Day: August 16, 2021

New book release: ‘The Tree of Knowledge’ by Daniel G. Miller

‘The Tree of Knowledge’ is book one in The Tree of Knowledge series. Photo: amazon

Daniel G Miller is a writer and entrepreneur. He currently lives in Dallas with his wife Lexi. “The Tree of Knowledge: A Mystery Thriller” is his debut novel, the first in The Tree of Knowledge series. The second is “Of Good and Evil: A Thriller.” (amazon, 2021)

“The Tree of Knowledge: A Mystery Thriller” – Albert can see the future, he just does not know it yet. It is said that the greatest chess masters can envision a match’s outcome ten moves before it occurs. Imagine a person who can visualize ten steps ahead, not simply in the game of chess, but in every human interaction. Imagine a person who could anticipate what you would say before you said it, who could see a punch before it was thrown. Imagine a person who could see the chess game of politics, economics, and power itself unfold long before it happens. Imagine a secret that could make all of this possible.

Mathematics professor Albert Puddles is such a person, and as he is thrust into a murder and burglary investigation on the Princeton campus, he finds that there is such a secret buried in an obscure cipher. The discovery leads Albert to team up with an aging mentor, a curious graduate assistant, and an unusual “book club” on a frantic chase across the country to recover the secret and clear his name. Through this adventure, Albert rediscovers a woman from his past and is forced to confront his own understanding of love, rationality, power, and the limits of the human mind.

“Of Good and Evil: A Thriller” – The second book in the bestselling Tree of Knowledge Series

Albert has seen the future…does he have the power to change it? An unstoppable force is sweeping the United States. Powered by a secret ability to predict and manipulate events, Christina Culebra and her Red Army relentlessly accumulate followers with one goal in mind: Absolute Power.

While Christina and her movement captivate the country, the one man who knows their next move– who knows their every move–Mathematics Professor Albert Puddles, hides, grief-stricken from the loss of his one and only mentor. Hoping that Albert holds the key to solving the secrets of the Red Army, his comrades in arms, known as the “Book Club,” recruit friends and foes alike to bring him back from exile. But they may be too late, for a new enemy has risen to challenge Christina and disrupt the Book Club’s plans, a mysterious terrorist known only as “The Cipher.” Faced with twin threats to everything he holds dear, Albert is forced to use his singular power to decode the riddles of a dead man while reckoning with the ghosts of his past.

‘Of Good and Evil: A Thriller’ is book two of The Tree of Knowledge series. Photo: amazon

San Antonio Museum of Art unveils three completed community murals

Artist Sandra Gonzalez’ mural at Tony G’s Soul Food. Photo: San Antonio Museum of Art, used with permission.

On Friday, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) unveiled one of three community murals during a press conference at Tony G’s Soul Food. Three local artists completed the mural series as part of a generous grant awarded to SAMA by the Art Bridges Foundation earlier this year. The purpose of the three community-inspired murals is to celebrate the vibrancy and people of San Antonio. The murals are now on display at Tony G’s Soul Food (915 S. Hackberry), Wicho’s Mexican Deli (1110 N. Zarzamora St.), and SAMA (200 W. Jones). (San Antonio Museum of Art, 2021)

Designed by artists Suzy González, Victor Zarazua, and Sandra Gonzalez, and in partnership with San Anto Cultural Arts, the initiative celebrates the importance of community through the arts, connecting San Antonio’s culturally diverse neighborhoods and their traditions through a creative framework.

Artist Suzy González created the mural installed on-campus at SAMA. Painted on wood panels that were then drilled into the brick wall, the mural features the Yanaguana river surrounded by local artists, poets, and musicians that progress the community.

Artist Victor Zarazua represents San Antonio’s Westside at Wicho’s Mexican Deli. Victor planned his mural to be include several types of paint, including spray paint. His design represents the landscape in the area.

Artist Sandra Gonzalez created San Antonio’s Eastside mural at Tony G’s Soul Food. Sandra created her mural, which features portraits of Miles Davis and Etta James, using polytab. During a community painting day, volunteers participated in the mural creation.

Judge Nelson Wolff, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Commissioner Rebecca Clay-Flores, and Judge William “Cruz” Shaw attended the press conference and each shared remarks on the impact of art on our community and the hope that murals will continue to populate the Alamo city. 

The San Antonio Museum of Art serves as a forum to explore and connect with art that spans the world’s geographies, artistic periods, genres, and cultures. Its collection contains 30,000 works representing 5,000 years of history. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery on the Museum Reach of San Antonio’s River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art is committed to promoting the rich cultural heritage and life of the city. The Museum hosts hundreds of events and public programs each year, including concerts, performances, tours, lectures, symposia, and interactive experiences. As an active civic leader, the Museum enriches the cultural life of the city and the region and to supports its creative community.

Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that expand access to American art in all regions across the nation. The foundation strives to bring great works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of 150 museums of all sizes and locations, providing financial and strategic support for exhibition development, collection loans and programs designed to engage new audiences. Art Bridges funds projects that inspire deeper relationships between arts organizations and their communities, develop expanded relationships built on inclusivity and respect, and encourage meaningful personal connections that lead to stronger, more vibrant cities and towns.

Boysville hosts Wildly Magical Auction in the West featuring Penn & Teller

The 55th annual event is the primary fundraiser for the local nonprofit. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Boysville’s 55th Annual Wildly Magical Auction in the West, presented by WellMed and the WellMed Foundation, is set for 6:30p.m. Friday, September 17, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Stars at Night Ballroom. The event will be live again this year after moving online in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Boysville, 2021)

With sold out runs on Broadway, world tours, Emmy-winning TV specials, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and hundreds of outrageous guest appearances on everything from Fallon to Friends, The Simpsons to Colbert, Modern Family to Big Bang Theory; the magic of famed Las Vegas entertainers, Penn & Teller, highlights the evening emceed by local personality Chuck Cureau. Alamo city jazz musician Michael Alanis will entertain guests prior to the spellbinding magic performance of Penn & Teller.

Penn & Teller. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

“This is our largest fundraising event. Every bit of money raised at this event goes right back to Boysville for the recreation, education and therapeutic needs of our kids. If you can’t attend, there are still many ways the public can support this event through either auction bidding, raffle or direct donations.” – Beth Green, Boysville’s chief development officer

In keeping with city mandated safety precautions, the event will be limited to fifty tables, or five hundred guests. The public is invited to bid on auction items online beginning September 6, 2021. 

Now in its 55th year, the auction had humble beginnings. According to Green, it started in the barn on Boysville’s campus with livestock and chickens. About 20 years ago, the event moved off campus and has continued growing since, with sixty-five volunteers working to make the event happen.

Each year Boysville cares for over three hundred boys and girls on its campus. Boysville provides transitional housing and support to young adults who are exiting the foster care system. Former Boysville resident, Shaun Billings, CEO of IAQ Experts – a cleaning service specializing in indoor air quality solutions – will share his story as part of the evening program.

Other highlights of the evening include the Chicken Coop Raffle. There will only be two hundred tickets available at $100 each. Winners can choose from up to ten items valued at $250 or more. Green encourages the public to donate for that raffle as well as the silent auction. Sponsorships from a “Date Night Table for Two” for $500, $3,000 to $10,000 are still available, as well as donations to the Funds for the Future Campaign which goes toward underwriting the educational needs of Boysville residents – even through college.

To become a sponsor or donate to Boysville, contact Beth Green or call 210-659-1901.

Boysville has been providing a safe, family environment for children in need since 1943. Today, Boysville provides a continuum of trauma-informed services and care for children and caregivers affected by abuse, neglect, and family crisis. Through holistic wrap-around services, each child receives the opportunity to heal from past trauma while focusing on their future.