‘The Wind Thief’ by B. B. Griffith

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn books

Book 4 in the Amazon #1 Best Selling Paranormal Suspense series!

The Author

B. B. Griffith was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and he still wanders Denver to this day. He’s the author of many best-sellers across several series, each unique, but with a common theme of modern magic and mystery. He’s been called an author of contemporary fantasy, an author of modern westerns, and an author of metaphysical thrillers. Sometimes all three at once. His novels have been called “rare and imaginative,” “full of lovable, memorable characters,” and his personal favorite: “A literary breath of fresh air.”

From the Publisher

“A dark wind gathers on Chaco Navajo reservation, deep in the heart of New Mexico. Grant Romer, the Keeper of the secret bell, can feel it pulling at his soul. Caroline and Owen work as hard as they can to treat the Navajo, but the dark wind brings a desperation to their clinic that is beyond western medicine.

“A stranger arrives ahead of the storm. A powerful medicine man from a faraway clan who goes by the name Jacob Dark Sky. He claims he can heal the people of Chaco with a song. Joey Flatwood and a handful of the other old-school Navajo aren’t so sure. They know Dark Sky isn’t what he seems, and that the cure he offers could end up destroying the very people it’s meant to help, right along with the reservation itself.

“To save their home, they will need help from every plane—the land of the living, the land of the dead, and the cold, thin-place between. With the dark wind tearing down everything around them, Grant, Caroline, Owen and Joey turn to Ben Dejooli—known as the Walker—for help.

“But the Walker has gone missing.”

The Series

‘Into Thin Air,’ By Jon Krakauer

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn mountains, writing

“The 1996 Mount Everest disaster occurred on 10–11 May 1996 when eight climbers caught in a blizzard died on Mount Everest while attempting to descend from the summit. Over the entire season, 12 people died trying to reach the summit, making it the deadliest season on Mount Everest at the time and the third deadliest after the 22 fatalities resulting from avalanches caused by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 16 fatalities of the 2014 Mount Everest avalanche. The 1996 disaster received widespread publicity and raised questions about the commercialization of Everest.” Wikipedia

In 2023, 17 climbers died on Mt. Everest, eleven died in 2019, and eight died in 1996. Jon Krakauer wrote the book about the 1996 season, his first time on the mountain as a successful climber and a reporter.

“Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster is a 1997 bestselling nonfiction book written by Jon Krakauer. It details Krakauer’s experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a storm. Krakauer’s expedition was led by guide Rob Hall. Other groups were trying to summit on the same day, including one led by Scott Fischer, whose guiding agency, Mountain Madness, was perceived as a competitor to Hall’s agency, Adventure Consultants.” – Wikipedia

“Despite being nearly 800 feet shorter than Mount Everest, K2 is a more deadly mountain. Mountaineer Jake Meyer told Insider several critical factors contribute to making K2 so dangerous. On K2, mountaineers face constant 45-degree-angle climbs, no matter the route they take, he said.” Wikipedia.

Krakauer had criticisms the book, but I believe in it was as accurate as he could make it though climbers who did not come off too good slammed the book.

–Malcolm

N. Scott Momaday: Obituary

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn authors, writing

Navarre Scott Momaday (né Mammedaty) (February 27, 1934 – January 24, 2024) was an American and Kiowa novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet from Oklahoma and New Mexico. His novel House Made of Dawn was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969, and is considered the first major work of the Native American Renaissance. His follow-up work The Way to Rainy Mountain blends folklore with memoir. Momaday received the National Medal of Arts in 2007 for his work’s celebration and preservation of Indigenous oral and art tradition. He held 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities, the last of which was from the California Institute of the Arts in 2023, and was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Wikipedia

Pulitzer Prize

“A special 50th anniversary edition of the magnificent Pulitzer Prize-winning novel from renowned Kiowa writer and poet N. Scott Momaday, with a new preface by the author

“A young Native American,  Abel has come home from war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his grandfather’s, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world—modern, industrial America—pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, trying to claim his soul, and goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of depravity and despair.

“An American classic, House Made of Dawn is at once a tragic tale about the disabling effects of war and cultural separation, and a hopeful story of a stranger in his native land, finding his way back to all that is familiar and sacred.”

Review

“Beautifully rendered and deeply affecting, House Made of Dawn has moved and inspired readers and writers for the last fifty years. It remains, in the words of The Paris Review, both a masterpiece about the universal human condition and a masterpiece of Native American literature.” Birchbark Books. Momaday receiving the National Medal of Arts from George W. Bush in 2007

–Malcolm

‘The Waters’ by Bonnie Jo Campbell

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn books, writing

From the Publisher

“A master of rural noir returns with a fierce, mesmerizing novel about exceptional women and the soul of a small town.

“On an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp―an area known as “The Waters” to the residents of nearby Whiteheart, Michigan―herbalist and eccentric Hermine “Herself” Zook has healed the local women of their ailments for generations. As stubborn as her tonics are powerful, Herself inspires reverence and fear in the people of Whiteheart, and even in her own three estranged daughters. The youngest―the beautiful, inscrutable, and lazy Rose Thorn―has left her own daughter, eleven-year-old Dorothy

“Donkey” Zook, to grow up wild.”Donkey spends her days searching for truths in the lush landscape and in her math books, waiting for her wayward mother and longing for a father, unaware that family secrets, passionate love, and violent men will flood through the swamp and upend her idyllic childhood. Rage simmers below the surface of this divided community, and those on both sides of the divide have closed their doors against the enemy. The only bridge across the waters is Rose Thorn.”

From from Reviews

“Campbell, who lives outside Kalamazoo, Michigan, is one of American fiction’s leading voices about rural life: the struggle to make a living, the beauty of the wild environment, the thorny and sometimes violent relationships between men and women, and the economic and industrial pressures that threaten everything…filled with vivid descriptions of the diverse flora of this wetlands, The Waters is a realistic novel with a strong thread of fairy tale running through it[.] The Waters builds toward an incredible climactic episode that addresses the great divide running through this imperiled community.” ― Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Campbell has been exploring hardship, especially the hardships that independent and exploratory women have to work through, for most of her writing career. She knows that unexpected misfortunes have to be put up with, and the question is always whether to do it your own way or to give in to the people around you and embark on a life you do not want…The Waters is a thought-provoking and readable exploration of eccentricity and of all different kinds of love―familial love, romantic love, love of knowledge, love of animals, and love of one’s own environment, even when it is a difficult place to live.” ― Jane Smiley, Los Angeles Times Book Review

From the Writer

Bonnie Jo Campbell is an American Writer living with her husband and donkeys in rural Michigan.

Bonnie Jo Campbell is the author of the National Bestselling novel Once Upon a River (Norton, 2011), a river odyssey with an unforgettable sixteen-year-old heroine, which the New York Times Book Review calls “an excellent American parable about the consequences of our favorite ideal, freedom.” The book was optioned and developed into an award-winning feature film directed by Haroula Rose, which debuted in 2020.

Her first novel, Q Road, delves into the lives of a rural community where development pressures are bringing unwelcome change in the character of the land. Campbell’s critically acclaimed short fiction collection American Salvage (Wayne State University Press, 2009) was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critic’s Circle Award. The collection consists of fourteen lush and rowdy stories of folks who are struggling to make sense of the twenty-first century. She is also the author of Women and Other Animals, which won the AWP prize for short fiction; and the collection Mothers, Tell Your Daughters. Her story “The Smallest Man in the World” was awarded a Pushcart Prize and her story “The Inventor, 1972” was awarded the 2009 Eudora Welty Prize from Southern Review. She is a 2011 Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the Mark Twain Award from the Society for the Study of Midwestern Literature.

–Malcolm

Rising Ark Prices Worry Georgia Residents

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn writing

Everywhere floods and people are worried and why shouldn’t they be what with frogs falling from the sky? Lizards, too, in some areas.

Ark prices are rising faster than the flood waters. There are shortages everywhere. Ark handymen are seldom to be found. Where they (the handymen) can be found, hourly rates are $100000 not counting materials–and beer. Most of the handymen are drunk.

A man down in Cedar Town tried to build his own ark out of old washboards, plywood, and stuff out of the kitchen junk drawer. Damn thing sank. A man down in Cave Spring built an ark out of bathtubs and duct tape. Crate got all the way south to Apachilachicola.

Mostly, it’s filed-in basements and old stills gone to ruin.

–Malcolm

HOUSE PASSES FIRST FEDERAL BILL SHIELDING JOURNALISTS FROM REVEALING SOURCES

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Journalism, writing

Under the so-called PRESS Act Journalists Won’t be Compelled to Reveal Confidential Sources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 23, 2024
(WASHINGTON)— PEN America applauds passage in the U.S. House of a bill that will protect a fundamental press freedom and would be the first of its kind at the federal level.

House bill, H.R.4250, known as the PRESS Act (for Protect Reporters from Excessive Suppression Act) is “integral to protect journalists in reporting freely without fear of retaliation or court-ordered disclosure of information,” said Laura Schroeder, Congressional Affairs lead at PEN America, which has advocated with partner organizations for the legislation for several years.

“We thank Congressman Kiley and Congressman Raskin for their work to shepherd this bill forward successfully in the House and we urge an expeditious passage in the Senate,” said Schroeder.

While many states already have such protections, there is no federal law. The bill passed this past Thursday in the House would create a federal shield for journalists so they will not be compelled to reveal their confidential sources at the behest of the government.

About PEN America

PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.

‘John Dee and the Empire of Angels: Enochian Magick and the Occult Roots of the Modern World’ by Jason Louv

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn writing

“John Dee (13 July 1527 – 1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, teacher, occultist, and alchemist. He was the court astronomer for, and advisor to, Elizabeth I, and spent much of his time on alchemy, divination, and Hermetic philosophy. As an antiquarian, he had one of the largest libraries in England at the time. As a political advisor, he advocated the foundation of English colonies in the New World to form a ‘British Empire’, a term he is credited with coining. . . His goal was to help bring forth a unified world religion through the healing of the breach of the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches and the recapture of the pure theology of the ancients.” – Wikipedia

If you read about the hermetic philosophy and its impact on religion in non-fiction and fiction, or the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I,  you will sooner or later come across John Dee. His influene extended into multiple areas, one being his belief in the value of communicating with angels. Louv’s book is a well-written exploration of Dee’s life.

From the Publisher

“A comprehensive look at the life and continuing influence of 16th-century scientific genius and occultist Dr. John Dee

“• Presents an overview of Dee’s scientific achievements, intelligence and spy work, imperial strategizing, and his work developing methods to communicate with angels

“• Pieces together Dee’s fragmentary Spirit Diaries and examines Enochian in precise detail and the angels’ plan to establish a New World Order

“• Explores Dee’s influence on Sir Francis Bacon, modern science, Rosicrucianism, and 20th-century occultists such as Jack Parsons, Aleister Crowley, and Anton LaVey

“Dr. John Dee (1527-1608), Queen Elizabeth I’s court advisor and astrologer, was the foremost scientific genius of the 16th century. Laying the foundation for modern science, he actively promoted mathematics and astronomy as well as made advances in navigation and optics that helped elevate England to the foremost imperial power in the world. Centuries ahead of his time, his theoretical work included the concept of light speed and prototypes for telescopes and solar panels. Dee, the original “007” (his crown-given moniker), even invented the idea of a “British Empire,” envisioning fledgling America as the new Atlantis, himself as Merlin, and Elizabeth as Arthur.

“But, as Jason Louv explains, Dee was suppressed from mainstream history because he spent the second half of his career developing a method for contacting angels. After a brilliant ascent from star student at Cambridge to scientific advisor to the Queen, Dee, with the help of a disreputable, criminal psychic named Edward Kelley, devoted ten years to communing with the angels and archangels of God. These spirit communications gave him the keys to Enochian, the language that mankind spoke before the fall from Eden. Piecing together Dee’s fragmentary Spirit Diaries and scrying sessions, the author examines Enochian in precise detail and explains how the angels used Dee and Kelley as agents to establish a New World Order that they hoped would unify all monotheistic religions and eventually dominate the entire globe.

“Presenting a comprehensive overview of Dee’s life and work, Louv examines his scientific achievements, intelligence and spy work, imperial strategizing, and Enochian magick, establishing a psychohistory of John Dee as a singular force and fundamental driver of Western history. Exploring Dee’s influence on Sir Francis Bacon, the development of modern science, 17th-century Rosicrucianism, the 19th-century occult revival, and 20th-century occultists such as Jack Parsons, Aleister Crowley, and Anton LaVey, Louv shows how John Dee continues to impact science and the occult to this day.”

Publishers Weekly Review

“Louv (Hyperworlds, Underworlds) delivers an overwhelming amount of information in this sweeping attempt to reconcile two schools of thought about Elizabethan scientist John Dee (1527–1608). Historians concerned with Dee generally fall into two camps, writes Louv: the political historians embarrassed by Dee’s late-in-life angelic obsessions, and the occultists indifferent to Dee’s involvement in the development of British intellectualism and politics. By elucidating the “direct intersection between the forces of magic and the machinery of empire,” Louv, with moderate success, argues for the importance of Dee’s ideas throughout the last 500 years of Western history. ” (Click on PW logo for complete review.)

—Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of magical realism novels set in the Florida Panhandle.

They can’t cure what I got

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn writing4 Comments

I know that sounds like the opening line of a love song where the loved one is a dangerous thing. But alas, that’s not the case.

What I got, is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Everyone seems to agree that the bowels are irritated one way or another, but opinions are mixed about what causes it and what (if anything) gets rid of it.

The Mayo Clinic says, “Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder that affects the stomach and intestines, also called the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or both. IBS is a chronic condition that you’ll need to manage long term.”

I’m trying to discover what my “trigger foods” are in case that makes any difference in this ailment I’ve been fighting since June. A lot of the foods I like are on the don’t go there list. I’m drinking a glass one red wine right now. It’s on the might be good/might be bad list.

I can’t have cow’s milk or yogurt, apples, asparagus, wheat, broccoli, soy products, or sweeteners. I can have Lactaid, blueberries, hard cheeses such as feta, cantaloupe, potatoes, and lettuce. So, win some, lose some.

I’m looking at a diet called FODMAP, i.e., “What is FODMAP? FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols, which are short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that the small intestine absorbs poorly.”

According to Johns Hopkins,

“Low FODMAP is a three-step elimination diet:

  1. First, you stop eating certain foods (high FODMAP foods).
  2. Next, you slowly reintroduce them to see which ones are troublesome.
  3. Once you identify the foods that cause symptoms, you can avoid or limit them while enjoying everything else worry-free.”

My first thought is, that seems really tedious. But I have no choice. I’m testing red wine today.

A lot of people have IBS. Many don’t know it. Those who do know can find information at the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins sites, among others.  FODMAP diet information can be found here.

Now I’ve got the Gordon Lightfoot song “For Loving Me” stuck inside my head. I’m sure it’s about cauliflower and snow peas. I ate them with wild abandon, unmindful of the consequences.

–Malcolm

‘The Zohar’: the heart of Kabbalah

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Kabbalah

The Zohar (Hebrew: זֹהַר‎, Zōhar, lit. “Splendor” or “Radiance”) is a foundational work of Kabbalistic literature. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah (the five books of Moses) and scriptural interpretations as well as material on mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology. The Zohar contains discussions of the nature of God, the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of Ego to Darkness, and the “true self” to “The Light of God”. – Wikipedia

I once had a multi-volume copy of The Zohar in Hebrew and English, but donated it to a library when we downsized during the last move. I miss the volumes and hope that students will discover the books and along with them, the inner and outer universes.

According to My Jewish Learning, “The Zohar, however, is now one of the better-known works of kabbalistic literature, thanks to the early 20th-century scholarship of the German-born Israeli philosopher Gershom Scholem and to recent English translations. Though difficult to understand, due to the dense and obscure cosmological system the text inhabits, even in translation, the Zohar invites those willing to explore it into a fantastical universe filled with spiritual contemplation and insight.”

The Kabbalah Center, a website worthy of checking out if you are new to Jewish mysticism, says, “The Zohar is a holy book. Its origin is Light. Its purpose is to bring Light. Its nature and substance are Light, so much so that the mere possession of the Zohar can repel darkness and surround those who possess it with merciful protection. As Rav Berg wrote, ‘The Zohar represents humankind’s best hope of a solution to the chaos that has afflicted it since the beginning of history. Through the Zohar, we shall assuredly transform this planet into one of peace and tranquility.’”

Other reading and courses at sites like The Kabbalah Center, I suggest a good starting point book for discovering The Zohar is an overview such as Zohar: Annotated & Explained edited by Daniel Chanan Matt.

From the Publisher

“The best-selling author of The Essential Kabbalah now offers readers the best introduction to the Zohar.

“The splendor and enigmatic appeal of the Zohar, the major text of the Jewish mystical tradition, has never intrigued readers of all faiths more than it does today. But how can we truly understand it?

“Daniel C. Matt brings together in one place the most important teachings from the Zohar, the cornerstone of Kabbalah―described as a mixture of theology, mystical psychology, anthropology, myth, and poetry―alongside facing-page stories, notes, and historical background that illuminate and explain the text. Ideal for the first-time reader with no prior knowledge of Jewish mysticism.

“Guides readers step-by-step through the texts that make up the Zohar―midrash, mystical fantasy, commentary, and Hebrew scripture―and explains the inner meanings of this sacred text, recognized by kabbalists as the most important work of mystical teaching, in a way that is both spiritually enlightening and intellectually fascinating.”

After that, you might look into one of the English translations such as The Zohar in English by Tzvee Zahavy (Author), Maurice Simon (Translator), Harry Sperling (Translator), and others.

From the Publisher

“The Zohar is called the greatest work of Jewish Mysticism. From the Middle Ages to today people of all faiths have studied and pored over the Zohar to explore the mysteries of God and the universe and to seek knowledge of when the redemption of the world will arrive.

“The Zohar is a mystical novel whose hero is Rabbi Simeon son of Yohai, a rabbi and disciple of Rabbi Akiva from second-century Israel. The original Aramaic work describes how Rabbi Simeon and his companions wander through the hills of Galilee, discovering and sharing mystical secrets of the Torah.

“This large format 750-page edition presents the entire work in one volume in eloquent English as translated by several great scholars of the 20th century.”

The journey will take a lifetime. You’ve been warned.

–Malcolm

‘High Noon’

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Film

My wife hates “High Noon” and the theme song it rode in on. John Wayne didn’t like it either. I think it’s the perfect movie,  not necessarily my favorite but perfect in the way it was put together: the music, the ticking block, the fact it was shot in real-time, and the fact (which the Duke hated) that normal citizens wouldn’t help a marshal fight off a gang of bad guys that would function like a SEAL team compared to people who mainly used guns for hunting.

Wikipedia writes that “John Wayne was originally offered the lead role in the film, but refused it because he believed that Foreman’s story was an obvious allegory against blacklisting, which he actively supported.” Perhaps Wayne saw a correlation with the blacklisting nonsense, but I don’t. But then, I didn’t support blacklisting or the work of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

From the Amazon Listing

Classic western tale of a lawman whose retirement plans go awry when a revenge-seeking gunman and his gang arrive in town – will anyone stand with the marshal? Winner of four Oscars, including Gary Cooper for Best Actor.

Glenn Frankel’s Book’s Amazon Listing

“What has been often overlooked is that High Noon was made during the height of the Hollywood blacklist, a time of political inquisition and personal betrayal. In the middle of the film shoot, screenwriter Carl Foreman was forced to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities about his former membership in the Communist Party. Refusing to name names, he was eventually blacklisted and fled the United States. (His co-authored screenplay for another classic, The Bridge on the River Kwai, went uncredited in 1957.) Examined in light of Foreman’s testimony, High Noon‘s emphasis on courage and loyalty takes on deeper meaning and importance.”

From Variety’s Film Review

“The Stanley Kramer production does an excellent job of presenting a picture of a small western town and its people as they wait for a gun duel between the marshal and revenge-seeking killer, an event scheduled for high noon. The mood of the citizens, of Gary Cooper the marshal, and his bride (Grace Kelly), a Quaker who is against all violence, is aptly captured by Fred Zinnemann’s direction and the graphic lensing of Floyd Crosby, which perfectly pictures the heat and dust of the sun-baked locale.”

Yes, the film still plays well today even among viewers who know nothing of the HUAC/Blacklisting drama that was part of our culture when “High Noon” was made.

—Malcolm