it does matter impressionistically what readers then think of it as a potential product to buy and read themselves.  Sometimes, in walking the fine line I have to be between the technical and the creative in a series like this or Nashville Songwriter or say my In the Studio series, which has over 10 books in it alone, so you never know.  Its something I don’t pay alot of attention to as well because by the time a review comes out, the book has been out a couple months usually and we’re on the back-end of a promotional push, so if its a good review, it's a nice 4th quarter boost of coverage, and if it's not, then it's pretty buried vs. hurting the book’s launch on the front end.  I’m just being honest, sorry, but book reviews play a very MINIMAL role in most books’ launches if they’re properly promoted via author interviews, premier placements as we’ve done with American Songwriter, CMT, SoundsLikeNashville.com and others coming up, and for any newer writer, accept ahead of time that you’re GOING to get a bad review here or there, it's just part of the subjective review process, and doesn’t speak for your larger reading audience.  

Do you believe in writer’s block?

Not when you write for a living.  It's not a luxury I think any of the writers I know who work professionally writing books can afford, that’s why you have to follow the simple rule of A.B.W. (Always Be Writing) ☺.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Probably doing the same thing, writing is how I make a living, so it's will be with me until arthiritis set’s in, but I’ve got 2 screenplays in development and hope to have at had at least one of them produced into a film.  I’m not unrealistic to think that it will go to theatres, but I’d be happy to see a streaming service selection with my name on it as a screenwriter, there’s 3 or 4 of my books fortunately in that cycle right now so we’ll hope one or two of them make it that far.  Beyond that, I’m in the studio every week as I have been the past 20 years making music and will continue doing that, hopefully to a greater degree with these new publishing deals I’ve signed as I have over 200 released songs in my own catalog, none in Country lol, but I just try to keep putting out new creative product across multiple mediums at as prolific a pace as the muse allows without the quality of the end-product being compromised.  That’s the point at which I’d stop I guess, if the quality of the writing lessens to where people don’t want to read my stuff anymore.  Thankfully, I have built up a pretty loyal reading and retail-buying audience over the past 2 decades, and hope to keep putting out books that help music listeners understand how hard and still rewarding a business the record business is.  It's an amazing world to wake up working in every day, and I love helping musicians tell their stories on paper, so we’ll just have to see.  I hope to have hit 60 books by then, although my ultimate goal is another 50 over the next 10 years! (laughs)  Thanks again for your time and support of this latest project!    

[whataboutthepress-blog]

lit literature ~

A quote that I’ve taken interest in states that books are one of the best companions, better than people maybe. 

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

-Charles William Eliot (former Harvard president)

Basically you can find the best book ever and it literally becomes apart of you! It is in fact a beautiful union. Imagine finding your soul in print on paper shredded from trees bond together tighter than your lips go when you read about your favorite character doing a bad deed. My list ain’t that deep; that’s not what this is. 

But what I am here for is the Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen that i did promise. 

What is Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen ?  

Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen is a few books i read this summer of 2017 in my spare time. In between work and building other things in my life, i was able to knock out about 5 books, including a book of 4 short stories. This is nothing flashy. Probably books you've read already. But still...enjoy! There may be one that catches your eye. 

Circa June of this year, i was without a laptop and needed access to the internet. So like a regular citizen of a big city, i went to my local library and signed up for a library card. It started to be for computer purposes only, but im an avid reader (fan of recommended and passed on books) so it wasn’t very long before i made my way from the unreliable computer to the welcoming bookshelf. My love for literature runs deep! With that being said, I’m so happy to share my very first reading list, formally titled ‘Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen’ . 

I began my summer reading “Faithful” by Alice Hoffman. Faithful was one of three books I checked out at my first visit (the first visit to the library that was strictly for finding book companions). During that book-blind-date experience, i also checked out a mystery fiction book that I can’t recall and some other less interesting book i misjudged due to my lack of judging books by their cover. 

Faithful not only made my summer list, but also made my ‘all time fave’ list. (Yall will never see that list because i doubt I’d ever write it.) This book spoke to me so clearly. I picked it up that day at Kendall Neighborhood library less of any expectations. It turned out to be one of the most relative pieces of literature in my life thus far. Faithful is about a young girl getting into a bad accident with her best friend in their final year of high school. The accident ends up leaving the young lady’s friend in a coma for a very long time. There are many other vital details, but i was able to relate mostly to the depression the main character endured. No, i havent never been in a life changing wreck, but i deal with issues daily that add to my depression. This book gave me hope. It lit a fire in my soul and i now feel i have an everlasting flame. Alice Hoffman spoke to me, personally, through this novel. I would recommend Faithful to anyone that is somebody. To anyone who ever wondered how deep depression goes. To anyone who’s ever felt alone in a dark world and to anyone who’s ever needed lifting. READ DIS. 

Book number two on SRL2KS is an absolute classic, and you may have already read it! The timeless “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by the late and great Ms Maya Angelou. This was a first time read for me and actually a venture from my newfound library relationship. A good friend of mine received this Non Fiction paperback book from his niece, and I began reading it before he could even pick it up. Once i began to read and learned Angelou spent many years of her childhood being raised in Stamps, Arkansas, there was no quittin’ this book. 

I purposely chose this version of the cover because this is the exact one that i had in my possession. This is the story of young Angelou’s childhood alongside her brother. Raised by their grandmother (on the daddy side, you know how that go) and their uncle, Maya and her brother go through much in this detailed story of stories. Focusing on the trials and tribulations of young Maya, i would recommend this book for my young ladies. This is a must read for women all over the world honestly. Reading the hurtful and happy can grant one a new view on life and a few decent quotes to live by too.

Next on the great SRL2KS, i explored more African American authors! I found, what i would consider, a short story by a young adult/youth literature writer named Ms Jacqueline Woodson. The novel titled “Another Brooklyn” is a specially written story about a young, black Muslim girls childhood. This is not a religious story nor is it a kids book. It speaks on a young girl growing up around other girls and making a close knit bond. The girls grow together and the story continues to follow the young black girl and her little brother after they begin to reside with their father in Brooklyn, New York.

Woodson speaks and describes the bond of the girls so well to me, in a way i dream of expressing my thoughts. I took note of how she talked about them loving and lifting each other just to remember to share this novel with my daughter one day. I wont ruin the end, but everything wasn’t peaches and cream. With that, I still  recommend this novel to young women everywhere (not only women of color). It’s short, so it won’t take up much of your time, but it’s still nice to knock out a book by an AA author at any given time for me. 

Completely and fully inspired by “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing”, my next book is another Maya Angelou non fiction. “Mom and Me and Mom” is Maya expanding on her relationship with her mother, an exceptional woman mentioned in my first read by Maya many times. I too had a close relationship with my mother, so it was easy for me to pick this book up with an open heart. "Mom and Me and Mom” expands on a series of short, less detailed stories mentioned in IKWCBS. I was able to get to know Maya’s mother more and get an in depth point of view of their relationship. I can never think about this book and not think of my own mom lol.

This isn’t a must read IMO if you’ve read IKWCBS, but i still recommend this one for the lovers, like myself. If you love that warmer than fresh baked cookies feel or you absolutely admire your mom (again, meee), you’d enjoy a heartwarming story about an adventurous young woman and her ambitious mother. I loved this book!

In the summer of Seumteen, i aspired to learn. I took an interest into sign language which led to me looking into sign lit (sign language books lol) ! In the mist of it all, i did of course continue my reading *Stevie J nod*

My last and final book on my marvelous Summer Reading List 2 Kay Seumteen is by one of my all time favorite authors, Stephen King. My favorite book in the whole world was written by King under a different name. (I completely refuse to elaborate on my favorite book for future blog reasons) “Full Dark, No Stars” is just another opportunity for me to fall in love with King’s writing more. After reading this book of four short stories, I vowed to take advantage of all the Stephen King books at Ring Library, the local joint. Ring is a small facility, so it will take me no time to read the 8-10 Stephen King books they shelter. Also, things change when it comes to what the library has on shelf. 

In “Full Dark, No Stars”, King starts with a story about a man and his son in the 1920s having to make a tough decision that ends up creating a string of events you’d least expect. This story was one of my favorite of the four because it was rated Stephen King, or gruesome and skin crawling, and also humors under all the unfortunate events. The second story is a tale of a woman who is attacked while she is stranded roadside after not following her gut. In the drawn out story, the young lady seeks revenge, but the inside sleeve of this book will never prepare you for how deep the revenge goes. The third is pretty short and the biggest reach! A tale of a man who has been dealt a somewhat sad deal of cards. The father and husband is given the opportunity of a life time: to relieve his life of misery. Of course there is a condition or to this...other than the obvious cash money, the character’s genie also requests that this man allows his burdens to be placed on the one person he hates the most. The story pretty much left me speechless, in a questionable way. Lastly was my favorite of the four. An interesting story of a woman discovering the past and somewhat current life of her husband. The story has a twist that i didnt exect or regret. It really makes you wonder if you really know people too! I confidently recommend this book to readers with an imagination thats willing to get twisted. Stephen King never fails at making me grin after i turn the last page of his novels. This read was so good, i’m inspired to do a King binge and best believe a blog will follow :)

In review, take a peek at

Faithful by Alice Hoffman I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson Mom and Me and Mom by Maya Angelou Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

Enjoy, my fellow readers. And look out.

[projectmedusarp]

Welcome Bah! We’re pleased to announce your audition for Dante Oren Miller / Supernatural Strength has been accepted! Please send your account into the main within the next 24 hours. We can’t wait to have you join us!

{{ PLAYER INFORMATION }}

NAME: Bah

AGE: 23

TIMEZONE: GMT - 3

PRONOUNS: They/Them

ACTIVITY LEVEL: I can be on a little every day and most on the weekends!

PREVIOUS ROLEPLAY EXPERIENCE: I’ve been around Tumblr since… 2011 I think? But written roleplay ways before that. I joined countless Tumblr groups and ran a few rps myself!I usually recycle character blogs and I’m not really comfortable giving them as reference? Sorry it just makes me super anxious!

PERSONAL TUMBLR CONTACT: Link Removed

TRIGGERS: None

{{ CHARACTER INFORMATION }}

CHARACTER: Dante Oren Miller  (Nicknames: Ren)

PRONOUNS: He/Him

AGE: 22

FACE CLAIM: Bill Skarsgard

POWER: Superior Strength

QUOTE: “All cruelty springs from weakness.” 

PERSONALITY:

(+) Calm – Collected and demure, the end result of a harsh upbringing, abuse and social isolation, from nature as well, it’s very hard to make Ren snap or to pull on his strings. He always responds coldly to situations, not the type to be shaken by anything or upset, he won’t panic most times and is often considered ‘cold’ by some.

(+) Sensitive – Even if he’s calm and collected at all times, he’s a sensitive soul. Harsh words make him cry (in private), loud noises make him jump and he’s always deeply aware of his surroundings and everything. Small acts and gestures that most people consider nothing can either cheer him up or break his heart.

(+) Intelligent –  Booksmart and social smart, Ren was supposed to be the brains not the brawn (and he won’t have anyone tell him otherwise), he’s a studious, quiet kid who doesn’t like the moniker of genius but he does have a MENSA membership.

(-) Sullen – Long, gloomy silences are Ren’s specialty. When left alone to his own devices, though his powers aren’t weather control, he’s practically able to summon his own dark cloud, looming over his head. Most times, as soft and calm as he is, people tend to avoid Ren because of his usually closed-off semblance that is most unfriendly.

(-) Insecure – By the dark semblance always on his face and pulled up shoulders, no one would ever think Ren is remotely insecure, especially being who he is. But inside his mind is a shitstorm where he’s always second-guessing himself, hesitating and while looking cool, he’s going insane. It’s easy to tear away into his self-esteem by saying the right (or wrong) words.

(-) Passive -  Due to his quiet, reserved nature, Ren is most of a loner so people don’t realize how easy it is to push him around or making him a doormat. He’s incapable of fighting for himself or his wishes, he tries but he lacks the self-confidence and courage that takes to stand up to someone. He’d rather avoid confrontation at all times and please others.

BIOGRAPHY:

Golden boy from a golden family – Dante Oren was the cherry on top of the Miller’s perfect picture. Father, mother, older son, older daughter and the newborn baby, eight years younger than their twins. Father a rich politician, mother a famous attorney, all beautiful, healthy kids, a stable family, house in a nice neighbourhood on Georgia, picket fence and all. Dante was their most beloved, spoiled baby boy, a bright child that started talking before he knew how to walk. Smart, genius even they called him. His father was fifty years old, Dante was a mere five, when he was elected President of the United States of America. Needless to say that growing eight years on the public spotlight didn’t do any wonders for a boy whose nature was already shy. Worse so, for a boy whose public life was perfect but behind closed doors it very much resembled something like hell.

His father was an alcoholic with temper issues, his mother a depressed diplomat that kept her perfect façade using pills (her mind lost ways ahead), his brother ever so slowly crumbling under the crippling pressure of being the firstborn and his sister inhering their father’s own anger issues. In the midst of all that, Dante’s spirit slowly started to wither whatever much had bloomed. He dedicated his days to his studies, locked away in the isolation of his room – it was a good thing, he could live up to his parents’ and the country’s expectations. Dante even skipped a few years ahead though not many since his parents didn’t want him to miss the full ‘child experience’, or so they said. Truth be told, they didn’t wanted to be bothered with it – absent parents were better than overbearing, violent ones, as he learned it soon enough.

He was almost fourteen when his father’s second term came to an end and most of the attention died away, it now meant they had to go back to Georgia and get re-used to their former lives, if that was ever possible. Though his siblings were much happier, Dante wasn’t so sure about it, he had grown up in DC, after all. Though in the expensive school he had been enrolled during the past eight years, going back to Atlanta was odd and he had no friends, no one. Going to a new school gave Dante although a small hope, he was thirteen and on his second year of High School, he’d start new, make friends, be happy. He wouldn’t have to be by his father’s side so often either, it all looked up to a brighter future.

His hopes died as soon as the first bully bumped on him in the hallway and sent him toppling against the lockers. He knew exactly what that meant – for the next years of High School, Dante kept to himself. It wasn’t blatant. Never enough to warrant anything. Bumps and bruises, roughhousing and of course, it wouldn’t do a former president’s son whining at the smallest sign of distress or problem. It just wouldn’t. His father was a severe, demanding man who wouldn’t take it – and you didn’t fight for yourself? He’d demand and Dante never gathered the courage to tell anyone. No. He was “popular”, of course, rich and ‘famous’ to a certain extent, but he had no friends. Only those influential, equally rich and smart kids who had realized they could push him around at their will.

He was sixteen when he managed to get out of High School (well, fifteen, almost sixteen) and landed admittances to some of the best Universities in the country, along with a couple ones abroad, in the end to get as far away as possible from his family, to try and finally get a new life, Ren chose Columbia, in the heart of New York city. A big city, with too many people, he’d be just an invisible john in the crowd, no one would care to look at him, no one would bother with him, invisible, this time he could start over on his own terms. While his true wish was to join Juilliard, and follow a career in ballet or Columbia Visual Arts, he knew he couldn’t even dream of it without causing a rift in the family, so Dante accepted going into a double major of PoliSci and Law.

Five years later and ready to reach for a Masters Degree in the very same Law school, Dante finally decided he was going to move in definitely to New York City. It was the summer of his twenty-first year and he had convinced his sister to come stay with him after she had (another) fallout with their parents. It was a simple, one July hot night, Beatrice bought him some fancy new water thing before they were drove down to some famous restaurant when the truck hit Dante’s car full on, sending it right against a electrical post. From there on, Dante could only remember waking up in the hospital – a two week coma later. His sister did not make it. He also couldn’t hear anything, the fact he had survived had been pretty surprising.

At first Dante thought he was imagining the newfound strength – breaking small objects, crushing his cellphone’s screen three times on the same week. He only realized what was happening when a car almost ran him over and his hand ended printed in the car’s hood with a very defined outline. Confused and terrified of his new powers, whatever they may be, Dante started training his body by himself – working out a little harder, reading and watching things on fighting techniques. No idea where it came from but at least he wouldn’t let it hurt anyone, nor let himself show in no one else’s radar.

HEADCANONS:

(Dance Dance) – Dante took many kinds of lessons as a kid, from painting to piano to French to gymnastics and so on. He’s always loved especially gymnastics and dancing, specifically ballet and he did show talent for it from an early age. He was also very passionate towards visual arts in general, practicing over and over drawings and doodles at the corners of his notebooks. Of course, Arts wasn’t a proper or acceptable career for the son of an influential politician in the Twenty-first century so his parents quickly demoted him from anything serious regarding the arts. Still, living in New York he kept taking ballet lessons in a small studio in his off days from School, just for the sake of doing something small for himself.

(Misunderstood) – Though his name ‘Oren’ is from the Jewish side of the family, the nickname ‘Ren’ is indeed meaningful, given to him by the son of the Japanese ambassador in the US when they were both children. In Japanese Ren means Lotus, more specifically the Lotus flower that comes with a series of meanings, such as Patience, Love, Compassion and Loyalty. He never really got attached to those, not believing himself worthy of any name like that but as years went by, Dante decided to live by the name of Ren, or rather, try to live up to it. Being the best he could be, he even tattooed a small lotus flower on his left shoulder as a reminder. 

(What’s in a name?) - Dante was named after the main character and homonymous author of The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri and his siblings were named Virgil and Beatrice, the two other main characters of the book. They were named mostly because their mother loved the names, with no ulterior reasons but Dante does think there might be some irony.

(I Can’t Hear The Music) – The trauma of the car impact, (not to mention his sister’s death that he still refuses to talk about), has caused severe hearing loss of 98% on one ear and 95% on another, mostly rendering Dante completely deaf. In the past year he has been learning how to speak ASL but being raised as a typical southern boy, he’s afraid of showing any signs of weakness or needing others, therefore he always wears hearing aids and tries not to let people know of his disability. Due to the damage being caused by trauma, it’s hard for him to keep the aids on at all times and he hasn’t gotten used to it yet.

(The Best of You) – Dante has been taking weekly fighting lessons for the past three months, though he has to be very careful and most times avoids touching the coach. He’s signed up to an old boxing gym in Harlem and takes boxing lessons every Friday night with an old fighter. The man never asks many questions and pretends not to see every time Ren tears through a punching bag or destroys a wall. He’s not very good at it so far and still too scared, lacking confidence, but at least he did learn how to throw a punch. It’s also been helping him control his powers or the extent they can get.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (I have a lot of extras halfway done, I wanted to put in but I fear I won’t have time before the limit of sending the app, I’m sorry! If I get accepted, I’ll post it!)

[awomanafoot-blog]

Are you ready to get your mind blown? Go to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Surprised? 

This is not your old school museum with dusty artifacts and long, boring descriptions of events no one cares about reading. This is one of the most beautiful museums in the world. And it is not just my opinion! By the long list of awards it has received over the past few years it is pretty obvious a lot of important people think so, too. In 2016 POLIN Museum won the title of the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA 2016). In the Jury’s statement we can read:

POLIN Museum rose up to the challenge of creating an engaging and persuasive core exhibition without a substantial collection of artefacts. The programme of temporary exhibitions, educational activities, conferences, academic and artistic residences make the Museum a vibrant platform for dialogue and spreading the knowledge on Jewish history and heritage.

    Photo by Kamil Gradzki via

  POLIN Museum is, of course, a museum but also something much more. It became a very important place on the cultural map of Warsaw. Its stunning building hosts many events. Some of them are connected with Jewish culture, like workshops for families ahead of Jewish holidays.  Others support the POLIN Museum’s mission through organizing meetings with writers or activists, workshops, yoga classes, events for local seniors or lectures and classes. In its own words:

POLIN Museum is a modern cultural institution – a narrative museum which presents a 1000-year history of Polish Jews. It is also a place for meetings and conversations for all of those eager to learn more about the past and present Jewish culture, to confront the stereotypes, and to face the perils of today’s world such as xenophobia and nationalistic prejudices. By promoting openness, tolerance, and truth, POLIN Museum contributes to the mutual understanding and respect amongst Poles and Jews.

  Short but vital history of the POLIN Museum

The thought to create a museum of the history of Polish Jews was nothing new. Historians from the Jewish Historical Institute hoped to create such institution for a long time. But it needed the support of Polish government and huge financial help from abroad. Finally, in the beginning of the year 2005, the Polish Minister of Culture signed appropriate documents offering not just spiritual support but significant financial one. Now the JHI had to find funds to create the core exhibition.  

Photo by Wojciech Kryński via

POLIN Museum: the Building

The core exhibition is without a doubt a masterpiece. But it is not stored in some dingy old building. The structure is an architectural gem in itself. The place itself is steeped in symbolism and meaning. It is placed where the old Jewish district of Muranów used to be… After the WWII and the brutal fighting during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, there was nothing left here but a sea of ruins. Nothing. One of the first construction to be placed here was a monument to the Ghetto Heroes, designed by Natan Rapaport and erected in 1948. In front of it, for more than six decades was a huge empty square left for future plans. People knew, that there had to be something of a museum built later on.  And so the building of the POLIN Museum faces the monument, showing everyone that the history of Jews was so much more than just this war. 

POLIN Museum in the back with the Ghetto Heroes Monument in front.

Every year on the 19th of April there is a commemoration of the anniversary of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Here the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich recites traditional prayers for the Dead, Kel Maleh Rahamim.

In the international architectural competition organized in 2005, the project designed by a Finnish architectural office Lahdelma & Mahlamäki won. Four years later, the foundation stone was set in an official ceremony and the construction was completed in 2012. 

POLIN Museum: The Core Exhibition

The core exhibition takes visitors on a journey of 1000 years of Jewish history in Poland. What I loved the most in the way it is done, is firstly the highly artistic presentation (you can see it in the photos) and the approach to showing historical facts. Instead of long and boring descriptions of life and events, the creators chose to use quotes from thousands of primary source materials. Through very carefully chosen short quotes from memoirs, public documents, philosophical books, and chronicles, the life Jews is painted. We can learn not only about the history of Jews but in general about those times, about the history of Poland and generally of Europe. As Poland still waits for a high-quality museum of the history of Poland, this is also the best place to learn about crucial events in this country. 

The core exhibition is divided into seven galleries:

First Encounters (960–1500)

I think it might be still my favorite one in terms of the excellent artistic presentation. Using the typical style of medieval manuscripts, we can learn about first Jewish visitors and first communities. There are interactive maps, short videos, and audio narrations. Quotes from various chronicles describe the way Poland was viewed by one of its first chroniclers – Ibrahim Ibn Yakub, a Jewish merchant, and a diplomat from Cordoba who described all he had seen. We learn about first laws and privileges and the generally safe and secure lands of Poland to the Jews escaping pogroms in the Western Europe. 

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Paradisus Iudaeorum (1569–1648)

The year of 1569 is the year of the birth of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was a strong, rich and ethnically very diverse state. The title of this gallery – Paradisus Iudaeorum – Jewish Paradise – reflects the autonomy and legal rights Jews enjoyed in that time. Walking through the gallery you see how the daily life of Jewish citizens of Poland has changed – about the flourishing of Jewish cultural and intellectual life, and religious writings and publishing houses. There was no such phenomenon anywhere else in Europe. Jews could feel safe and were protected by the kings. One of most striking elements of this gallery is the huge model of medieval Kraków and Kazimierz. It’s not just informative – but simply beautiful with the moving quotes and images displayed on its bare white construction. 

In every part of the core exhibitions, there are interactive elements. Everywhere you turn there are touch screens or things to move, push and click. All quotes are in the original language (Polish, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew…) and then in Polish and English – so no worries! You will be able to understand everything. In this section, you can also make your own medieval-style print. 

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The Jewish Town (1648-1772)

We enter into this gallery through a narrow, dark and red corridor. It shows the dramatic and tragic events during the Chmielnicki Uprising of 1648. Thousands upon thousands of people lost their lives and the traumatic stories of what “the Kozaks” did, became part of the Jewish narrative. After this, we enter into “a shtetl”, a typical town where Jews lived. There is a home, an inn and a market where we can learn about the daily life of ordinary Jews. There is even a small church! But the thing that truly out-shines everything is the synagogue. Just look at this beauty!

“The Gwoździec Re!construction project included construction, painting, and educational workshops in eight Polish cities where students worked shoulder-to-shoulder with an international team of historians, architects, artisans, and artists specializing in traditional woodwork and polychrome painting.” Thanks to this amazing educational initiative the students and experts recreated the timber roof structure and polychrome wooden ceiling of the lost 17th-century wooden synagogue of Gwoździec.

In their own words:

In March 2013, the roof of the synagogue along with decorative vault were installed. The process of collecting and developing the documentation of the timber roof truss lasted nearly eight years. In 2011 and 2012 took place two editions of workshops, during which nearly 400 volunteers and experts from all over the world worked on the replica. In total, there were created more than 300 items, 29 sections forming the walls of the roof, plates with zodiac signs, 13 sections forming the culmination and the lantern – all covered with colorful painting depicting: 67 mythical animals, more than 1,000 flowers, bunches of grapes and doughnuts. In the works participated young people – volunteers from all over the world, mainly Polish, American, French, German and Israeli. Workshops were held consecutively in the existing synagogues throughout Poland, among others in Wrocław, Kraków, Kazimierz Dolny, Rzeszów, Sejny, Gdańsk and Szczebrzeszyn, as well as in Sanok, where in the open air museum there was built a timber roof truss. In each city, the workshops were accompanied by a rich educational-cultural program of activities, so that participants could deepen their understanding of the Jewish and Polish culture and get to know each other during these numerous fieldtrips, workshops and discussions.

I am pretty sure you understand why this is not just another museum! 

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Encounters with Modernity (1772–1914)

We enter now a very complex period. Those years are some of the most tragic for Poland as she lost its independence. Her lands were divided among three powers: Russia, Prussia, and Austria. In all three sections, the Jews had to face new challenges and political realities. Questions about tradition vs. modernity, adaptation, and assimilation, reformation or standing by tradition were common to all communities. During this time some chose to leave behind old traditions, pick new clothing and accept the Western style of life. Others decided to live as they always did. Still, others created new trends and denominations within the traditional body of Judaism.

Walking from one room to another we see how dramatically their lives were changing. Jews living in cities often were part of the cheap labor in freshly built factories, many were leaving their small towns and villages looking for luck in big, industrialized cities. Some traveled to yeshivas (Talmudic academies) or to their Chasidic rebbes for moral and ethical guidance. 

A beautifully made movie based on a diary showing the life of Yeshiva boys. It is made to look as if all was moving oil paintings. Fabulous!

Just look at the fabulous details of this gallery! The “train station” is a pure genius in how it shows the dilemmas of common folk. 

Don’t forget to grab a train ticket as a souvenir! 

Selling tickets at the train station 🙂

On the Jewish Street (1918–1939)

Oh, another masterpiece. The years after the Great War, in newly independent Poland, were fascinating. We enter a typical city street in a Jewish quarter with “apartments” showing various sides of communal and private life. We have the political section with a great collage of election posters showing how many various political parties there were in the Second Republic. Enter the cinema showing how the Jews embraced this new creation for a world of Yiddish films. We have a writers’ cafe and a Yiddish salon, perfectly showing how vibrant and rich Jewish culture was in that period. Don’t forget to go up – to see the way Jewish education looked at the time, with various types of schools and clubs. 

And to add the final touch – this street is exactly in the same spot where a pre-war Zamenhof Street used to be. Mind-blowing, isn’t it?

Just a few samples of election posters from the between-wars era

Jewish newspapers at a cafe

Jewish newspapers in Polish

At the movie theater

You can learn to dance, listen to gramophone and enjoy the typical entertainment of Jewish intellectuals of Warsaw

Holocaust (1939–1945)

First of all – if for whatever reason you do not want to see this gallery, you don’t have to. There is a turn right which takes to the exit hall. This is a difficult and heavy exhibition, which might not be suitable for children. Right away we see a big change in the way this gallery was designed. It’s not just in the images – the walls themselves speak volumes by the way they were built. 

The entrance into the WWII gallery. The exit is behind the spot from where the photo was taken.

Again relying heavily on personal accounts, memoirs, and quotes from official documents we go through the Nazi hell. Through personal artifacts, fragments of journals or letters, photos and short factual description we learn about those horrid times. 

We learn about the heroism of ordinary people who tried to hold on to their dignity and humanity through various acts of resistance. We learn about clandestine synagogues and schools, libraries and concerts, communal help and orphanages… We see step by step how the Final Solution took place and how Warsaw was to be cleared of Jews. Photos and documents describe the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the tragic consequences of German Nazi hatred. 

The dates and numbers show daily transport to Nazi Death Camps during the Final Solution period.

There was a tramway cutting through the Ghetto, which did not stop there. But passengers could see some of the tragedy through partially painted over windows.

Individual stories – to see them you have no choice but to bend down and look closer.

The evil minds behind the Holocaust. Their faces are hidden – only seen as a mirror reflection.

Rusty metal cage presents the story of Auschwitz.

  Postwar Years (1944 to the present)

What is unique about POLIN Museum, that it doesn’t stop in 1945. Even though only about 10% of Jews survived the Shoah (Holocaust) – the life went on. In an unprecedented way, this gallery is the only and best exhibition showing the times of communist regime. Even if it is focused on the Jewish experience, visitors can learn a lot about the realities of living under the tyranny of a totalitarian regime.

The wall of survivors cards – searching for relatives and friends. On the touch screens here you can see examples of such cards and learn about the people who wrote them.

Warsaw was destroyed in about 80%-90% but the Jewish district was nothing but a huge desert of ruins. There was nothing left.

Jewish “cultural club” during the Stalinist Era.

Anti-Semitic Propaganda of the 1960s.

Through fantastic visual elements, movies, and documents it showed the painful choices of Jews who survived. Many forced to leave Poland in 1968, after the government-sponsored anti-Semitic demonstrations. But still, some stayed. Some of them tried to hold on to their Jewish identity, some hid it deep inside, living a secret life. 

  The exhibition is not finished as the life continue. It shows only briefly the re-birth of Jewish communal life after 1989. But it has enough room to enrich this section in the future. 

  POLIN Museum: Beyond the Core Exhibition

Over the course of a  year, there are multiple temporary galleries open. At the moment of writing this article, there is one named, “Blood. Uniting & Dividing”. A year ago there was an exhibition on the art of the famous Frank Stella and his views on old wooden synagogues. There were meetings with contemporary Polish artists and a really fun one about the history of popular music written on gramophone records called, “Jukebox! Jewkbox!”. There are too many to post here, so if you are interested, you can check the list here. 

As I already mentioned earlier, POLIN Museum organizes many educational events, courses, and lectures. Its huge windows are symbols of its openness to the community of Warsaw and beyond. 

If you are interested to learn more about the history of Jews in Poland or about the history of your own family – head to POLIN Museum’s Research Center. They gather information available in a variety of institutions or museums and help to find your way through them. There is also a library of books, maps and other documents where you might find interesting to you information. They can even help you get in touch with a specialist in genealogical research to help you started with your own family investigation. 

I just love this crying prophet Jeremiah so much, I add him also at the end 🙂

POLIN Museum: Practical Information

Address: 6 Mordechaja Anielewicza St. It’s very close to the Warsaw center. You can get there by taking a tram (#15, 18, 35)  to “Muranów” stop and then walk a few minutes on Anielewicza str. or by bus (#180 or #111) – stops right in front of the Museum. You can also take a tram on the other side (#17, 31, 33) and from the “Anielewicza” stop walk or a few minutes. It is in a walking distance from the very center. 

Admissions, tickets, closed days and other basic information.

You will need at least 2-3h for a *quick* walk through. If you want to read each and every information there is, you gonna drop dead somewhere around the 18th c. Just accept you can only do some and return some other time. 🙂 I’ve been there already at least five or six times and love it each time, finding new things or unnoticed before details. I strongly recommend checking the Museum’s site to read more on its history, activities or to walk through virtual exhibitions. 

At the entrance to the Museum, there is a metal detecting gate. If you have any knives or sharp objects you will have to leave them at one of the lockers. There is also a place where you can leave your coat or a bag, free of charge. 

At the POLIN Museum, there is a cafe and a BESAMIM restaurant serving pretty good food buffet-style. There is even an option to order catered kosher meals – ask at the cafe (big sign advertising it). 

If you have read all the way here, it means you are a hopeless history buff and culture nerd. Congratulations! There is more of similar interest around here! You might be interested in those posts:

Underground Archeological Museum in Krakow – Unearthing a True Gem!

Okopowa Jewish Cemetery in Warsaw – History and Symbolism. 

The New Jewish Cemetery in Prague – Beyond Kafka’s Grave.

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I hope you can make it to POLIN Museum the next time you are in Warsaw!

Have you been there already? What was your impression? Share with us!

  POLIN Museum in Warsaw: Visit the Best Museum in Europe. Are you ready to get your mind blown? Go to the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

[amyriadofbooks]

Ahhhhh! I’m so excited to share my very first FairyLoot box with you all! I’ve heard amazing things about FairyLoot but have been hesitant to buy because the shipping is a bit pricey for the US and brings the box’s price to $50! Being an OwlCrate girl but needing a subscription box, I decided to take the plunge by skipping an OwlCrate in order to buy FairyLoot.

Well, I wasn’t disappointed! In fact, I loved every single thing in FairyLoot’s box! That rarely happens. Sometimes there will be an item from OwlCrate that I’m not fond of and mostly because I can’t get any use out of the item (especially jewelry since I don’t wear a lot), but I’m glad to say I’ve already used items from FairyLoot!

I love this quote, so I decided to share it with you all. :)

The art on this card is gorgeous, and tells us what’s all in the box.

How adorable is this Groot keychain from Funko? He’s my favorite character from Guardians of the Galaxy, and I’m excited to see him in the next movie! Who can resist him?!

A full-sized candle? Omg! :o This candle is inspired by the book and made by Happy Piranha. The scent is strawberry champagne and trust me when I saw it smells delicious! Even the bath bomb smelled so amazing I had to use it within a few days. The scent is Celestial Gunpowder and it was crafted by Bathing Beauties. It turned the bath water pink, and I wasn’t disappointed with the glitter!

Also, how gorgeous is that color?! The picture really doesn’t do justice to the gorgeous purple of the candle.

A lovely pouch by Alisse Courter inspired by The Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I actually really needed a pouch like this to hold my ponytail holders, hair clips, and other hair things, so yay! The coaster inspired by Illuminae was made by Read at Midnight. I haven’t read the series yet but I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about it. :)

Oh my goodness, guys! This print is my absolute favorite, and I love that it is double-sided! (I didn’t know that at first so I flipped it over to Dorian and freaked out, haha!) It was created by the very talented Taratjah, who also creates fanart from The Lunar Chronicles, ACoTaR, and Six of Crows to name a few.

This bookmark was made by Till and Dill who use watercolors. I feel as if this space girl would fit right into Star Wars or Star Trek… or even the book in this box which is…

Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza! The book came in an adorable bag and included a letter from the author, a signed bookplate, and an interview with the author. I also love how the FairyLoot boxes include a unique number so you can buddy read this book with them if you’d like! I haven’t posted it on social media yet but if you happen to be my buddy, yay! :D

This box also included a personal discount code for My Bookmark who have some of the most beautiful bookmarks I have ever seen! <3 There was also a sampler of The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr, a book I hadn��t heard of until now!

Now for the Instagram worthy pic… ;)

Receiving this box has made me all the more excited for this month’s box! It’s their one-year anniversary box, and I certainly expect nothing less than greatness!

FairyLoot just announced their April theme which is “Dreams & Wishes.” It sound so good too, but I think it’s already sold out! Keep an eye out for it though as it’s possible they may open it up again.

Also, if you aren’t tired of me talking about this, Kestrel (and I) made it to Round 2 of Book Madness 2017! You can read why I chose her as my favorite character here, and then vote for her (and me) here! Don’t forget you can enter for a chance to win cool bookish prizes, too!

FairyLoot’s February Unboxing! Ahhhhh! I'm so excited to share my very first FairyLoot box with you all! I've heard