Category: Book news

Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center presents 6th Annual Noche de Romance

Noche de Romance, San Antonio’s premier mariachi event, returns to the Guadalupe Theater on April 23 and April 24, 2022. Photo: google

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center’s 6th Annual Noche de Romance, San Antonio’s premier mariachi event, returns to the Guadalupe Theater on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at 8p.m. and Sunday, April 24, at 5p.m., featuring the award-winning Mariachi Azteca de America performing an array of traditional Mexican love songs, boleros, baladas and rancheras. (Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 2022)

Audiences return year after year for the romance and grandeur of the night, along with the intimate setting of the historic Guadalupe Theater in San Antonio, located at 1301 Guadalupe St. Led by Guadalupe Traditional Music Program Director Gino Rivera, Mariachi Azteca de America’s versatile ensemble of musicians delivers dynamic performances of classic songs by Mexican musical luminaries such as Jose Alfredo Jimenez, Juan Gabriel, and Agustin Lara. This year, concert-goers will be treated to a special tribute to the legendary Vicente Fernandez, also known as “El Rey,” along with special featured guest Arturo Vargas, a world-class vocalist and member of the renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. Local talents Rhonda Garcia and Mateo Lopez will also participate in the program, which will open with the Guadalupe Youth Mariachi Ensemble.

Gonzaba Medical Group is sponsoring Noche de Romance performances, which are open to the public, on Saturday April 23 at 8p.m. and Sunday April 24 at 5p.m. Tickets cost $25, $30 and $35, and table sponsorships are available. The Saturday performance includes a preconcert reception for sponsors and members of the music academy. Noche de Romance supports the continued expansion and development of Guadalupe’s Traditional Music Academy and Youth Mariachi Ensemble. Funds from the concert help to ensure that the mariachi tradition lives on for future generations while supporting students’ public performances and the annual summer mariachi camp.

The medical group also is sponsoring special private concerts for the local senior community and area schools. The concerts are offered by invitation and will take place on Friday, April 22 for seniors and on Monday, April 25 for students.

Public Concerts:
Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8p.m.
Sunday, April 24, 2022 at 5p.m.

Special Private Concerts by Invitation:
Friday, April 22, 2022, for Seniors
Monday, April 25, 2022, for School Students

Guadalupe Theater
1301 Guadalupe St.
San Antonio, TX 78207

Admission:
Tickets available: $25/$30/$35
Table Sponsors available

The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center was founded in 1980 as a nonprofit, multi-disciplinary organization. Located in the heart of San Antonio’s westside, the Guadalupe is one of the largest community-based organizations in the US with the mission to cultivate, promote and preserve traditional and contemporary Chicano, Latino and Native American arts and culture through multidisciplinary programming.

Former Lost Boy of Sudan turns adversity into opportunity

Paulino Mamiir Chol’s ‘Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Story’ tells the story of his extraordinary personal journey from kidnapping survivor to leader. Photo: amazon

Paulino Mamiir Chol is an author and current PhD candidate dedicated to using his experience, expertise, and education to help his current community in the US as well as his East African homeland, South Sudan. For decades, despite multiple kidnapping attempts by the radical militias, airborne assaults, and the murder of his friends and family, Mr. Chol rose in the leadership hierarchy and helped over four thousand Lost Boys to come to America. Mr. Chol has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in Law and Policy from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. He looked death in the eye multiple times, surviving abduction, a 3,000-mile barefoot trek in searing heat across South Sudan, and unspeakable starvation during the Second Sudanese Civil War. His memoir, “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” tells of his extraordinary journey from kidnapping survivor to leader, showing how tragedy can be turned into triumph. (Mac Foundation, 2022)

As a member of the Lost Boys of South Sudan who led over 700 boys across three African countries, from refugee camp to refugee camp, Paulino Mamiir Chol is the only one in a position to tell this story. A testimony to the atrocities happening at that time—the killings and kidnappings committed by radical militias before and during the Second Sudanese Civil War—the book describes how the author had to build the grit, determination, and sheer organizational ability to save lives, and find freedom. In so doing, he also offers hope in the power of the human spirit to overcome trauma and tragedy—especially when we focus on serving others. “Leading The Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is part of Paulino Chol’s effort to fight the inhuman darkness we are all capable of, and to empower and inspire the hearts of those suffering.

“This book is a form of defense, and I promise to fight against inhumanity and human rights abuses. This fight consolidates my belief, faith, and hope in humanity, and human rights.” – Paulino Mamiir Chol

All proceeds will go to the Mamiir Chol Foundation (MACH), which will provide funds to villagers in Twic County for clean drinking wells, clinics, schools, and community centers. Proceeds will also support organizations working for human rights, homeless children, widowed mothers, disabled people, and to protect women and girls from sexual abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence. “Leading the Lost Boys: The Untold Journey” is available in digital and paperback on amazon and other major retailers.

Craig Lewis books on addiction and mental health

‘You’re Crazy, Volume Two’ by Craig Lewis. Photo: Craig Lewis, used with permission.

Craig Lewis is an Expert by Experience, a Psychiatric Survivor, author, a lifelong punk rocker, a fearless activist, a workshop trainer, and international speaker. Craig has survived a lifetime of struggle and has chosen not to waste it. Craig shares his experiences, knowledge, and lessons learned in the hopes of supporting others in living happier, healthier, and more satisfying lives. This is an ongoing journey and Craig, like all of us, is a work in progress. Two of his books are “The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” and “You’re Crazy, Volume Two: First Hand Accounts of Surviving Trauma, Addiction & Mental Health from within the Punk Rock Scene.”

“The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” is written by a human being who learned the hard way the difference between being alive and truly living. This book is intended to help readers figure out their true path. If you put in the effort, you will experience improvements. The bottom line is this: You, the person reading these words, have the power within to heal and become whoever you were born to be. That is the path that this author has chosen. May your journey result in healing, peace and love. “The Craig Lewis Guide to Surviving the Impossible” features fifteen passages and worksheets intended to encourage the reader to go within themselves and figure out how to heal what is hurting them.

“You’re Crazy, Volume Two” is a collection of personal stories written by twenty punk rockers from around the world. All of the writers have experienced trauma, addiction, and mental health struggles. As you read these stories, you will know both the pain and the beauty that makes these uniquely brilliant human beings who they are today. We are unapologetic for surviving. Instead, we choose to live the lives we deserve. We hope that others like us will read these stories and recognize that they, too, have the power to create the better lives they want. After all, we are Punk Rockers!

PP

Television adaptation: ‘Station Eleven’ by Emily St. John Mandel

The limited series adaptation of ‘Station Eleven’ is available on HBO Max. Photo: amazon

Emily St. John Mandel is a Canadian novelist and essayist. She has written numerous essays and five novels, including “The Glass Hotel” and “Station Eleven,” which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and has been translated into thirty-five languages. “Station Eleven” has been adapted into a limited series, which premiered on December 16, 2021, on HBO Max. It is an audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse—the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity. (amazon, 2022)

“Station Eleven” – Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end. Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. When they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. As the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

Excerpt is available here.

Book of the week: ‘Hyphened-Nation: Don’t Check the Box’ by Nicole Draffen

‘Hyphened-Nation’ focuses on ways the United States and our global community differ culturally, and steps citizens can take to create a non-hyphenated coalitional nation. Photo: Nicole Draffen, used with permission.

As a builder, a fixer, and a challenger, I love tearing things apart to understand them, and then try to prove or disprove their merit. This allows me to move through life with an air of certainty about what I know, and also what I do not know. So naturally when I lived abroad, the social and cultural consciousness of the people I met, and the things I observed inspired my natural inclination to understand and study the value of cultural norms. The more I traveled overseas, the more I grew to understand certain aspects of the American perception of culture. My journeys inspired me to write a book. ‘Hyphened-Nation’ by Nicole Draffen focuses on ways the U.S. and Europe differ culturally via media and how a bridge might be created. (Nicole Draffen, 2022)

‘Hyphened-Nation: Don’t Check the Box’ is an honoree of three prestigious Literary Awards, The Independent Authors Network (IAN) Book of the Year Award, the indieBRAG B.R.A.G. Medallion, and The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. The author’s travels overseas and time spent living in the United Kingdom inspired ‘Hyphened-Nation.’ Living abroad was an eye-opening experience; she grew to understand certain aspects of American culture better the longer she lived overseas. This book is about her insights, and experience of being treated as an American, rather than a hyphenated one. The difference was startling and lead her on a journey to understand why The United States is one of the only, if not the only country, that hyphenates its citizens by ethnicity before nationality. It is a journey of discovery in understanding that those same boxes we allow ourselves to be placed into as hyphenated-Americans, limit economic, educational, societal, and cultural growth. Her story focuses on ways the United States and our global community differ culturally, and steps citizens can take to create a non-hyphenated coalitional nation.

** Read a review here.**

PP

Book review: ‘The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment’ by Kevin Krenitsky, MD

‘The Still Point’ is Kevin Krenitsky’s new book on spiritual enlightenment and awakening. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Kevin Krenitsky has been, at times, a professional rock musician, a medical doctor, and a business executive. Despite leading a life deemed outwardly “successful,” he lived with a deep background of anxiety, fear, and stress that came and went since early childhood. At the age of forty, in the midst of decades of suppressing tremendous inner and outer conflict, he reasoned there must be another way. This “willingness” led to a decade of studying non-duality by way of “A Course in Miracles.” At the height of a successful business career, he turned away into relative isolation and soon found the direct path to the recognition of our true nature. One day in meditation, a thought came that a book called “The Still Point” would be written. Five years later, the first words arrived. Krenitsky’s “The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment” takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, ultimately leading to the recognition that our self-aware nature is happiness and peace itself.

“The Still Point” begins with an Introduction where the author explains that this book is about “discovering and living as your indestructible, true self, which is deeper than just the body and the mind.” He refers to our true self as the Still Point and defines it as the experience of recognizing our own awareness; simply put: “being aware of being aware.” According to him, our unconscious living has not only created stress, anxiety, wars, and famine, but our choices have brought us to the edge of mass destruction. The earth has suffered greatly from our collective human unconsciousness. With this book, he shows us how to discover and live our lives in alignment with our true self. Each chapter begins with an introduction of the subject and is followed by a question and answer discussion. Some of the questions are from people he has encountered but most of them are questions he himself has had in his journey to self-discovery. The book is divided into two parts: the first has chapters such as The Discovery of Our True Nature, The Healing of Our Relationships, and Awakening and the Limits of the Mind; the second part deals with subjects such as Taking Responsibility for Your Happiness, Be a True Student of Peace and Happiness, and The Illusion of Control.

For such an intense subject, “The Still Point” is relatively easy to read, due in part to the Q & A format that the author chose to present his ideas. It reads like an interview and the language is straightforward and down to earth. The important takeaways include the significance of living in the moment, realizing that we share a consciousness with each other and the planet, and self-awareness. When we focus on the noise of the outside world, we lose our feelings of peace and happiness. Highlight include Chapter 14: Taking Responsibility for Your Happiness, as it reminds readers that “The desire to project blame on others, the world, or past events is a universal trait of the egoic mind” and Chapter 20: Be a Seed of Light in a Desperate World where it emphasizes the importance of taking pride in your job. It is important to find a job you like but “…never diminish whatever it is you find yourself doing in the present.” These may not be new theories, but in today’s world, in the midst of all the chaos, both external and internal, it pays to slow down and re-evaluate what makes life worth living. Filled with practical life advice, “The Still Point” is recommended for readers who value concepts such as meditation and self-awareness and are searching for tips on easing the load we all sometimes have to carry.

“There is no denying the terrible injustice that has been happening for a long time, but treating people who are desperately calling out for love with hate and anger simply will not work.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Read an excerpt here. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Upcoming book release: ‘The Ravaged’ by Norman Reedus with Frank Bill

Norman Reedus’ debut novel ‘The Ravaged’ will be out May 10, 2022. Photo: amazon

Norman Reedus is known for starring in the popular AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead as Daryl Dixon, in the film The Boondock Saints (1999) and its sequel The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) as Murphy MacManus, as Scud in Marvel’s Blade II (2002), Marco in Deuces Wild (2002), and for his AMC TV show Ride with Norman Reedus. His highly anticipated debut novel “The Ravaged,” which will be released on Tuesday May 10, is a fast-paced, up-in-your-face novel of gritty realism, exploring three different personal quests with eerily parallel outcomes. (amazon, 2022)

“The Ravaged” – Jack’s dying mother told him, “Run and never look back.” He spent his life amassing wealth, but after losing his family, he has no one to share it with. Alone with his demons and a backpack, he heads to South America, where people with nothing teach him what matters.

After thrashing his dog-abusing boss, Hunter learns of his father’s death in a mysterious fire. Biker buddies Nugget and Itch ride with him from North Carolina to California. Stories from his father’s life help ease the struggles of small-town Americans. Hunter discovers a secret past.

Seventeen-year-old Anne flees Tennessee after her older brother attacks her. She whacks him with a skillet and hops a freight to Alabama with her best friend. Living hand to mouth, they build friendships, uncovering something they never had.

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Abigail Lapell’s new album Stolen Time

Abigail Lapell studies the hopes and hardships of immigrating to a new world on new tune Land Of Plenty from her upcoming album Stolen Time, due out April 22, 2022. Photo: google

Over the past decade and three spellbinding albums, Abigail Lapell has earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards (English Songwriter of the Year in 2020 and Contemporary Album of the Year in 2017), hit number one on Canadian folk radio, and accrued a staggering 13 million+ Spotify streams while touring widely across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. Her new album Stolen Time is due out April 22, 2022. (Abigail Lapell, 2022)

There is a deep level of empathy that only comes about when one has experienced or been impacted by similar situations. In the case of Canadian singer/songwriter Abigail Lapell, watching a ban on Muslim immigrants happen right before her eyes struck a generational chord with the woman whose family escaped the Holocaust by immigrating from Eastern Europe to North America. Lapell took to her notebook and the resulting song, “Land Of Plenty,” presents a simple-but-striking look at the hopes and hardships of immigrating to a new world as the opening track from her upcoming album, Stolen Time. Its themes are both timeless and timely in its recurring, prayerful refrains, evoking the spirits of Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger. Flood premiered “Land Of Plenty,” which described the song as a, “stripped-down beauty.” Fans can stream “Land Of Plenty” now at this link, check out previously-released singles “Pines” and “Ships,” and pre-order or pre-save Stolen Time ahead of its April 22nd release right here.

The upcoming Stolen Time strikes a balance between Lapell’s acoustic debut Great Survivor and her two rockier Chris Stringer-produced records Hide Nor Hair and Getaway, while bringing a live-off-the-floor 70s folk-rock vibe and more structural experimentation to the table on songs that feel expansive in their scope—unhurried, psychedelic, and other-worldly. Lapell’s band underscores and meets the power of her vocals on songs like “Ships,” a wild sax solo seemingly enticing her higher and louder to meet the crashing waves. Many of Stolen Time’s standout tracks are solo acoustic guitar songs, backed by little more than Lapell’s harmonica, pump organ, or accordion. “Old Flames,” with Lapell’s melodic fingerstyle guitar mimicking flickering embers, is a bit of an answer song to Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” the swirling and woozy “Scarlet Fever” was inspired by an elderly relative’s tales of being quarantined as a child, and the aforementioned “Land Of Plenty” haunts with its folk-refrain statement on immigration, past and present.

Stolen Time also marks the collaborative meeting of two important music communities for Lapell, who spent formative years in Montreal’s Mile End before returning to her hometown: From Toronto, Dan Fortin (bass), Dani Nash (drums, vocals), Christine Bougie (lap steel, guitar) and Rachael Cardiello (viola); and from Montreal Katie Moore (vocals), Chris Velan (vocals), Pietro Amato (French horn) and Ellwood Epps (trumpet); Nashville pedal steel player Fats Kaplin and Vancouver cellist Peggy Lee also play on the album.

Stolen Time track list:
Land of Plenty
Ships
Pines
Scarlet Fever
All Dressed Up
I See Music
Waterfall
Stolen Time
Sewage
Old Flames
I Can’t Believe

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Book review: ‘You Speak For Me Now’ by Sandy Graham

‘You Speak For Me Now’ is the new novel by Sandy Graham. Photo: amazon

Sandy Graham is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. His dual citizenship reflects a North American ancestry dating back to both sides of the American Revolutionary War. It also leads to a desire to see all North Americans find a way to embrace their multiple cultures, languages, and ethnic backgrounds in a manner that provides an opportunity for all to enjoy a full life. His previous books include the Pillage Trilogy, (“Life Shattered,” “Life Rescued,” and “Life Threatened”) “Murder – On Salt Spring?” “The Pizza Dough King,” and “A Quite Rampage.” In his new novel “You Speak For Me Now,” Emma and John, a young couple, risk their marriage, their business, and their lives to speak out against inequality, racism, and fascism.

“You Speak For Me Now” – Emma Simon is a brave but introverted deaf woman of color and John McEwan is an extrovert with a passion for politics and singing. When they meet in the seventh grade, John is immediately smitten, proving that opposites do attract. Not only do they find happiness in marriage, but as business partners. They create an app – Sign-Talk, as a way to give deaf people a way to talk to everyone. As the popularity of the app grows, so does John’s public persona. While promoting Sign-Talk on national TV, John turns the conversation into a discussion about politics. He is quickly targeted by a popular conservative commentator who uses his platform and social media following to attack John’s views and his family. John becomes embroiled in this battle and drags Emma in with him. Forces against them turn violent, driving them into seclusion, tearing them apart, and destroying their rapidly growing company. In a world torn between democracy and dictatorship, can America survive the onslaught of authoritarianism and become once again a beacon of democratic leadership? In a dramatic role reversal, Emma reveals how a strong individual can rise in the face of crises.

Romance novels usually have a happy ending when a couple finally ends up together. Rarely do they expand the narrative to include a lifetime of ups and downs and unexpected surprises that come along the way. This is what makes “You Speak For Me Now” a more realistic account of one couple’s struggles and victories. Emma and John’s story is not a typical ‘happily ever after’ account and is both heart warming and heart breaking. Mr. Graham puts readers through an emotional rollercoaster while at the same time emphasizing music’s ability to heal and bring people together. It is an easy read and the action is mostly dialogue driven and since the story spans decades, the character development is excellent. It is worth mentioning that politics and social issues, such as income and race inequalities, as well as the current state of affairs in the United States plays a big part in the story which will no doubt elicit strong reactions, depending on the reader’s political leanings. Regardless, the book’s underlying message of unity and the need for peace and understanding stands out. “You Speak For Me Now” is a must read novel of love and courage in the midst of life’s toughest moments and is recommended for readers who enjoy romance and political fiction.

“Regardless of our political leaning, liberal or conservative, we must come together to right our ship, to return to morality, integrity, and mutual respect.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book excerpt: ‘The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment’ by Kevin Krenitsky, MD

‘The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment’ is Kevin Krenitsky’s new book on discovering and living our lives in alignment with our true self. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

An excerpt from “The Still Point: The Simplicity of Spiritual Enlightenment” by Kevin Krenitsky

Reprinted with permission from Waterside Productions Inc. 2022

THE UNNATURAL STATE OF BOREDOM AND IMPATIENCE

If we begin to truly examine our day-to-day experience, we will see that most of us are in a constant state of either impatience or boredom. We are always looking to the next moment, or the next experience, to come and deliver us into some sense of peace and fulfillment, but it rarely does. It rarely does because when it comes, we go right on anticipating the next moment without enjoying the peace of the only moment we are ever given, which is now. In the rare times we are not continually waiting for the promise of the next moment, we wander into the past with thought and either regret what has already occurred or fantasize about what we could have done differently. Take some time to really look at your life in this way and see how very rare the moments of true peace and relaxation are. The near constant state of unease most humans experience is usually the best-case scenario because when you add any amount of anxiety to the mix, which a huge number of people suffer from, the anticipation of the future contains a constant level of worry. With anxiety, we still continually reject the present moment in favor of a future moment, but now we also expect something bad to happen in that very future moment we pine for. This is living in bondage that has become so “normal” to most people they don’t even question it or recognize its insanity.

At some points during our lives, we get something that we have been greatly desiring, such as a new job, a big house, or a romantic partner, and for a short time we are content. Instead of realizing this brief happiness is due to the cessation of the constant wanting that came from acquiring the object of our desire, we wrongly project the cause of the happiness onto the object itself. As soon as the happiness or contentment wears off, we start subtly, or not so subtly, searching for the next object to acquire to become happy again. All the while we overlook the true cause of our misery, which is the constant desire to reject the now or “what is” in favor of a better future moment. Thus, the nature of ignorant living, or “living in delusion,” is living as a prisoner to thoughts. The price you pay for identifying your very self with your thoughts and feelings is unhappiness at best and misery at worst. With the rejection of your true nature as the Still Point of awareness, you willingly give up the only recognition that is happiness and peace itself.

Kevin Krenitsky is a medical doctor and author of “The Still Point.” Despite leading a life deemed outwardly “successful,” he lived with a deep background of anxiety, fear, and stress that waxed and waned since early childhood. At the age of forty, in the midst of decades of suppressing tremendous inner and outer conflict, he reasoned there must be another way. This ‘willingness’ led to a decade of studying non-duality by way of “A Course in Miracles.” In 2015, at the height of a successful business career as Chief Commercial Officer at Foundation Medicine (FMI), Kevin turned away into relative isolation, and found the direct path to recognizing ones true nature. He wrote “The Still Point” to help others find their eternal nature, which is happiness itself.