Bipolar Bare: an Interview with Author Carlton Davis

Carlton Davis was born in Rochester, New York, one year prior to the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He attended public schools in Corning, New York, and Lexington, Massachusetts, and preparatory school in Western Massachusetts before earning a Diploma in Architecture from the University of London and Masters of Architecture from Yale University.

It’s during this time that Carlton Davis would discover, besides architecture, the many passions that would fuel his remarkable life: reading, writing, art, travel, and teaching. It’s also during this time that Davis would begin displaying symptoms of Bipolar Disorder, a powerful and debilitating mental disorder that, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, affects some 5.7 million American adults, or about 2.6 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year – with the median age of onset of 25 years.

With this mind, the LA Books Examiner highly recommends Bipolar Bare: My Life’s Journey with Mental Disorder, a memoir by Carlton Davis. An Indie Excellence Book Awards Finalist, Bipolar Bare is the true story of Davis’ life-long battle with this disorder – from its rise, progression and, most importantly, its resolution.

Based in part on 23 journals Davis kept over the years and five long years of writing and rewriting, Bipolar Bare is a labor of love with an interesting dual perspective: his own and what he calls his alter ego’s: Carlotta, a female muse who Davis describes as a “wraithlike observer, sage commentator, and humorous provocateur.” The division, Davis says, parallels the feeling that he had two people inhabiting his body. Writing the book allowed him not only to put his demons to rest, but Davis believes this book can help others “by providing a road map of one man’s journey from ignorance and denial to insight and acceptance of mental illness.”

Read the full review and interview at LA Books Examiner, where I’ve interviewed 25 authors this year.

Pause for Poetry: A Reading by Dylan Thomas

The acclaimed Welsh poet Dylan Thomas has been called one of the most important poets of the 20^th century and the most spectacular of the surrealist poets. Despite his early death at only 39, Thomas left behind a remarkable collection of work — including “Fern Hill” and, probably his most famous poem, “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night”.

With this in mind, let’s all hit the pause buttons on our lives for a few minutes and watch this haunting performance of “Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night” by Dylan Thomas.  

Watch the video at LA Books Examiner.

The Lady Matador’s Hotel: an Interview with Bestselling Author Cristina Garcia

Photo by Norma I. Quintana

Cristina García is the bestselling author of five novels: Dreaming in Cuban, The Agüero Sisters, Monkey Hunting, A Handbook to Luck, and The Lady Matador’s Hotel (coming in September 2010). Her book of poetry, The Lesser Tragedy of Death is also due out in 2010.

García’s work has been nominated for a National Book Award and translated into a dozen languages. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers’ Award, a Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University, and an NEA grant, among others.

Born in Havana and raised in New York, Garcia reaches deep into Cuban family life. Without slogans or stereotypes, she explores in her work the impact of the revolution on Cubans, at home and in the U.S. Her personal storytelling style and powerful imagery combine for a unique and memorable reading experience that gets better with each new book.

I recently had the great opportunity to meet up with Cristina Garcia and discuss her work and her life – and her two new books scheduled for release in 2010! Please take a few more minutes and read the interview at LA Books Examiner.

Pause for Poetry: A Reading by Dr. Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou is a celebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist.

She has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. Her script, Georgia, Georgia, the first by an African American woman ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Angelou has also received over 30 honorary degrees and is Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.

Probably best known for her memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which she wrote with the support and guidance of her friend novelist James Baldwin, Angelou continues to rise to the top of whatever field she chooses to pursue.

With this in mind, let’s all hit the pause buttons on our lives for a few minutes and check out this powerful yet playful reading of And Still I Rise, one of the most beloved poems ever written by an American.

Watch video reading at LA Books Examiner.

A Ghost from the Shadows: an Interview with Author Elizabeth Eagan-Cox

With Halloween fast approaching, there’s nothing more fun than some ghost stories you can share with the whole family. With this in mind, meet Elizabeth Eagan-Cox, author of the Shannon Delaney paranormal mystery series, G-rated “tea-cup” or cozy mysteries that the whole family can enjoy together.

The series is currently made up of three books, A Ghost of a Chance, A Ghost from the Shadows (Elizabeth’s latest work), and A Ghost Meets an Angel (due out in 2010). What’s great about these books is that Elizabeth’s background in nonfiction helps her creates an authentic and historic quality that you might not find in other similar books. Elizabeth enjoys digging up history through her own ancestry that is documented to the 1600s in America and to Patriots of the American Revolution of 1776.

 

Elizabeth lives in California and the California settings and history in her work also adds another layer of interest. In A Ghost of a Chance and A Ghost From the Shadows she used many elements of history to bring the story to life, including the study of late-nineteenth century sleight-of-hand magic, Victorian architecture, Craftsman bungalow architecture, and details regarding California’s founding Hispanic culture.

 

Elizabeth is a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, known as the D.A.R. She is equally proud to be a member of the Irish Clan Mac Aodhagain with headquarters at Redwood Castle, Ireland. The authentic spelling of her surname Eagan is Mac Aodhagain (“Mac Egan”).

 

Published by Cambridge Books, The Shannon Delaney Paranormal Mysteries are available at Elizabeth’s website where you can also learn more about her work.

 

I had the great opportunity to meet up with Elizabeth Eagan-Cox and ask her some questions about her books and her life. Please take a few more minutes and read the revealing interview below.

Read the full interview at LA Books Examiner.

Pause for Poetry: The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe

Simon & Schuster Edition

This week’s special Halloween Pause for Poetry features the classic poem, “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Originally published in 1845, “The Raven” was inspired by the talking raven in Charles Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge and utilizes the meter of “Lady Geraldine’s Courtship” by Elizabeth Barrett.

Without further ado, let’s all hit the pause button of our lives for a few minutes and watch “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, performed by Vincent Price in a short film directed by Johnny Thompson.

The lyrics are available below the video if you’d like to read along. 

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In Memory of Central Park an Interview with author Queenelle Minet

Queenelle Minet

Queenelle Minet

is an author, actress, activist and licensed psychotherapist in Marin County, California. Born in York, Pennsylvania, Minet attended Sarah Lawrence College and earned her B.A. from Penn State University in English Literature, and later earned an M.A. in theater from Northwestern University. She earned a second M.A. in psychology in 1982 from Antioch University West.

Minet’s debut novel is called In Memory of Central Park and has already won several awards since its release last year. For the LA Books Examiner, it’s easy to see why.

 

In Memory of Central Park takes place in New York City in 2050, but this is not the same city we know today. New York, which has seceded from the US, is ruled by the Liberty Party and its repressive henchmen, The Patriots. Due to population pressures, every street, park, and playground has been built over (including Central Park, which is just a memory as the story begins). In fact, all of the buildings in New York are now interconnected by a maze of stairways and passageways into a single, massive structure. To further protect the citizens of New York from a resurgence of terrorist attacks and a rising ocean, Manhattan is now encased in an enormous terror-proof cement shell, and no one is allowed to travel in or out.

 

But it’s within this dark world that the real story begins – a powerful story of human emotion and personal relationships that, thanks to some exquisite writing, outshines the darkly symbolic setting. The protagonist, Noah, a psychotherapist, falls in love with his brother’s wife, Margaret. And when the people of New York begin to mysteriously die (and the Liberty Party covers it up), these two lovers will have to navigate their forbidden relationship in this repressive and politically charged regime.

 

What’s really interesting about In Memory of Central Park is how it came about. Started in 1989 by Minet’s late husband, Dr. Aron Spilken, the book was never finished before he passed away in 2003. Minet, who always loved the book and its ideas, took it, restructured it, and finished it in the remarkable spirit of love and collaboration that clearly reflects their special relationship – a project that also helped Minet work through the grief of her great loss. Minet says the book is about 50/50 now, half her work and half her husband’s, but the collaboration is seamless and you really won’t be able to tell who wrote what parts.

 

It’s important to note that In Memory of Central Park is not really a Science Fiction novel. Despite its futuristic Sci-Fi setting, it’s more a literary novel that doesn’t quite fit into any one category. Readers and critics have compared this work to Orwell’s 1984, and I think you’ll find that the fine writing, satire, symbolism, and humor in the book all add up to make these claims quite legitimate.

 

In Memory of Central Park by Queenelle Minet is available now at Amazon.com or at her website, www.centralparknovel.com, where you can learn more about Minet and her work.

 

I had the opportunity to meet Queenelle Minet recently and ask her a few questions about her life and her book. Please take a few more minutes to check out this informative interview.

For a Girl Becoming; an Interview with Poet Joy Harjo

Joy Harjo

Member of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation, Joy Harjo is an internationally known poet, writer, and musician. Known for her passionate, musical “spoken word” performances of her work, which often include her playing the saxophone, Joy has written seven books of poetry and released three award-winning CDs. One of her best known and most beloved books She Had Some Horses (1983) is being re-released by W.W. Norton this year.

 

But it’s her latest book, For a Girl Becoming, scheduled for release on October 15th, that really caught the attention of The LA Books Examiner.

 

Beautifully illustrated in watercolor and pastel (on wood panel) by artist Mercedes McDonald, For A Girl Becoming’s rich, colorful images are a great match for Joy’s captivating poetry in this timeless tale that highlights a girl’s journey from birth and youth all the way to womanhood. Loving and positive, the story celebrates the milestones of life with the themes that appear again and again in the best of Harjo’s work: family, community, nature, and strength.

 

Unlike Joy Harjo’s award-winning children’s book The Good Luck Cat (2000), which is really for younger children, For a Girl Becoming is for readers of all ages, especially teens, one of these special books children and young adults will turn to again and again throughout their lives – and a great gift to share with friends and family this holiday season.

 

For a Girl Becoming is scheduled for release next week, but you can order copies now at Barnes & Noble. To learn more about Joy Harjo, visit www.JoyHarjo.com.

 

I had the great opportunity to talk to Joy Harjo about her work and her life. Please take a few more minutes to check out the interview below.

 

Interview available at LA Books Examiner.

An Evening with Musician and Author David Byrne

David Byrne, former lead singer of The Talking Heads, artist, and author of Bicycle Diaries, will be speaking on and moderating a panel called Cities, Bicycles and the Future of Getting Around at the Aratani Theater on Friday October 2 at 8 p.m.

Photo by Todo Mundo

David Byrne

*Complimentary valet service will be provided for those arriving on bicycles!

 

Purchase tickets online through www.aloudla.org or in person at the Theatre Box Office. (213) 680-3700. Proceeds support free ALOUD programs at the Central Library.

 

Signed copies of the new book Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne will be available.

 

About the Book:
For more than two decades a bicycle has been the principal means of transportation in New York City for David Byrne. David’s new book Bicycle Diaries chronicles his observations and insights as he rides his bike through major cities around the world, including Buenos Aires, Istanbul, San Francisco, London, Berlin, Manila, New York City, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Columbus.

 

Beyond the interesting and unique presentation, Bicycle Diaries is a great gift for fans of bicycles, travel, and 80s icon David Byrne.

 

To read an exclusive excerpt of Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne, visit LA Books Examiner.

CyberKill: an Interview with bestselling author Frank Fiore

Frank Fiore, author of CyberKill

We end New Voices Month with fiction writer Frank Fiore, author of the entertaining new techno-thriller CyberKill.

 In CyberKill, a brilliant programmer named Travis Cole inadvertently creates Dorian, an artificial intelligence that lives on the Internet. After Cole attempts to terminate his creation, Dorian turns to cyber-terrorism that not only threatens his young daughter, but could even destroy all of humanity. Fans of Tom Clancy, James Patterson and Clive Cussler will enjoy this entertaining “virtual update” on the Prometheus/Frankenstein myth.

 

What’s unique about Frank Fiore is that he is a best-selling nonfiction author with more than 50,000 books in print in several different languages. Despite his success in nonfiction writing, however, Frank’s goal since high school has been to become a successful novelist. And with his unique combination of writing and business experience, I think Frank has a major advantage over other first-time fiction writers.

 

To learn more about Frank Fiore and CyberKill, visit his website http://cyberkill.frankfiore.com/. CyberKill is available at Amazon.com or you can buy it here.

 

I had the chance to meet up with Frank recently and ask him a few questions about his book and his life. Please take a few more minutes to check out the cool video trailer for CyberKill below as well as my final interview with Frank Fiore for New Voices Month. 

 

Read the full article and interview at LA Books Examiner.