Ask the Author: Aberjhani
Answered Questions (21)
Aberjhani
Hello Tanya B. Thank you for your question. In my most recent book, Greeting Flannery O’Connor at the Back Door of My Mind, the entire second section addresses the impact of author James Alan McPherson on my life and work, so he is definitely one favorite. The book also discusses works by Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Rumi, plus I’ve written blogs about them at Bright Skylark Literary Productions, so their significance is obvious.
There are quite a few other writers who have influenced me or my work in different ways at different times. In my current book in progress, I reference Franz Kafka and Albert Camus quite a bit, so have to acknowledge them as well.
There are quite a few other writers who have influenced me or my work in different ways at different times. In my current book in progress, I reference Franz Kafka and Albert Camus quite a bit, so have to acknowledge them as well.
Aberjhani
Brother Blak, if you are who I think are I hope all is well with you & fam. I pray as well that you are in a much stronger position regarding your diff enterprises than when last we communicated. Keep growing and rising until your talent carries you to the higher level where you truly belong. Blessings 2U always.
Aberjhani
Your question about my experience with the Harlem Renaissance and how it made me the person I am today is a big one. I grew up reading about the Harlem Renaissance and admired the way the men & women of that time overcame things like racism, sexism, & poverty to create the extraordinary creative works they did. They inspired me. I later had an opportunity to co-write Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance & that book helped me become a well-known author. The Harlem Renaissance still inspires me & I am currently celebrating the 100th anniversary of the movement along with many people around the world.
Aberjhani
Thank you Brian for your questions. I was inspired to write the poems you mentioned by my studies of people's experiences around the world involving what they believed were angels, and, by powerful spiritual experiences in my own life. I discuss this in the intros to THE RIVER OF WINGED DREAMS.
Aberjhani
I would travel to the parallel Earth which character Danny Blue goes to, in the novel Songs of Black Skylark zPed Music Player, when he's in the form of a Black Skylark. While there, I would visit with the teacher who tells why he dealing with the powerful issues he is.
Aberjhani
I received an early proof copy of the SUZANNE JACKSON FIVE DECADES art catalog and have been enjoying reading the essays about her life and work, as well as checking out the art that was included in her acclaimed exhibit at the Telfair Museum's Jepson Center for the Art. There are not a lot of women artists around whose work gets this kind of treatment so publication of the catalog is a very special event.
Aberjhani
Hello Rachel. Thank you for your query, and my apologies for the confusion. SPLENDID LITERARIUM was posted to invite potential publishers to partner with me to make the title more available to the reading public and to share some of its current content with readers. Even though it has been widely quoted across the internet, so far I have not received any offers from interested publishers. At some point I may do it myself but the nature of the book requires reviewing and organizing a lot of material, some previously-published and some not.
At present my priorities have to go to my forthcoming book, DREAMS OF THE IMMORTAL CITY SAVANNAH, due out May 1, plus the 2 plays on which I’ve been working for several years, & INCANDESCENT WONDER, a collection of my art and poetry.
At present my priorities have to go to my forthcoming book, DREAMS OF THE IMMORTAL CITY SAVANNAH, due out May 1, plus the 2 plays on which I’ve been working for several years, & INCANDESCENT WONDER, a collection of my art and poetry.
Aberjhani
Hello Friend Jerry. Thank you for taking time to check up on me. I don't know if I would go so far as to say I'm "doing quite well" but your good thoughts are always appreciated. I hope you are also well and I will take this time to thank you once again for authoring the poetry masterpiece known as SAVANNAH MOSS: http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/fa...
Aberjhani
The problem with the use of any author's writings without proper attribution on social media is it gives the erroneous impression the work is anonymous. Different people then begin using it in illegal ways that can cause serious problems for themselves, website owners, and the "freedom of the internet" most of us treasure. In short, it gives law-makers legitimate reasons for restricting online freedoms and usage, and also promotes false information as well as intellectual property theft.
Aberjhani
Hello Glimmer. Thank you for your interest in The River of Winged Dreams. The hope is to publish an eBook edition of The River of Winged Dreams as part of the forthcoming 10th anniversary celebration of its original year 2010 publication. The actual anniversary is not until 2020 but if I can connect with the right publisher we might be able to make the eBook available before then.
Aberjhani
My Friends-- Answering that question could give another author very valuable material for a best seller that should be mine :)
Aberjhani
My favorite couple from literature would have to be Sethe and Paul D from Toni Morrison's novel, Beloved. Despite the psychological scars that slavery left upon them and the oppressive conditions under which they continued to live, they still challenged each other, in the name of a persistent love, to give the best of themselves to one another. It was Sethe who gave us Morrison's great quote: "Love is or it ain’t. Thin love ain't love at all."
Aberjhani
Hello Jimmy—
A lot of the legitimate print edition literary journals and magazines no longer maintain the work online because too many people have ignored copyright restrictions and re-posted it on their commercial sites or elsewhere without permission. However, you can visit the following page on Bright Skylark Literary Productions and see covers of Savannah Literary Journal, which is only one example of a publication that featured poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by me: http://www.author-poet-aberjhani.info...
In addition to these, my work has been published by MENSA, African-American Review (Literature Forum), ESSENCE Magazine, “Poets, Artists & Madmen,” The Smoking Poet, JSTOR, and others. Some poems have popped up in foreign-language translations that I knew nothing about until someone made me aware of them. Hopefully a publisher will become interested in producing a volume of collected poems in the not-too-distant future.
A lot of the legitimate print edition literary journals and magazines no longer maintain the work online because too many people have ignored copyright restrictions and re-posted it on their commercial sites or elsewhere without permission. However, you can visit the following page on Bright Skylark Literary Productions and see covers of Savannah Literary Journal, which is only one example of a publication that featured poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction by me: http://www.author-poet-aberjhani.info...
In addition to these, my work has been published by MENSA, African-American Review (Literature Forum), ESSENCE Magazine, “Poets, Artists & Madmen,” The Smoking Poet, JSTOR, and others. Some poems have popped up in foreign-language translations that I knew nothing about until someone made me aware of them. Hopefully a publisher will become interested in producing a volume of collected poems in the not-too-distant future.
Aberjhani
Hello Jimmy-- Thank you for your question and also for your service both in and out of the military.
Probably the easiest way to access links to poems by me currently online is to Google "Poems by Aberjhani." But you can also check out a few at the following links:
Poems on Bright Skylark Literary Productions:
http://www.author-poet-aberjhani.info...
Best Poems Encyclopedia http://www.best-poems.net/aberjhani/i...
http://www.best-poems.net/african-ame...
Take care.
Probably the easiest way to access links to poems by me currently online is to Google "Poems by Aberjhani." But you can also check out a few at the following links:
Poems on Bright Skylark Literary Productions:
http://www.author-poet-aberjhani.info...
Best Poems Encyclopedia http://www.best-poems.net/aberjhani/i...
http://www.best-poems.net/african-ame...
Take care.
Aberjhani
Hello Katrina—
Thank you for your kind words. To answer your question: I have been a student of different spiritual and philosophical wisdom traditions all my adult life. I prefer to meditate upon common themes, such as compassion and the impulse to live love, which promote unity among human beings and encourage personal spiritual growth. Many of my favorite authors may have been anchored by a specific belief system but through their writings they often universalized the core teachings of those beliefs in such a way that almost any individual or community could benefit from them.
Thank you for your kind words. To answer your question: I have been a student of different spiritual and philosophical wisdom traditions all my adult life. I prefer to meditate upon common themes, such as compassion and the impulse to live love, which promote unity among human beings and encourage personal spiritual growth. Many of my favorite authors may have been anchored by a specific belief system but through their writings they often universalized the core teachings of those beliefs in such a way that almost any individual or community could benefit from them.
Aberjhani
My most recently-published book is Journey through the Power of the Rainbow Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry and the idea for it came from users of social media who frequently post quotes from my writings along with complementary images. The book actually gives them more to work with, shares stories about some of the most popular quotes, and documents their origins as well.
The title just announced here on Goodreads, Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays was prompted by the escalation of military and terrorist conflicts in the world. Even though much of my work already lends itself to helping stimulate dialogue about nonviolent conflict resolution, humanity often seems in urgent need of more.
The title just announced here on Goodreads, Splendid Literarium: A Treasury of Stories, Aphorisms, Poems, and Essays was prompted by the escalation of military and terrorist conflicts in the world. Even though much of my work already lends itself to helping stimulate dialogue about nonviolent conflict resolution, humanity often seems in urgent need of more.
Aberjhani
By reading stories about and works by my literary heroes. Also by never giving up on my goal to achieve a certain level of literary mastery. At times when those have not worked for whatever reason, I have been fortunate enough to receive communication from readers or observers sharing stories about the positive impact my writings have had on their lives and that almost always gets me going again. But for the most part, it is a very rare day when I am not inspired to write. I may not want to deal with certain other things, but I always want to write.
Aberjhani
1 Play, 2 books of poetry, an outline for a paranormal series, and research that never seems to end.
Aberjhani
1. Respect the craft by studying it when possible and by occasionally reading biographies or memoirs on other writers' experiences.
2. Maintain a journal in which you write whatever you happen to think or feel at least once or twice a week. This is one good way to help develop what publishers call your "individual voice" as a writer.
3. Read and actually explore specific topics to gain some degree of expertise regarding them but also do this outside of your particular comfort zone to stretch your creative imagination and grow even more.
4. Don't pressure yourself too much. Enjoy the experience as much as you can.
2. Maintain a journal in which you write whatever you happen to think or feel at least once or twice a week. This is one good way to help develop what publishers call your "individual voice" as a writer.
3. Read and actually explore specific topics to gain some degree of expertise regarding them but also do this outside of your particular comfort zone to stretch your creative imagination and grow even more.
4. Don't pressure yourself too much. Enjoy the experience as much as you can.
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