Book Description
Your "most potent writer's tool" is your own mind, Natalie Goldberg says. From that spring the detail and truth that give your written words power and authenticity. Now this bestselling author introduces you to the pleasure of creating vivid "memoirs" of your own with OLD FRIEND FROM FAR AWAY. Based on teachings from her highly acclaimed national workshops for writers of all levels, Goldberg explores:
-Techniques to connect with the senses and make memory vibrant
-How to "pull out" the natural structure of the stories you carry within
-How writing about the past can help free you from it, and much more
Complete with Natalie Goldberg's favorite exercises to awaken your experiences and turn them into memoir, OLD FRIEND FROM FAR AWAY will guide you to a deeper understanding of your own mind, and the hunger to write that exists there.
Customer Reviews:
And she does feel like an old friend..........2004-12-07
It's easy to get hooked on Natalie Goldberg and it's not always easy to say why. In her Long Island accent -- not much changed by living in Minnesota and New Mexico -- she delivers wry commentary on writing much as I'd imagine a zen master lecturing a favorite student. She can be tough and demanding but she clearly loves her students. And she's very open about her own life, in and out of writing.
There's an old saying that we like someone better after we learn their flaws. I listened to Old Friends, ostensibly about writing a memoir, after reading Natalie Goldberg's own story of her two great teachers, her father and her zen master. It's a nice combination. Here Natalie Goldberg comes across as warmer and easier to know than in Thunder and Lightning and she drops hints about her own struggles, self-accepting as well as self-deprecating. For instance, it's clear that Goldberg has some bad karma about cars -- and here she adds an anecdote about failing a driving test on a freezing Minnesota morning when she went wrong way on a one-way street. None of these car stories seem to bother her as much as they'd bother me or most people I know!
In the end, Old Friend is less about writing memoir than about getting motivated to write and spending time with Natalie Goldberg. Sure, we get lots of exercises that could lead to a memoir: "I remember..." and, "Biggest mistakes I made..." but these exercises could also lead to a novel or even a nonfiction self-help book. Mostly her enthusiasm and her examples would make almost anyone grab a pen and paper and start writing -- now! . She captures the excitement of conquering a blank page and really engaging with ideas, using writing to grow our minds.
I'd recommend this CD to anyone who wants to write, who's struggling with a blank page, who's gotten jaded and frustrated and wondering why bother. That's almost anybody who writes, probably. And I'd recommend the CD to anyone who doesn't especially want to write but just maybe wants to try. And of course I'd recommend the CD to anyone who's met Natalie Goldberg and wants to spend another couple of hours with her, sharing the journey.
Postscript: I live in southwestern New Mexico, so people always ask if I live near Natalie Goldberg. She's about eight hours away up in Taos where they get tons more snow than we do! Some days she probably thinks she's back in Minnesota.
Natalie Goldberg is our girlfriend!.......2003-04-17
I feel as if I know Natalie!
After all, I have listened to all of her writing workshops and read most of her books. How cool is it to listen to a "Writing Workshop" while taking a walk in your neighborhood!?
And to listen to Natalie's (New York-Minnesota-New Mexico accent!) Loooove her.
"Old Friend from Far Away" is wonderful. Natalie gives the writer many ideas about how to get that pen moving, how to write that first sentence..."Write... I remember. My first kiss. My favorite meal is. My father was. My worse food. My favorite river."
And Details... People are really interested. Not the flower...what kind of flower. Not red...Ruby, cranberry, rose.
Get it???!!!!!! And what is Natalie's most amazing advice????
WRITING PRACTICE. If you know anything about Natalie, you would have realized that.
She reads to us from some of her favorite authors and poets. She says that "Ballad of the Sad Cafe" by Carson Mccullers is the reason she became a writer. She says that we need to name things... Spanish olive, Oak tree, Buttercup. Isn't that more concrete than olive, tree, flower!!????
Natalie tells us to get going, write, pick up the pen. And practice, practice, practice!!!!!!!
Well, what are you waiting for?!!!
Inspiring, motivating, and fun.......2003-01-31
This audio was a joy to listen to. I feel so motivated to continue writing my memoir. I took notes, but more than that I listened to Natalie's voice and felt encouraged. (Her voice made me homesick with her pronounced New York accent).She gives examples of other authors' memoirs as well as her own. She helped me keep going with my own story, which I stopped when the going got tough. Writing is the easiest activity in the world to procrastinate (easier to start a diet!) But I found myself welcomed and my life's story valued by listening to her. If you want a shot in the arm or a gentle nudge, to motivate your writing, get this tape. Thanks, Natalie!!
Book Description
Mary Alice Monroe returns to the captivating and mystical South Carolina lowcountry, a place of wild beauty and untamed hearts, to tell the moving story of healing, hope and new beginnings . . .
E.R. nurse Ella Majors has seen all the misery that she can handle. Burned-out and unsure of her next step, she accepts the temporary position as caregiver to Marion Henderson, a frightened five-year-old who suffers from juvenile diabetes.
But Ella soon realizes there is more sorrow in the isolated home than the little girl's illness. Harris Henderson, a single father, is withdrawn, seemingly better able to deal with wild birds he rehabilitates in his birds-of-prey sanctuary than with his own daughter.
Then something magical begins to happen: the timeless beauty of the South Carolina coast and the majestic grace of the wild birds weave a healing spell on the injured hearts at the sanctuary. But a troubled mother's unexpected return will test the fragile bonds of trust and new love, and reveal the inherent risks and exhilarating beauty of flying free.
Customer Reviews:
Intriguing, Informative, Delightful!.......2007-03-24
One more time Mary Alice Monroe has come through for her readers! Skyward was such a delightful book to read. I couldn't put it down...loved the characters, the setting and all the "real" information of the Carolinas that was hidden in the story. I'm looking forward to another of her books and have recently started enjoying Girl in the Mirror. Skyward has been passed on to others waiting in line to enjoy it!
Thanks, Mary Alice, for sharing your talents!
Minnie Bourque
ho hum.......2006-07-16
I learned a great deal about raptors and the area in which the book was set. The secondary characters were a joy; however, I developed no empathy for the main characters.
The entire time I read it,I didn't care whether the two protagonists got together or not.
The other characters and the birds made it worth reading, but it could have been better.
A Low Country treasure..........2006-02-08
My very favorite city is Charleston, South Carolina, and it's hard to find a bad book written about the Low Country. Skyward by Mary Alice Monroe is no exception.
Skyward takes place at the Coastal Carolina Center for Birds of Prey, owned and operated by Harris Henderson. Monroe provides us with much interesting information about the many birds treated at the center including eagles, hawks, ospreys, vultures, falcons and owls. But birds aren't the only injured creatures that inhabit the center. Harris suffers from an unhappy childhood, a failed marriage and the recently diagnosed disease of his five year old daughter. Daughter Marion has been wounded by her diabetes and her runaway mom. Nurse Ella Majors flees her native Vermont after seeing one too many children die at the hands of neglectful parents. She takes a job as Marion's fulltime nanny. Brady Simmons is a 16 year old with an abusive father. He's doing community service at the center because he shot an eagle. And Lijah, and elderly Gullah gentleman, has lost his wife and two young sons. He serves as the wise sage who mentors this odd bunch. Somehow, in learning to treat and heal the birds, these wounded souls also learn how to heal themselves and each other. They also discover that the techniques that lead to success in working with the raptors can also help in their interpersonal relationships.
Although I liked the storyline and what happened with the characters, I think that the birds made the book. They each had their own personality and although wild, each staff member had their favorite. Even though Harris doesn't believe in naming wild creatures, the staff was pretty clever at finding the proper name for the right bird. So Santee, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Buh Rooster, Cinnamon, etc. were just as much a part of the story as the human characters.
Monroe also provides an interesting look at the birds including their personalities, their histories, what brings them to the center, how they're treated, and efforts to release them back into the wild. Not all efforts are successful, and the Tweedles (two vultures) never did want to leave the nest. One story I had never heard involved the battlefield of Gettysburg. One day after the battle, vultures started arriving to pick apart the remains of the many dead horses. More arrived every day, and they never migrated for the winter, having enough food to see them through. Even today, over 900 black and turkey vultures return each year to the battlefield.
Finding Mary Alice Monroe has been like finding treasure, and I can't wait to read more of her Low Country tales.
An awe-inspiring novel. .......2006-01-19
As neither an outdoorswoman nor a lover of animals, particularly birds of prey, it's a testament to the remarkable talent of Mary Alice Monroe that this book fascinated me as profoundly as it did. Their struggle to be rehabilitated and their flight of freedom is such a powerfully beautiful metaphor, however the birds were not the only beings that found healing in this remarkable story. As a health professional, I was immediately drawn to Ella's character and the loving way she interacted with Marion, providing so much more than mere medical care. Harris was a bit more difficult to warm up to because he was so focused on his work that he seemed to neglect his daughter's emotional needs. Yet, he was a man of such great integrity that it wasn't long before he won me over. The secondary characters gave additional depth to the story - Lijah's Gullah folklore was a wonderful cultural immersion. The inspired way he interacted with Brady, the wayward teen who so desperately needed the guidance of a strong male role model to change the course of his life, was very admirable. And the low country of coastal South Carolina was a brilliantly described setting, making the story literally soar off the pages!
I genuinely appreciated this story and highly recommend it to all who wish to be enlightened.
Mary Alice Monroe does it AGAIN!!.......2005-09-04
When I discovered the writings of Ms. Monroe I knew I had come home. She builds her novels with characters full of life and its lessons. I was enthralled with "The Beach House" and have given it away several times while keeping a copy for my own bookshelf. Now I have done the same thing with "Skyward". With each novel we learn about the thread that Mary Alice creates, "Beach House" was about loggerhead turtles and this time with "Skyward" we learn about the birds of prey. I was so moved by this novel that I immediately sent a donation to The Center for Birds of Prey in SC where Ms. Monroe volunteers. Keep the wonderful novels coming, Mary Alice!! BRAVO!!
Customer Reviews:
Derivative and Dull.......2001-07-03
Without a doubt, one of the weakest of the Elfquest volumes and most of the new stuff they've published since ending the original story line in the 1980's has been weak indeed. I count this series among the worst I've ever read and I only continued buying EQ because I was so loyal to the old series.
If you thought the Star Wars chapter one was derivative and unimaginative, this book will leave you catatonic. Warring alien factions take a few chapters out of A Distant Soil, only without the intelligent scripts. The art is perfectly lousy. This stuff is rough and downright homely. No other publisher would print this and try to pass it off as professional quality.
Maybe if Wendy Pini would get off her butt and actually produce something new, we wouldn't have to look at WARP Graphic's never ending list of fifth rate fill ins. I don't care if WARP is busy working on a movie and they can't produce a decent comic any more. I don't even want to see the movie at this rate.
didn't like it.......2000-10-16
The plot was very weak, but I thought the idea of having a drag race that far in the future was both absurd and funny....I guess the modern equivalent would be a chariot race out in the middle of a modern highway..... :)
Elf Quest, A MUST.......2000-05-25
Elfquest is magnificently drawn and wonderfuly worked out. The characters seem real and it's nearly imposible to draw yourself away from reading about them. The story is exiting yet entirely beleavable. This story does not really need all the background info to be understandable but it helps to know some of the earlier stories. This title (and the entire series)is great for ALL ages and is a great thing to read at the end of a long day. Read the series and find out for yourself, I seriously doubt you'll be disappointed!
Average customer rating:
|
Skyward
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:
-
Sweetgrass
ASIN: 0739435442 |
Average customer rating:
- Life behind the Soviet blockade
- Was It Blind Love?
|
All Eyes Skyward
Dan Spencer
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1411607201 |
Book Description
A tale of love, danger, and deception set during the heroic Berlin Airlift of 1948-49.
Three years after the end of WWII, Greta Ludke, a young German mother with a meek daughter, struggles for survival by selling wares via Berlin's perilous black market.
When the Soviets blockade the divided city as part of a ruthless political ploy, Berlin's citizens become pawns in an international chess match. But American and British flyers come to their aid with an airlift unlike anything ever conceived, bringing hope to the besieged city.
Greta finds an unlikely savior in Lt. Tucker Briggs, a guileless U.S. Air Force pilot assigned to the airlift. The young lieutenant's passion for her spurs him through the long, tedious mission. But as fate would have it, Tucker must fly nearly every waking hour for months, so his visits with Greta are brief, though filled with hope and promise. Although dangers loom - kidnapping, starvation, violence, and the chance of another horrifying war - Greta escapes into pleasant dreams of a new life with her American admirer. But her questionable past, Tucker's naivete, and Berlin's nerve-wracking political tensions conspire against Greta's longing for love and salvation.
Customer Reviews:
Life behind the Soviet blockade.......2004-08-21
Years ago, I read Leon Uris's novel "Armegeddon" about the Berlin blockade and the Allied airlift to supply the city. When I saw this book, I had to buy a copy, to read another perspective on this crucial confrontation in the early days of the Cold War.
While Leon Uris's "Armegeddon" told the larger story of the allied occupation of Germany and the beginnings of the Cold War, this book takes a much more narrow focus. Spencer focuses on a small cast of characters in Berlin, or working the airlift during the Soviet blockade of the city in 1948-49. This narrower focus helps show the effects of the blockade on the residents of Berlin, and the struggle of the crews to ferry sufficient supplies into the city in the face of fatigue, weather, and accidents. We also get a glimpse of the emotional toll that such extreme circumstances can have on personal relationships. This is a great book for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the early days of the Cold War, and the impact it had on the lives of those along the front lines in occupied Germany.
Was It Blind Love?.......2004-07-10
Readers looking to find how it felt to be living in Berlin at the time of the Airlift of 1948-9 will not be disappointed with Dan Spencer's, All Eyes Skyward.
For those of you who may not be aware, post Second World War Germany had been divided into three sectors comprising the Allied section controlled by the USA, England and France and the remaining part by the Soviet Union. Berlin, although it was situated in the eastern Soviet section, was also divided into four parts, wherein the Allied interests controlled West Berlin and the Soviets East Berlin.
In June 1948 there was an attempt by the Soviet Union to control all of Berlin. A blockade had been imposed on all surface traffic to and from the city. The result was a near catastrophic starvation of the population. This ultimately led to one of the greatest airlift operations in aviation history wherein food supplies and coal were dropped into Berlin by United States and its allies. The airlift lasted until September of 1949 when Stalin caved in, after realizing that his cruel plan was totally ineffective.
It is against this backdrop that Spencer narrates the story of an American flyer Lt. Tucker Briggs, who falls in love with a German woman, Greta Ludke. Apparently, Greta's husband was a SS Officer and is now missing in action or dead.
This novel will probably whip up a mixture of feelings and emotional charge from its readers-always a sign of good drama. Tucker is portrayed as a very trustworthy, compassionate and naïve person believing in Greta's sincerity, even as to her explanations pertaining to her lack of knowledge concerning the death camps. Readers, however, will question Tucker's feelings. Were they influenced by his first encounter with Greta when she had saved him from a tight situation that could have ended in his incarceration or even death at the hands of the Soviets? To use the cliché, was his love blind?
On the other hand, Tucker's co-pilots, particularly Roy Couglin, who lost one brother during the war and another came home without legs, is painted as someone with bitter and callous feelings towards the Germans. He fails to understand how Tucker could believe Greta and why he would even consider marrying her. After all, her husband was a SS officer from a rich German family who had contributed considerable sums of money to the German war effort.
It is his contention that she cannot be trusted and her only objective was to get a plane ticket for her daughter and herself into the USA. He questions her sincerity when he mentions to Tucker that she still wears her wedding ring, while other widows have sold theirs on the black market.
Spencer effectively uses curiosity and delay to create compelling suspense. The novel is very well researched and is not a haphazard collection of pieces randomly put together, but rather a sequence of carefully organized chapters each fulfilling the last and supporting the next. The interactions among all of the characters together with natural-sounding dialogue are realistically portrayed. All Eyes Skyward is a moving and memorable novel, and no doubt we have in Dan Spencer a powerful new voice in fiction.
Product Description
The Four Seasons: They are the Season sisters, bound by blood, driven apart by a tragedy. Now they are about to embark on a bittersweet journey into the unknown; an odyssey of promise and forgiveness, of loss and redisovery. Jillian, Beatrice and Rose have gathered for the funeral of their younger sister, Meredith. Her death, and the legacy she leaves them, will trigger a cross-country journey in search of a stranger-a stranger with the power to mend their shattered lives. As the emotions of the past reverberate into the present, Jilly, Birdie and Rose search for the girls they once were-in hopes of finding what they had really lost; the woment they were meant to be. Skyward: E.R. nurse Ella Majors has seen all the misery that she can handle. Burned-out and unsure of her next step, she acccepts the temporary position as caregiver to Marion Henderson, a frightened five-year-old who suffers from juvenile diabetes. But Ella soon realizes there is more sorrow in the islolated home than the little girl's illness. Harris Henderson, a single father, is withdrawn, seemingly better able to deal with the wild birds he rehabilitates in his birds-of-prey sanctuary than with his own daughter. Then something magical begins to happen; the timeless beauty of the S.C. coast and the majestic grace of the wild birds weave a healing spell on the injured hearts at the sanctuary. But a troubled mother's unexpected return will test the fragile bonds of trust and new love, and reveal the inherent risks and exhilarating beauty of flying free.
Average customer rating:
|
Jumping Skyward
Stan Tate
Manufacturer: Centering Place
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1886591032 |
Average customer rating:
- CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER...
|
A Leaf Falls Skyward: Poetry and Prose
J. Ackson Jr.
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1424183030
Release Date: 2007-07-30 |
Book Description
Overwhelmed by beauty, coping with its loss… …then ultimately, hope. J. Ackson's collection is a hushed voice from the darkened corner of anyone's mind. His poems are the whispers of a voyager returning from a journey to a netherworld populated by bulldozers, yuppies and angels—only to realize the traveler had been stationary all along, and merely staring at his own reflection.
What begins with deceptively quiet language builds to a metaphysical roar. A Leaf Falls Skyward chronicles the pangs of unrequited love, the mysteries of the human heart and a search for underlying truth. It's about a change in perspective that parallels changes in the environment. It's about filling a void, art healing the soul, and somehow…rising above it all.
Customer Reviews:
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER..........2007-09-16
A LEAF FALLS SKYWARD is being presented as a collection of poems by J. Ackson, Jr., but it goes far deeper than that. Into the first few pages, it's obvious that something (or someone) has not only rocked Ackson's world, but has changed his entire perception of it.
There are certainly some common themes intertwined throughout the poems - the re-evaluation of past relationships, for instance - but as the pages are turned and the reader plunges farther down the rabbit hole, it becomes obvious we're actually witnessing Ackson's paradigm shift.
The book's final section contains the collection's one short story. Here, its themes converge, pushing A LEAF FALLS SKYWARD beyond its label of a *collection,* and transforming it into a shocking indictment of reality.
Disturbing but thought-provoking!
Book Description
Luke Skywalker expected trouble when he volunteered to follow Princess Leia on her mission to the planet Circarpous. But he discovered that hidden on the planet was the Kaiburr crystal, a mysterious gem that would give the one who possessed it such powers over the Force that he would be all but invincible. In the wrong hands, the crystal could be deadly. So Luke had to find this treasure and find it fast....
Customer Reviews:
Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A fairly decent story, with your expected heroes stuck on a squalid, muddy planet, with quite a few problems. Vader, of course, is hovering. A bit darker than the adventure stories of the 3 movie books. You learn that there is more than one trick that the funky lightsabre device can perform, amidst all the squalid violence and hunting for mind altering artifacts.
I nice change of pace.......2007-08-29
This book was written before Ep. 5 and 6 so it has a different feel to it then the other books. After reading many of the others it has a different and interesting feel to it considering many elements that we now know about certain characters in the star wars universe where not known at the time this book was written.
Early Star Wars.......2007-08-07
Right up front the reader needs to understand that Mr. Foster's book was published less than a year after the release of the original Star Wars film. George Lucas had not even written the script for The Empire Strikes Back, so Mr. Foster had no clear idea of what the future held for our cast of characters. Now we are way on down the road and we all know what happened, so we are operating at a distinct advantage. Please keep this in mind as you read the book, and I would suggest reading it. It's a good tale.
Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia are extremely close friends and hold important positions in the Rebel Alliance. Leia is embarking on a mission to Circarpous to enlist the support of the Rebel underground in the battle against the Empire. Luke agrees to go along with her. They run into problems when the craft is forced to crashland in the swamplands of Mimban, a strange planet with mining colonies controlled by Imperial forces. In their efforts to find a way off of the planet, they run into Halla, an old woman who has a connection with the Force. She offers to help them if they will first join her in a quest to find the Kaiburr crystal, a mysterious gem reputed to give the holder invincibility through the force. This of course piques Luke's interest, so they join forces with Halla and travel across Mimban searching for the Temple of Pomojema.
The quest is not an easy one. First they must find a way to get out of the clutches of the Imperial bureaucrats who run the mining colonies. Two Yuzzem named Hin and Kee help them escape their initial difficulties and then go along for the rest of the quest. The Yuzzem are huge, covered with hair, and have a snout. They are also extremely useful in a fight. This merry band of companions sets off to find the temple and crystal, but they run into problems with an indigenous civilization called the Coway. Luke barely survives a major duel with the best Coway warrior when things take a dramatic turn for the worse. Darth Vader turns up on the planet and wants to take Luke and Leia back to meet the Emperor. Luke struggles with him and does amazingly well. So the book ends successfully for our heroes.
I had two primary reservations about the book, and they are really the result of the author's lack of future information concerning the Star Wars saga. First, clearly the idea of Luke and Leia being siblings has not been brought up yet. They are strongly attracted to each other with Luke having the typical thoughts a young man would have when he is in close contact with a beautiful princess. Second, Luke fights Vader much better than any of us would have thought possible. He is extremely close to defeating Vader and actually does manage to get him out of the picture long enough for escape to be possible. Imagine the changes in the saga if Luke had actually killed Lord Vader this early in the story, and George Lucas had said OK. Where would we be now?
the sequel that would never be.......2007-05-22
Alan Dean Foster was the ghost writer of the original Star Wars movie's novelization, which came out long before the movie. After the movie's release, Foster was contracted by Lucas to write an original novel that might be the basis of a possible sequel to Star Wars. But at the time Harrison Ford's return was uncertain, so Lucas told the author to not write in Han Solo. Apparently if Lucas was going to use Foster's novel, he would put some explaination in the movie, because there wasn't one here. Foster used a discarded premise for Star Wars - a crystal that amplified the use of the Force.
I am rating this book based on the fact that I read it after the completion of the original trilogy, and there are a lot more problems with it than the absence of Han and Chewie. Sure, a lot of these can't be blamed on the author because he had no foreknowledge of the Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. But today the novel is what it is, not what it was at the time of it's original release. Unlike some reviewers, I can't enjoy this as an independent book because it is not - it has the title of Star Wars so I can only consider it as a Star Wars product.
The book greatly contradicts the established continuity and themes of the complete movie saga. Lucas didn't use the crystal idea because he didn't want to solidify and quantify the Force - he wanted it to be portrayed by the invisible energy field that it is. And Empire is presented as the first time Luke personally confronts Vader, and this encounter would not have been ignored if Lucas didn't want to ignore it. And Leia attacks Vader with a lighsaber? Yeah right. And Luke's physical arousal by Leia - ew.
But one thing I remember even contradicts the original film. It annoyed me that out of the two characters of Luke and Leia, it is much more likely that Luke would be the one that can't swim instead of Leia. Where did Luke learn how to swim growing up on a desert planet?!
Overall, this is not that bad of a story on it's own, which is why it has 2-stars instead of only 1. But this book is way out of place in the Star Wars universe, so don't bother with this book. I highly recommend the following 5-star novels that are extremely relevant to the film series:
Cloak of Deception (Star Wars)
Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul)
Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)
The dawn of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.......2007-05-01
Alan Dean Foster's Splinter of the Mind's Eye is the grandparent of all Star Wars Expanded Universe stories. Foster wrote this novel shortly after the theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977, and it was published right as George Lucas sat down to begin his script for a movie sequel named The Empire Strikes Back. Taking this timing into account, it's important to note that Foster didn't have much to go on as far as the overall Star Wars story. The characters were fairly archetypal in Star Wars (later renamed to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) and it wasn't until Empire that they were more fully fleshed out.
Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, along with their faithful droid sidekicks R2-D2 and C-3PO, are traveling to the planet Circarpous for a critical meeting with local Rebel sympathizers. Unfortunately, mechanical troubles force a crash landing on the uncharted swamp planet of Mimban. The four are stranded on Mimban days from civilization and must quickly find a way off the planet to make their original rendezvous. Their efforts are considerably complicated when they learn of an Imperial presence in the five mining communities of Mimban. It is in the first of these communities that they encounter the mysterious old woman Halla, who tells them of the legendary Force artifact, the Kaiburr crystal.
The story clips along at a fast pace and is quite readable. I was struck by how Foster's writing has changed between this book and his 2002 Attack of the Clones prequel, The Approaching Storm. In the latter Foster allots generous amounts of prose to description and sequences with very little action; by comparison, Splinter of the Mind's Eye races along from action sequence to action sequence.
Some elements of this story don't jive very well with the various Star Wars stories that came later. Luke has a disturbing passion for Leia, but of course, since the two actually have a full-on kiss in The Empire Strikes Back, this can be excused. The Kaiburr crystal, which is central to the main plot, also seems a little off. It affords its users the ability to focus and enhance their Force powers. The later films and novels tend more toward the Force as an internally-driven, self-powered ability (midichlorians aside), and the crystal feels rather like a fantasy creation.
One more interesting element to mention is the final confrontation between Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader: it simply cannot be reconciled well with the films. To my mind, the Vader/Luke duel in Empire is definitively their first face-to-face meeting. In this book, Luke is overly confident and seems to be getting the upper hand over Vader without too much difficulty. Heck, even Leia uses a lightsaber and scores a direct hit on Vader's mask! Vader finally seems to take control of the fight (after losing a hand to Luke!), when we are given the sudden climax of Vader simply falling into a hole as he walks towards Luke. It is a truly bizarre way to end the duel. One note I did very much like is Vader telling Leia "I have been guilty of overconfidence before. I will not be guilty again." This was written twenty-eight years before Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and yet Foster inadvertently manages to perfectly raise the specter of Anakin's fate on Mustafar.
Halla is never very well rounded, and it is unclear why Luke is so excited to invite her to join the Rebellion. The Imperial adversaries are entertaining enough, and the local cultures of Mimban are mildly interesting. The story has a pulp feel in line with the original influences Lucas cites for the films, such as Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.
Overall, the book is an entertaining read and essential for its place in Star Wars lore, even if many stories since have more successfully tied into the overall saga.
Average customer rating:
- Takes me back
- great star wars book
- The Best "other than movie" Star Wars book
- Excellent comic adaptation of Foster's novel
- If you dont like the book well... you wont not like it
|
Splinter of the Mind's Eye (Star Wars)
Terry Austin , and
Chris Sprouse
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Comics & Graphic Novels
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction
| Graphic Novels
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Dark Horse
| Publishers
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Characters
| Comics & Graphic Novels
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Favorite Characters
| Comics
| Star Wars
| Media
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Star Wars (Dark Horse))
-
Star Wars: The Last Command
-
Heir to the Empire (Star Wars: The Thrawn Trilogy, Vol. 1)
-
Star Wars - Shadows of the Empire: Evolution
-
Dark Empire I (Star Wars)
ASIN: 1569712239 |
Book Description
Deep in the swamplands of the planet Mimban lies a powerful crystal, capable of giving its possessor an invincible mastery of the Force. In the right hands, it could save the galaxy. In the wrong hands, it could destroy it! While the explosion of the first Death Star still reverberates through the cosmos, Luke and Leia find that the war they thought they won was only a battle and that the dark side of the Force still stalks the galaxy.
Customer Reviews:
Takes me back.......2007-04-24
Back when Star Wars was just Star Wars, I was young enough and excited enough by the movie to be insatiable for anything and everything that expanded the George Lucas universe. Science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster filled the bill with "Splinter of the Mind's Eye," an unofficial sequel to the original film that, if things had gone differently, could have been the basis for a second movie. I never forgot it, if for no other reason than the relationship Foster fostered between Luke and Leia -- he still wanted to kiss her, and she wasn't his sister.
But that wasn't all. "Splinter" was a rock-solid novel that took the conclusion of Star Wars and ran with it. It's powerfully good storytelling that still stands up nearly 30 years later.
I was surprised, though, to run across a graphic novel version of the story, adapted by writer Terry Austin and artist Chris Sprouse and collected by Dark Horse Comics in 1996. How did I miss this?? Austin does a very good job of cutting Foster's novel down to a manageable size, and Sprouse captures the look of these familiar characters far better than a lot of artists have done over the years. Reading the graphic novel, I was a kid again.
by Tom Knapp, Rambles.(n e t) editor
great star wars book.......2003-04-15
besides having a terrific plot, i liked how it dealt with a few issues that none of the movies and none of the star wars books i have read have touched on.
when luke accompanies leia on a diplomatic mission, leia runs into trouble with her y-wing and they are forced to crash land on a nearby planet. what they find from the beginning is nothing but trouble. for among other things a legendary crystal that amplifies the force leads to a race to find it to give the bearer
unimaginative power.
the action is nonstop from beginning to end, and it is obvious that this book was written after the first star wars movie but it gives a fresh outlook on a story that started almost 30 years ago. it gives some interesting ideals on princess leia that has not ever been brought up that i find quite refreshing which makes her seem more human and approachable then the first 2 movies made her. this is a book that all star wars fans should definitely read.
The Best "other than movie" Star Wars book.......2000-10-04
The book captivated me from start to finish. Terry Austin is faithful to the Star Wars universe and to the characters. If you are looking for stories beyond the movies, this is the only one to read.
Excellent comic adaptation of Foster's novel.......2000-05-18
This comic is an excellent adaptation of Foster's good Star Wars novel. It remains true to the story and dialogue of the book, while at the same time fleshing things out a little and making it easier to place in the timeline, as well as giving the fans a few little goodies such as an appearance from then-still-Captain Piett.
The script is good, as is the artwork, to a point. My only complaint in this area is in the first issue, the contrast is pretty bad, with a bunch of dull browns and greens and the pure black shirts. However, it is refreshing to see Leia wearing something other than that pure white for once, and the character representations are pretty good, though Luke's features are occasionally overdone.
The fights and lightsaber duels are fun, especially Leia's sparring with Vader, and the bickering between Luke and Leia is interesting, and reminds us how close they were before they learned about their common heritage.
This is a fun, colorful, and faithful adaptation recommended to everyone.
If you dont like the book well... you wont not like it.......2000-01-19
This is one of the best star wars books of all time anyone who says it doesnt fit in with the timeline your wrong. It doesnt really affect any major plots.Now i know this book was written in '78 but it fits in great with Empire Strikes Back i mean luke was thinking about leia alot and in Empire after the way leia was behaving (pashing him) he'd probably be right and only until the battle of endor is it deemed impossible for luke to get onto leia
Product Description
Adapted from the novel by Alan Dean Foster.
Product Description
Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia face off against Darth Vader over an ancient artifact of legendary power!
Deep in the swamplands of the planet Mimban lies a powerful crystal, capable of giving its possessor such mastery over the Force as to be nearly invincible. In the right hands, it could save the galaxy. In the wrong hands, it could destroy it! With the explosion of the first Death Star still reverberating through the cosmos, Luke and Leia will find that the war they thought they won was only a battle, and that the dark side of the Force still stalks the galaxy.
Each Star Wars 30th Anniversary volume's print run is limited to initial orders and will not be reprinted.
Customer Reviews:
This way can change you.......2007-09-05
This simple little book catches you from the first page and never lets go through to the last page.Enzler writes beautifully, powerfully and movingly. A completely different way of looking at the Way of the Cross,because of how it makes the various steps personal. I have used it many times on a Way of The Cross and it has never failed to move me or provide an insight I needed. I have also used it as a spiritual guide to meditation and it has been perfect for that purpose.
Powerful and Profound. .......2006-08-25
In The Gospel Accoding to Luke, Jesus says: "...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). As Catholics, Anglo Catholics, Methodists, or any kind of Christians, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking about Jesus only for an hour or so at church on Sunday. (Most of us are often guilty of this. Myself included.) This short but profound book emphasizes that in a way, each of the 14 Stations of the Cross is applicable to the way we live our lives. My first advice is to NOT let the thin length of this book fool you. It packs a lot of profound material. The book begins with 'Jesus' explaining that his life was not complete until it was crowned with the 14 stations of the cross. The author has 'Jesus' give a small comment about each of the 14 stations, and then he allows us to see how each of the 14 stations apply to our own life. Without going through all the 14 stations, one of the standouts is accepting our hardships as well as our human weaknesses. He also reminds us that as much as we might suffer, it is more painful for someone who is watching us suffer. Another standout is reminding us that we have our "Simon of Cyrenes" to help us carry our cross and that we can be "Simon of Cyrenes" to others. (For those of you who do not know this, Simon of Cyrene was the man who helped Jesus carry his cross on the way to the crucifixion.) Another standout is how ends lead to new beginnings. Another standout chapter emphasizes how a desire for prestige or wealth can often distance us from God or even moral values. (Jen Garner's character learned this in her "13 Going On 30.") One of the strongest chapters is 13 where 'Jesus' explains that life is full of meetings and partings. We've all heard this before, but it has is a bit more impact here. The book concludes with 'Jesus' telling us to take up our crosses and follow him. Overall it's a profound book that focuses Christian values in 14 easy to read chapters. If you are Catholic or Protestant there is no excuse for not reading this. Even a not so fast reader would only have to invest 30 minutes (if that)! My only complaint about this book is that I myself would have had each chapter preceeded by the official printed station of the cross. (What we hear at Good Friday.) But this situation can easily be fixed if you have a copy of "The Way of the Cross" to read along side with it. This is a compact but powerful book that no Christian should be without.
Deep and Meaningful.......2006-03-14
This is the edition I have been using for years. It was originally published as `everyman's way of the cross' and has sold over 2 million copies. The photo's accompanying each meditation are black and white photo's of everyday life; an apartment building someone in a library, an old man sitting in a park. These down to earth pictures help bring the meditations home to today and now.
Penetrating Impression.......2004-04-15
These meditations are written in a conversational format, with a gentle and fluid sort of writing style. They lend themselves particularly well to everyday life application. Read slowly, with accompanying meditation, the chances of them making a personal and lasting impression on the reader are high.
It's with a great deal of conviction then that I most heartily recommend this book.
This way of the Cross touches me deeply........2002-09-07
It seems to be Clarance Ensler's style to be able to speak well taking the point of view of Christ speaking to us. He did so well in "My Other Self", and that's the tone of this Way of the Cross.
At the begining, he states "My Mass wasn't finished until I crowned it with my death. Your Mass isn't finished until you crown it with your life."
In each station, he draws out some area, some idea in our life that we can offer as a sacarafice to God, from accepting the suffering of our loved ones, to accepting our own death. How the bordom and trials of work can be a fitting offering to God. In this prayer, our lives become tied intimately to Christ's.
Average customer rating:
|
Everyone has stories to tell.(using interviews as a way to promote cross-curricular learning): An article from: Instructor (1990)
Paula Rogovin
Manufacturer: Scholastic, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Automotive
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Crime & Criminals
| Current Events
| Economics
| Education
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Government
| Holidays
| Law
| Philosophy
| Politics
| Social Sciences
| Transportation
| True Accounts
| Urban Planning & Development
| Women's Studies
Interviewing
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Nonfiction
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: B00098VC3C
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Instructor (1990), published by Scholastic, Inc. on April 1, 1999. The length of the article is 770 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: The interview is a powerful method for harnessing students' natural inquisitiveness and promoting inquiry-based, multicultural learning among children in all grade levels. Question-and-answer interactions in interviews can enrich the knowledge of children about different cultures, immigration, history and innumerable social studies topics. There is virtually no subject that cannot be explored through the interview. This is because, essentially, everyone has stories to tell.
Citation Details
Title: Everyone has stories to tell.(using interviews as a way to promote cross-curricular learning)
Author: Paula Rogovin
Publication:
Instructor (1990) (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 1999
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Volume: 108
Issue: 7
Page: 15(2)
Article Type: Interview
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
|
Everyone's Way of the Cross
Manufacturer: Ave Maria Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Lent
| Holidays
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000EUR630 |
Books:
- Otherwise Engaged : a Novel
- Play It As It Lays, Second Edition: A Novel
- Popular Music From Vittula: A Novel
- Quarantine: A Novel
- Readings in Propaganda and Persuasion: New and Classic Essays
- Resistance, Rebellion, and Death: Essays
- Rules of the Wild: A Novel of Africa
- Rumpole Rests His Case
- Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
- She Came to Stay
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, Austria-France, 1769
- History: Fiction or Science
- Walking Through Shadows: A Novel
- Active Learning for Infants
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, Issue 2
- Disquisitiones Arithmeticae
- Birds and Light
- Chronicle of a Pharaoh: The Intimate Life of Amenhotep III
- 1996 International Tax Summaries: A Guide for Planning and Decisions
- Money Matters: The Fee in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis
The Great Failure : A Bartender, A Monk, and My Unlikely Path to Truth
Zen Howl: Revealing This One Great Life
The Essential Writer's Notebook (Guided Journals)
Top of My Lungs
Thunder and Lightning : Cracking Open the Writer's Craft
