Spontaneity and Perseverance

& SpontaneityPerseverance

INTVW by Jin Manson

Writers, as artists of the literature world, require a specific approach to their creative process to formulate a thought or idea, and express it in words that portrays their story. Leah shares how she gets her ideas and the essential key to her creativity.

“I’m a pantser. Much of the time, my ideas come to me as I go along, in a sort of lightning-bolt fashion. I have a general idea of what I want to write about, and I take it from there. I’m often surprised by the odd, random images that pop into my brain. Where do they come from? It’s an astonishing process, and spontaneity is a big part of it.”

When it comes to fiction stories, the third-person narrative is commonly used to provide multiple angles of the plot to the readers, resulting in a complex and rich story. However, there are some cases wherein a fiction story is narrated in a secondperson narrative, as the technique is executed meticulously in Dreaming of Canada by Leah Mueller, producing a unique and powerful perspective to the readers.

“I started experimenting with second-person narrative several years ago. The first time I ever saw it used effectively was in the novel “Bright Lights, Big City.”

I was intrigued by the way the technique fostered empathy for the main character. Since I didn’t start writing in earnest until ten years ago, I had to become confident with my writing style before I attempted second-person narrative. It just seemed to work for this story. I wanted the adult readers to identify with the mindset of a 13-year-old protagonist, and the technique was perfect for that objective.”

Choosing the right subject for a story can be tricky. Factors such as age, gender, and race all add up to the character’s personality that contributes to the epitome of a story. Readers can heavily relate to the transition of coming-of-age characters, as they depict the feeling of growing up and moving from a part of their life to the next.

“Young people are fascinating. They have many of the same hopes and dreams as adults, but they’re not nearly as cynical. As such, their perspective holds a freshness that is often not found in older folks. But children aren’t all innocence. There is a clarity to their perceptions that isn’t clouded by constant analytical thought. That’s why they so often say things that cut right to the bone.”

An author’s childhood plays an all-important role in their works. Their surroundings and upbringing strongly influences their perspective and serves as a foundation of their first few written works. Mueller expresses that the exaggerated realism of people and situations with a touch of satirism, much like the art of Norman Rockwell, paints the town she used to live in, which serves as the inspiration for the setting in her flash fiction.

“I spent part of my childhood and most of my adolescence in Tuscola. I still have dreams about the house my family lived in. It was both a happy and profoundly depressing time for me. The town always reminded me of a Norman Rockwell print, but with a sinister undercurrent. I was constantly reminded of the malevolence that lurked just beneath the surface.”

Living with and amongst others in this unpredictable yet beautifully chaotic world serves as inspirations for storytellers. Even in the most mundane situations, some can obtain creativity for an interesting story, just as Mueller states that she finds inspiration in things that most would consider prosaic.

“Much of what I write is fictionalized memoir. Some of it is more literal, and other works are more symbolic. I find inspiration in everything, including the parts of life that would normally be considered mundane. I don’t know if the mundane really exists as such. If a scenario seems mundane, perhaps we’re not looking closely enough.”

Writers, just as any persevering creative, progresses over time. In the first few years of her career, Mueller has been asked to write more prose, resulting in a more compressed yet powerful impact in her recent works. She shares that challenge and determination has molded her into the writer she is today.

“My work has gotten much tighter since I first started publishing in 2012. My interest in flash fiction has helped immeasurably with this process. How do you tell a dense, intriguing story using as few words as possible? I love the challenge. When I first began to write poetry, I developed a story-telling style that readers and editors either loved or hated. Folks asked me, “Why don’t you write more prose?” Finally, I took their advice. Now, my poetry is shorter, and my prose has become increasingly compact, yet more fluid.” “How do you deal with writer’s block?” is probably the most asked question any writer has encountered. A change of scenery, a breath of fresh air, or sharing ideas with like-minded people are a few common things that break the ice for most writers. Mueller has a different approach to the vexatious mental block, with a creative strategy and sheer determination.

“Prompts help a lot. I have a little plastic container filled with words that I sometimes use when I’m stuck. I’ll pull a word and use it as a jumping-off point. But really, the only way to get through writer’s block is to just plaster my butt into a chair and keep typing until the inertia goes away. Writing is like physical exercise—the endorphins don’t usually kick in until I’m about 15 minutes into it.”

Mueller continues to create captivating stories and poetry, as she shares her plans for her chapbook that’s in the works and how she coped with grief and loss by going on an unconventional road trip after a tragic experience of her beloved spouse.

“My books are evenly split between poetry and prose. I’m versatile in that way, though sometimes a bit scattered. Last summer, after my husband’s death from cancer, I took a road trip down Route 66. I did the entire route backwards, from Los Angeles to Chicago. Traditionally, folks drive from east to west, but since I live in Arizona, Los Angeles was a much handier origin point. Now that I’ve had some time to process the experience, I want to write a novella about it. In the meantime, I’m currently working on a chapbook of poetry, to be released sometime in the upcoming months.”

There are still countless untold stories and unheard artists yet to be discovered. Storytellers that have yet to make a name for themselves and create a remarkable impact in the literary community. In the grand scheme of things, it’s safe to assume that the world is favored with the entrancing works of Leah Mueller.

James Kalomiris

INTVW by Penelope

To understand the inner workings of the universe we must be open to seeking the truth outside of what we believe in. Whether that may be from different philosophies or religions, enlightenment is out there.

James Kalomiris gives us an in depth view of the Vedas, one of Hinduism’s most esteemed scriptures, in his book the Vedic Dharma. Thought to be among the world’s oldest scriptures, Veda is regarded as a gold mine of knowledge and wisdom.

NRM: Describe yourself briefly. What drew you to writing in the first place?

James Kalomiris: I graduated from State University with a Philosophy major. There are only two things you can do with a Philosophy major—teach or go into law. I chose to teach and was a teacher for many years. I taught at all levels—even at the University level as a student professor. Later, I decided to change careers and go into law. I graduated from law school and have worked in law firms since. Teaching and law are very writing-intensive professions. While I always wrote before, being a teacher and working in a law office has sharpened my writing skills. Even though they concern Vedic religion, I use the same legal analytics and writing skills in my books to extract the message of the Vedas.

NRM: What has drawn you to the Vedas?

James Kalomiris: Some years ago I injured my back. My doctor recommended therapy. I started going to yoga classes. I did, and I was blessed to find a magnificent yoga teacher. While we were engaging in the poses, she would explain why we were doing the yoga poses. I wanted to know more, and my teacher recommended several books on yoga. Being a bookworm by nature, I started reading anything I could find. One thing led to another. I started studying the Vedas. I was immediately transfixed by what they had to say. From the beginning and since its message is something very familiar to me.

NRM: What have you personally learned from nature and the cosmos that you apply to your daily life?

James Kalomiris: I learned how I am, everyone and everything is part of Nature---what is called in the Vedas “the One”--- and I act accordingly.

NRM: Do you think that other cultures would benefit from the knowledge brought by the Vedas? If so, how?

James Kalomiris: Absolutely. The message of the Vedas is part of the “perennial wisdom” which exists in all cultures and has always existed.

NRM: There is so much we can learn from the past. Do you think our modern times can reconcile with the ancient world?

James Kalomiris: I do. I think a lot of people are looking for answers, whether for personal liberation or life issues. I strive to provide Vedic lessons to the modern world.

NRM: How can we be open to old beliefs and philosophies without sacrificing what we believe in today?

James Kalomiris: By having an open mind. The problems we confront today are not new, and the Vedas can provide guidance. At its core, the message in the Vedas is consistent with modern beliefs. This is my goal in writing this and my other books, making the Vedas relevant to the contemporary world.

NRM: To people on a journey of enlightenment, what words of wisdom can you give them?

James Kalomiris: Life is not a destination but, as you said, a journey. Our lives, the experiences we have in life, happen for a reason. Many times we are not aware of why things happen, but there is a reason nonetheless. Still, despite our struggles in life, there is always Hope. This is symbolized in the Vedas with the constant battles between Indra and Vrtra. Their battle can be viewed as between Good (Indra) and Evil (Vrtra, the Serpent). They fight a never-ending battle. For the large part, Indra is victorious, but afterward, time and again, Vrtra reemerges. It is a never-ending battle. If I am going to leave the readers with something, it is “Never give up.”

James and his wonderful musings remind us how it is wise to take insight from a myriad of perspectives. It becomes restrictive and stale if you just take it from one place. He encourages us to study the Vedas and the holistic ideologies it provides and how to apply them in our daily lives.

John Shtino

INTVW by Penelope

John Shtino on America Today

Looking into unconventional ideologies, John Shtino shares with New Reader Magazine a whole different standpoint on controversial political figures, corrupt economic systems, and American democracy.

NRM: Tell us a little about yourself? What got you into writing?

John Shtino is an Albanian American son of Albanian immigrants born in 1943 in East Pittsburgh, PA. (Football— coal—Steel-and—and then Progressive union country). His mother was a homemaker and an Albanian poet—his father worked at the Westinghouse and was active in union activities—and his uncle was a very strong union man involved in progressive politics to include Albanian politics which he wrote about and studied extensively. After being in East Pittsburgh (“Old Green and White School”) up to the age of six, John moved to the East Side of New York City where he learned the ways of the world. In the coming years, he learned that he had a proclivity for poetry (almost certainly inherited) and a very strong interest in politics-public policy— philosophy—and government—graduating with a degree in Public Administration from Baruch City College of New York. In the many coming years—from say twenty to late fifties—while spending considerable time enjoying and writing some poetry and studying his public policy-oriented field of interest—the vast majority of time was spent in what some may call good time bad habit pursuits. At the age of approximately fifty nine, he had a near death experience which reversed his priorities dramatically to where he still spent some time on good time bad habit endeavors but spent an obsessive amount of time as compared to what the average human could expand in creating work product in areas of interest which produced work product to wit: Several books of poetry; A fiction book which is ready for publication on the good time bad habit epoch of 1960’s New York City entitled: “Purple Haze”; A massive public policy work entitled: “ A Public Policy Revolution Ending Four Decades (1970-2010) of Economic Stagnation and Three Decades ( 1998-2010) of Growing Income Inequality in the United States: Justice for All: A New Direction for a New America” is published; Three new inventions are ready for patent; a vast number of poems—public policy and philosophical/political articles and essays—and short stories—posted on facebook— and to what is the subject of this Author’s bio: The Chap Book and Posters related to: “ The Trump 666 Chronicles” to be published.

NRM: What compelled you to write this book? Was there a specific turning point in your life that convicted you in bestowing this knowledge to the world?

What compelled me to write this book is my love and reverence for an American Constitutionally due process reasonable freedoms law based Democracy that at least respects and aims for the goal of social-economic—and racial justice and reveres the precepts of an ethical culture (Honesty—charity—chastity--respect for facts—decency—fair play—respect for others and the elderly— etc,) society—and my belief that we are in the midst of a great civil war where America needs to move strongly toward fighting the fascist democracy killing Trump—666 led movement and bring the Trump 666 Russian collaborating seditious brown shirted traitors to justice. This book is therefore a call to arms and action trumpeting the fact that not one policy or set of economic or social justice policies are at stake here but the fate of this great nation as a bulwark of freedom standing strong against fascism whether in the form of the Third Reich—or The Dictatorship of the Proletariat— or Trump 666’s brand of American Hitlerism. The fate of one of the greatest nations in the history of man is at stake— the sacrifice of our Greatest Generation and their compatriots throughout the ages are at stake. Unlike what occurred in 1930s Germany where Hitler was given a “slap on the wrist” and went on to have sixty million people—and cities—and cultures—and societies–murdered or maimed in the holocaust of fascism—these American seditious traitors must be brought to justice and this cannot pass.

NRM: “The Trump-Mr.666-Chronicles: A Chapbook” is a head-turning title. Tell us about your thought process on picking the title of this book.

The thought process on naming the Chap Book, “The Trump 666—Chronicles” was simple in that Trump has not one single solitary redeeming quality and stands for the embodiment of evil on earth. For him—there are no means—however hurtful, disgusting, degrading, or lacking in common decency—that can be eliminated in achieving a goal even where that goal is as astounding as destroying American Democracy and overthrowing a valid election for President of the United States. He stands for everything and nothing in his quest for unlimited power and reveres authoritarian regimes. He degrades war heroes—calls those who serve suckers—lies with every word out of his mouth— instills hate for the other and plays this fascist Hitelerian scapegoat game to the hilt—he demeans the weak and infirmed—treats Ethical culture as an inconvenience—believes he has the godgiven right to grab a “Young girls’ ass”—his evil has no bounds and is so profound and his lack of any reflection related to an exercise of conscience is so great that he is the equivalent of the most evil forces that drove and drive men like Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Vlad “The Impaler Child Murderer” Putin. He is the personification and embodiment of Satan himself—and hence “The Trump 666 Chronicles.”

NRM: Your book questions how many Christian believers support Trump and his administration, although his platform may seem anti-christian to others. Can you tell us your thoughts on this?

In regards to the support for such an immoral 666 creature as trump is by a vast swath of Evangelical Christians, one can surmise that many support Trump because of his convenient late in life discovery of the abortion issue and his appointment of Supreme Court Justices who despite their lying assurances on Roe V Wade

will almost certainly impose their religious beliefs on the country and give the government the incredible power to force a woman to carry a pregnancy to term whatever the circumstance. Beyond the particular issue of abortion, these so-called believers in small government and individual freedoms support a very strong and large federal presence in a multiplicity of matters such as substantially eliminating the separation between church and state and allowing school prayer—financial and other support for religious schools—and a host of actions by government confirming their implicit and overt support of their version of Christianity as America’s state religion. It would seem that there is no immorality that Trump exhibits that cannot be forgiven or condoned so long as that immorality leads to the Evangelicals’ preferred policy positions. He—Trump so stands against almost everything that a true religion and ethical culture represent. This support along with the police state powers they would give the government to affect their policies would be remarkable were it not for the lack of principle in modern Conservative circles to include the religious right. In the movie, “The Devil and Daniel Webster”, the results of this support are made clear. For the few pieces of Gold furnished to them by Trump (strong support for their religious goals and Policies towards enshrining them in law), these religious zealots—the American Taliban—has no limits in the immorality they would stand for so long as Trump—the man who stands against almost everything that Jesus is for and for Everything Jesus is against—delivers the Judas pieces of Gold they seek. Religion—both on a personal and societal basis has much to recommend it but extreme religious zealotry and the harm it has caused throughout the ages is not one of them. Evangelicals are a clear example of this which leads to a rightful labeling of them as the American Taliban.

These Evangelicals have what they believe is a foolproof escape hatch for any of their actions on earth. They believe in the “Forgiveness Pass Sucker Play” which allows them entry to heaven so long as they repent and believe. Were it not for the immense power of the church bureaucracies who perpetrated this fraud to massively increase its power and allure, this belief would seem remarkable in its naivety. Unfortunately for these believers, they will learn that they cannot simply repent the cavalcade of their sins to include their heretical support of Trump 666 and be welcome to heaven. In this vein—as a strong believer in an ethical culture and what flows from that belief, I can see that the God that created the Universe would approve of a system that balances the plus and minuses of one’s good and bad actions on earth with a measure of repentance and faith when evaluating an individual on judgment day but that a “ Free I believe Repentance Pass” is a preposterous notion as it relates to this all-important eternal decision. Since it would be tragic to see the many who have consorted with Trump’s immorality that have been fooled by this scam, the chapbook covering this subject is a warning to Evangelicals that—unless they dramatically change their realworld behaviors—it is extremely unlikely that they will escape the rightful punishment of eternal hell. While this warning concerns many Evangelicals, it clearly does not apply to someone like Jimmy Carter, a truly remarkable religious man. He clearly has a strong faith in God and Jesus—He teaches the word of God to young and old—and lives his life in accordance with that word. He is a brilliant, humble, polite, considerate, and honest ethical culture giant that shows Trump, and his supporters, as the moral pygmies that they are. Carter has covered all the bases and is an exemplar of what religious belief combined with ethical culture can achieve—unfortunately, a minority in the Evangelical community.

NRM: Your book has lyrical elements in some parts. Can you talk about your writing style and what shaped it?

My style of writing just evolved as a function of my experiences and writings over time—naturally in the course of my pathway through life—consistent with my innate aptitude for poetry and creative expression which, in my view, is inherited and God-given and is difficult to achieve in the absence of this gift. The writing is almost at all times geared to as if I am talking the words to the audience in my natural cadence desiring to clearly express myself and leave puzzlement to crosswords.

NRM: What influences your daily life based on your political beliefs?

The guide post to my daily life both to personal actions and literary work products produced are the principles of an ethical culture. For me, they are the foundation of what American greatness is about. This ethical culture—among so many things—includes honesty, respect for facts, justice, self-reliance, charity, religion, racial tolerance, reasonable due process, freedoms-civic responsibility, and respect for the law. Respect for others includes the elderly—social, economic, and amp. Racial justice, and concern for others—and others like ethical culture values—are the bedrock of good American politics, policies, public policy, and life itself. These ethical culture values are so reflected in our Constitution and Bill of Rights that both are immortal beautiful documents. This ethical culture is intrinsic to all good religions but belongs to all including those who are not religious as it likely comes from the universal mind and forms the basis for what much valuable religious thought is and is the guidepost for a moral life irrespective of one’s religion. To the extent one can emulate the shining examples throughout history of the practice of ethical culture, that person enhances their moral potential. That is why my daily activities and work product, as applied to all matters, attempt to exhibit the virtues of an Ethical Culture.

NRM: Are you afraid of people’s judgment of your views of bureaucracy? How do you deal with criticism, if there is any?

I am not at all afraid of people’s appraisal of my views as a historical analysis of the past performance of bureaucracies as applied to all areas in relation to what has been achieved versus what can potentially be achieved in too many cases—to include most notably in the area of social-economic, and racial justice— demonstrates a substantial performance deficiency—a deficiency in many cases caused not by the imperfection of bureaucracies but actually reflect the efficiencies of same. Moreover, as these views are furnished to move the society toward actions I desire, the response and appraisal of the work are both essential and welcome and help shine a light on the society reacting to it.

NRM: What would be the ideal government system for America today? And why?

If there was a magic wand that could get the job done, my best choice for an ideal American government would be to transfer the British system to the United States and go for it. Inasmuch there is no magic wand, my choice would be to radically reform the American system covering many areas such as the election of the President and Vice President by a popular vote—implementing a one man one vote scenario—completely reform the Supreme Court to include term limits, qualifying criteria, and demanding more transparency and honesty in confirmation hearings—laws to protect Democracy—and other reforms to most importantly include the most critical one: Ending the Filibuster rule and massively enhancing Democracy.

In this regard, unless the so-called “Nuclear Option” of ending the Filibuster and implementing Democracy with a big “D” is accomplished, almost all good government imperatives will go nowhere. This so-called “Nuclear Option” of ending the Filibuster is in fact a rightful ending of the original Nuclear Option democracy killing Filibuster which exploded two hundred years after the beginning of the Nation without any basis in the Constitution and democratic rule. To those who say this is dangerous as minority rights need to be strong, we say enough is enough where the majority effectively needs control of both houses of Congress, the Presidency, and a majority in both houses—to pass legislation—with all of these being subject to the electorate every two years. Regarding this democracy killing Filibuster, was MC Connell worried about the “Nuclear Option” when he ended the Filibuster where high court appointments are concerned and went on to pack the Supreme Court? The answer is an emphatic NO and rightfully so on the part of Republicans who managed to gain control of both houses of Congress and the Presidency to do so. So let’s end the Filibuster, and get on with Majority rule constrained by clear electoral requirements and the oversight of future elections where a new majority can reverse legislation passed with such change often involving extreme political consequences from the electorate. As to Right-wing radical Republicans now warning about ending the Filibuster—who never saw a compromise they liked—and who tried to seditiously steal an election fairly won for “ The American Hitler” in grand New York fashion, our reply is: “ It’s good to be King.”

NRM: In your opinion, how can we transform the face of the country? What necessary steps do we have to take to achieve a true non-elitist democracy?

A plan to transform the nation is fully laid out in my book published in 2010 entitled “A Public Policy Revolution Ending Four Decades (1970-2010) of Economic Stagnation and Three Decades (19982010) Growing Income Inequality in the United States: Justice for All: A New Direction for a New America—presently being updated under the title: “Big Ideas for Big Problems Towards Creating a More Perfect Union and Better America.” The original book, and the coming update, deals with a whole host of actions which will change America dramatically by utilizing ideas only constrained by the principles of an ethical culture and the Constitution covering almost every conceivable areas: ending the Filibuster; reforming the Supreme Court to institute term limits, enhanced professional qualifications with less partisanship, and increase the emphasize on transparency and honesty with in-depth questioning in confirmation hearings; improving all aspects of increasing access to integrity-based voting throughout the nation; more laws to protect Democracy and the Bill of Rights; an increased reliance on fact analysis of problems and programs to create cost-conscious effective solutions to problems; emphasizing the tenets of the Bill of Rights; and creating programs to improve the indices of social/economic & racial justice in the United States; recognition of the clear indisputable fact of racism in the United States and the related history of slavery with programs to address the problem. Continuing this implementation in a more specific public policy vein: Management by objective forensic pay as you go balance budgeting; utilizing low interest rates to replace due on maturity government bonding with long term self amortizing bonding; completely and fully funding all government trust funds and insurance programs; treating government as a modified entrepreneurial earning entity which to the extent feasible earns a modified return for goods and services rendered to and on behalf of its client—the American people; completely reforming the military to a war last “far more boots on the ground” much more efficient cost conscious military force meeting all needs; utilizing the principle of public enterprise employment which will save massive monies, cut welfare, and meet needs in many neglected areas emphasizing the value of work to society; establishing a minimum living wage; entering into fair free trade agreements improving foreign economies while at the same time protecting vital strategic industries to the benefit of all and our balance of trade deficits; implementing a new green deal which will be a massive economic benefit to the United States—decrease reliance on fossil fuels from unreliable and sometimes unsavory sources—and finally realistically attack the existential problem of climate change; effecting Constitutional gun regulation in line with the regulated militia criteria in the Constitution; enshrining choice as the law of the land regarding abortion; strengthening the separation between church and State and freeing the country from the attempted dictatorship of the Taliban oriented American Right Wing Evangelicals; encouraging fair free enterprise in the United States with fair regulation to protect the public interest; and a whole hostof other ideas and policies to reform the face of the nation. Beyond the cavalcade of problem-solving ideas and policies already discussed, one of the most critical reforms will end the “Super Supply-Side feed the rich drip down Laffer Curve” economic system which has dominated America for most of the modern era. This deeply flawed system and its massive tax-cutting premises are clearly flawed and rather than leading to claimed growth where these reduced tax collections are more than made up for by tax revenues emanating from stronger GDP growth than would have otherwise occurred have in fact led to massive deficit and debt—economic stagnation as relates to the countries potential—and massive income inequality in the United States to the benefits to the top one percent of earners and detriment of all other Americans. The reform under our program will replace this oligarch entitled feed the rich system with a Demand Push economic system which recognizes that the paramount power and driving force of a most efficient economy is the labor, entrepreneurship, and demand created by the Lower, Middle, and Upper Middle classes of America. In this respect, a vast panoply of policies such as: the Living Minimum wage; fully funded government sponsored retirement and medical insurance programs; investments in infrastructure research and development toward creating maximum living wage employment; unleashing the immense economic growth to be derived from the Green New Deal; employing efficient and useful public enterprise employment to attack welfare and maximally enhance employment promoting fair free enterprise as opposed to regulations and rules which favor the select category of super wealthy Amercian oligarchs; encouraging honest unionization; ending all subsidies aimed at the super rich who pay for these almost criminal benefits thru political donations and the power of dark money; reforming a disgraceful tax system so that the very wealthy pay their fair share and return to the Treasury the trillions of dollars robbed by them with the help of Super Supply-Side acolytes—leading to fully funding needed programs, reduced deficits and debt, and much needed and fair tax cuts for all other Americans who have borne the brunt of this blatant robbery of the Federal Treasury over much of the modern era; and on and on towards implementing ideas and reforms to change the face of this great nation and create a far more just and better America.