Who Were The Black Olives?

A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd was my fifth book, and first children's picture book. On the first page (after the title page) there is a picture of a can of olives, with the statement Dedicated to the Black Olives. Because I've been asked fourteen thousand times "Who are the Black Olives?" I decided to tell, for the sake of posterity, the backstory.

A Remarkable Tale began as a poem that I wrote in the 90's in response to a work incident. The occasion was a training video that I'd written and was producing. There was a need at one point for someone to demonstrate the application of the product. The manager, however, did not want her hands on camera and declined doing the demo, which involved rolling out a piece of film to adhere on a surface. (Only her hands were to be shown.) Because she would not do it, all of her subordinates also declined when asked to show how the process is done. Only their hands would show, I reiterated. They each made excuses and it appeared that we were going to be stuck. But then the department director did it for us, even though he had a mild palsy which he had to go to great lengths to conceal during this shot which focused on his hands.

After all the footage had been shot, two days of editing and post-production followed. There were three of us involved in these two very long days. The second day took almost 14 hours because we were resolved not to have to return for a third day. Because of our determination to finish we decided not to break for supper and instead, as it was getting increasingly late and we were getting increasingly hungry, ordered a pizza.

As is often the case in most pizza decisions, arriving at agreement on the toppings became a problem. After much negotiation the one topping we all agreed on was black olives. One thing led to another and we decided to call ourselves The Black Olives and in the closing credits of the training video we included an acknowledgement to The Black Olives. It became our inside joke. When the finished product was delivered Debbie Anderson, the producer, also brought cans of black olives, one for myself and the department head who worked on the project with us. We had had some great laughs and I brought the olives home to put on a shelf in my office.

Because this poem was connected to the incident that served as its catalyst, the can of black olives became a symbol that belonged associated with the lesson which is contained in this book. Hence, the dedication.

The book is available online at Amazon.com and locally at Goin' Postal. The list price is $15 but I've been selling them for $10. I was disappointed that the Duluth Public Library felt the cover was too scary to be in the children's book section. I probably would have had a more cheerful cover image had I thought more like a marketing person. C'est la vie. My illustrator, Ian Welshons,  produced some absolutely fabulous pictures to illustrate the story. You can see a few of them here. You can see more examples of Ian's work here.

Meantime, life goes on. Que sera sera. 

Local Arts Scene: Upcoming Events for the Weekend Ahead

"Reservoir" by Cecilia Lieder

Time is a gift. How you spend it is up to you, but here are a couple things for consideration.

Saturday November 22 from 2 - 7 p.m. there's an opening reception for Cecilia Lieder's solo exhibition titled "Reflections."

Ms. Lieder has become a masterful printmaker and woodcut artist and this show features the evolution of her creative work over time with samples from her earliest prints to the present, in tandem. The press announcement states:

Some of her seldom seen drawings will be on view, as well as other examples of her eclectic creative life as it has intertwined with her primary medium of printmaking. In reviewing the changes – as well as the similarities and timelessness – of an artist’s production over an extended period, insights may be gleaned about the artistic journey itself. This is an opportunity to deepen your understanding and familiarity with the work of this local printmaker-artist whose creative expression has largely been shaped by her experience of living in Duluth.

When you go you'll get a chance to explore the process of printmaking in general and the processes involved in making her works specifically. If you'd like she'll even give you the opportunity to make a print yourself, which you can keep and frame.

A SPECIAL EVENT AT THE OPENING will be poetry readings on world and national peace by five of Duluth’s most accomplished poets: Deborah Cooper, Linda LeGuarde Grover, Sheila Packa, Gary Boelhower and Ellie Schoenfeld. Lieder will also participate.

The Northern Prints Gallery is located at 318 North 14th Avenue East, a block above the old Farmer's Market and across the street from Burrito Union.
www.northernprintsgallery.com

* * * *

Down Home Creations’ Visit With Friends & Christmas Sale 

Friday Eve November 21, 5-8 and Saturday, Nov. 22, 10-4

This coming weekend Susie and I are having a variation on an open house, in our garages. Here's a list of what you will find...

Offering Various Art and Susie’s Usable Products Such As:
Wrapping Paper
Goosefeather Quill Pens
Decorative Notebooks
Art Folder Envelopes
Garden Raspberry Products including ▪ dehydrated berries ▪ raspberry sugar ▪ raspberry teas ▪ raspberry liqueurs in decorative gift bottles (These will go quickly, I am certain.)
You will find lots of Stocking Stuffer Ideas here with many products under $5
Drawer/Closet Sachet Bags
Lavender Pillow Spray
Doggie Biscuits
Multi-Purpose Fresheners

Original Paintings and Drawings by “Ennyman”
Plus Joan Hendershot’s Fine Pottery Creations

A SPECIAL FEATURE OF THIS EVENT is that I will have copies of my new illustrated children's book, A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd. For those who can't make it, it will soon be in select area bookstores. You may purchase it online here at Createspace.com or at Amazon.com.

We have two garages with my art studio in the garage nearer the road. If you visit, the place to be will be down in the Down Home Creator's garage. But I will have my garage heated and as welcoming as possible for those interested in seeing more of my work.

You will FIND US @ 4042 Sandberg Road, ten minutes from Proctor our Highway 2 or ten minutes from the Mall out Maple Grove.
From Proctor via Hwy. 2: 1.8 miles past Midway Road, turn right at yellow house
From Mall via Maple Grove: 1.5 miles past Midway Road, turn left

* * * *

Meantime, life goes on all around you. Embrace it.

Nine Books By Ed Newman

Bob Dylan in Minnesota

Although this is not a book I wrote entirely myself, I did contribute seven chapters. Most Dylan fans  know that Bob Dylan was born here in Duluth, grew up in Hibbing and cut his musical teeth in the folk scene of Dinkytown in the Twin Cities's Midway.

This travel guide brings together stories from these key locations as well as the roots and early life of Bob Dylan. You will also introduce you to four Minnesota contributors who live in Dylan’s homeland and play an active part in promoting everything Dylan.

Thus far the book has received a number of positive reviews. It is available locally at Zenith Books in West Duluth. Otherwise you can find it here online.

 *
The Red Scorpion
--- My haunted house story with a supernatural twist. Lord of the Flies meets Stephen King. One Amazon reviewer called it "a good mystery/suspense/science fiction thriller... carefully crafted and realistically portrayed." A Nook reader wrote, "This book kept me reading straight through till the end. It kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next."

BEST VALUE: $2.99 here on Kindle. 



* * * *
CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK, AGES 6-9
A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

The good people of Podd are a strange lot. Everyone in the kingdom thinks himself or herself to be somehow odd or weird—and considers everyone else to be perfectly normal. Some worry they have funny hair; others don’t like the shape of their noses; and still more think their eyes look strange.

When an enemy threatens to march his army into Podd, the king (who thinks he has very odd-looking feet) looks for a hero to defend the country. But everyone he asks refuses to lead Podd’s army, arguing their problems make them too weird to save the kingdom. Will the citizens of Podd learn to accept themselves for who they are and find the courage to defend the realm, or are the land of Podd and its people doomed?

Written by Ed Newman and illustrated by Ian Welshons, A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd uses wry Seussian humor, rhyme, and captivating illustrations to teach an important lesson about self-awareness and self-worth. No matter how we perceive ourselves, we can make the most of what we’ve got—and others probably won’t even notice what we don’t like about ourselves anyway.

Ideal for children in 1st through 4th grade, though engaging for all ages. Do you have nieces, nephews, grandchildren or children of your own? Makes a great gift. Is available signed and at a discount if you know me personally. 

Available at Amazon.


SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Unremembered Histories
This book contains some of my favorite short stories. The paranormal becomes the common denominator in these six original tales. An Amazon.com reviewer wrote, "If you value the short-story form, written in a way that entertains, informs, and prompts you to think, then there's a lot to appreciate in this little gem."

In the 1990's one of my favorite stories, Duel of the Poets, was translated into Croatian to be a cornerstone for a poetry site there.

NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINT and as an eBook at Amazon.com

Newmanesque
Newmanesque is my second collection of original short fiction. This set of stories includes The M Zone, A Poem About Truth, The Unfinished Stories of Richard Allen Garston, The Nose, and Terrorists Preying, which has been translated into French by Aude Fondard. One reader of these stories wrote, “My very first impression is that there's a certain style in some ways similar to Franz Kafka which is good and intense… very mysterious for one doesn't know where the whole thing is going to go, but it's sure that there's a message to be captured from the many moments stated in the short sentences that are all poignant to the story."

Purchase a Kindle version of the book here.
ONLY $.99 but worth every penny.

The Breaking Point and Other Stories
This, my third collection of short stories, features my winning 1991 Arrowhead Regional Fiction Competition story "The Breaking Point" plus four other stories. The stories here are more conventional, with the usual twists. One reader wrote that the stories "contain insight into relationships" with "subject matter regarding love relationship's emotions, expectations, illusions, and delusions in the most mundane characters." In the midst of their ordinary lives there is a decisive extraordinary event.

Available as an eBook on Amazon.com here.


Especially For Homeschoolers 
Writing Exercises

How to Teach Writing and Prepare Your Favorite Students for College, Life and Everything Else.
Good writing skills are essential to success. This book outlines my philosophy for teaching writing which I nearly guarantee will make a difference in your child’s life. This is a book originally written to help home school teachers but is actually for anyone interested in helping kids improve their writing skills. Essentially the book offers an original teaching approach that helps unstop critical barriers that inhibit young students. The exercises are designed to teach critical skills and tactics, and to make writing fun.

AVAILABLE HERE ON AMAZON

Free STEAMPUNK/SCI FI eBook Intergalactica

In the spring of 2012 I was involved in an exhilarating collaborative art project called Artist Kamikaze IV. This was my second year and I was initially paired with clothing artist Patricia Mahnke. The project we undertook was ambitious so we didn't waste any time meeting to outline a plan. What we decided was to create a character and costume, whom I would then paint. Eventually this evolved into two characters and costumes.

As the project evolved we had the good fortune of being able to obtain a third partner, Kate Dupre, who brought photography and Photoshop skills to the project. I found the completed project so cool that I felt it shouldn't be such a temporary piece. With assistance I had the story and images re-assembled into an eBook which is available Free on iTunes.

You can read the beginning of the story here without downloading.

* * * *

Reflections from the North Country, 2007 – 2015
Notes, observations and impressions about the music, art and life of the Northland’s Bob Dylan

Reflections is a compilation of all my Dylan-themed blog posts from 2007 to December 2015. A reference librarian from the Duluth Public Library asked if I might like to have my blog posts about Bob Dylan bound and placed in the permanent archives. The library routinely collects and preserves books by local authors for posterity, but in this case not only would it be a collection of blog posts by a local author, the subject matter was Dylan and Dylan is, naturally, a Duluth Native Son.

Although this 2-volume set is not for sale, it can be found in the biography section of the Duluth Public Library along with numerous other books on Bob. As time permits, look for volume three sometime within the next year.

* * * *

Meantime, keep reading. Books are  a gateway to life.

Midsummer Update on A Remarkable Tale

Two years ago I met a freshly graduated student from the UMD fine arts program whose pictures were on display at the PROVE Gallery here in Duluth. Ian Welshon's work impressed me. When I learned that his future ambitions included a desire to illustrate children's books, I probed his level of interest to consider illustrating one of mine. Thus began our two years together (thus far) to bring my little poem/story to print.

At this point in time the drawings are now complete. The next step will be the layout and manuscript prep.

Every step of the way involves decisions. And sacrifices.

One of the challenges was been working within limitations. He lives in Stillwater, MN and I am here up north. A second is that of trying to find a publisher, made especially challenging because children's book publishers like to be the ones who select the illustrator. This approach of the writer picking his illustrator is evidently taboo, or at least that is what I have run across in the literature and in experience thus far.

So, we're going with the publish-on-demand arm of Amazon.com, Createspace. My dealing with them thus far have been very good. Createspace published Unremembered Histories, my first set of short stories and we're currently working with them on this one. Unfortunately, the maximum size of the final product will be smaller that I'd originally envisioned. Nevertheless, there may be work-arounds and I am confident the final product will look good, and will be enjoyed.

The name of the book is A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd. I have yet to find anyone who hasn't enjoyed it. You can see more of Ian's illustrations for this book here.

Later this fall we're planning to have an art show to exhibit some of Ian's illustrations and to share the book. I will keep you posted.

Meantime... life goes on all around you. Make it remarkable.

Wordless Wednesday: Latest pictures from A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

The kingdom would be lost if he couldn't find someone to carry out this task...

But there seemed no one else in his land left to ask.

For  though nothing was wrong each thought he was odd.

The kingdom was saved, it turned out in the end....

He flew 'cross the hills to the far other side....

OK, so it is not exactly wordless. The project is moving along. Special thanks to illustrator Ian Welshons. Look for announcements for a release party sometime this fall. Now let's go out and save the world.


Ed Newman is a fiscal year 2014 recipient of a Career Development grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (www.aracouncil.org) which is funded in part with money from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008; an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature; and The McKnight Foundation.

Wordless Wednesday: Images by Ian Welshons who is illustrating my story A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

The event kernel that triggered this poem was nothing like what you read here per se, yet upon reflecting on what occurred this poem popped into my head almost as a whole piece. A number of my poems have happened that way.

The occasion was a training video that I had written and was producing. There was a need at one point for someone to demonstrate the application of the product. The manager, however, did not want her hands on camera and declined doing the demo, which involved rolling out a piece of film to adhere on a surface. Because she would not do it, all of her subordinates also declined when asked to show how the process is done. Only their hands would show, I reiterated. They each made excuses and it appeared that we were going to be stuck. But then the director did it for us, even though he had a mild palsy which he had to go to great lengths to conceal during this shot which focused on his hands.

Needless to say, the project was saved in the end. Once we go the shot we could exclaim those magic words of the film business, "It's a wrap." And now...

A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

In a faraway land, in the Land of Podd,
folks felt themselves each just a little bit odd.
Why in fact, not a few,
not even a dozen,
and not just a sister or uncle or cousin...
'Twas the entire country caught under this spell,
each believed only others were anything swell,
and each felt discouraged, just a smidge, by his lot,
and this is what happened, believe it or not.

It had been a bad year, and in addition to famine
there were enemy troops on the borders of Salmon,
their unfriendly neighbors near the Mountain of Yore
and the King was near certain that his land was done for.

So he needed a messenger to save their lands
and he sought out a hero from the kingdom's bands.
But each made excuses, for this and for that,
One said, "My hair's funny,"
and "I can't wear a hat."
A second, who resisted, said his nose was too fat!

The king tried reason, and he also tried terror,
but quickly realized that the latter's an error,
so he promptly decided to appeal to God,
'cause these were strange people, these people of Podd,
for nothing was wrong... though each thought he was odd.

The king finally saw, although quite peculiar,
that the land would be lost -- including their ruler! --
if he couldn't find someone to carry out this task,
but there seemed no one else in his land left to ask.

Yet the Kingdom was saved, it turned out in the end,
all because the king knew that to save his own skin
he would have to step down from his throne, to the street,
and even though he didn't like his own feet,
he became a great leader by hiding it inside,
and he ran 'cross the hills to the far other side
to bring back an army or some kind of troop,
to finish forever this enemy poop.

I guess that is why some are kings, some are not,
We're really all the same, and we're all that we've got.

copyright 1996 ed newman
PERMISSION TO REPRINT GRANTED if attribution is cited.
Could you send me a note telling where you shared it?

Two Books, Two Movies

As far as I'm concerned, it was a pretty weak year for films. What I mean is that beginning with spring there were almost no compelling movies playing at the theaters till the very end of 2007. Pirates III with Johnny Depp got a nod from critics and fans as better than Pirates II, but it wasn't enough to make me want to give up an evening or afternoon. I have plenty else on my plate, thank you. I took a chance this fall on Across the Universe, which was entertaining. But for the most part, I did my movie watching at home.

On the other hand, I have read or listened to a lot of very good books this year. One way to get more reading time squeezed in to your life is to listen to books while you commute. Any good library will offer plenty of books on CD or tape for those so inclined. This has been a habit of mine for perhaps eight years now, listening to audio books and lectures.

To my surprise, two books that I found especially engaging in 2007 were made into movies that have been released here in mid-to-late December. The first, No Country for Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy; the second, Charlie Wilson's War, by George Crile. The full title of this latter book is, Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times.

Crile's book is a remarkable read. Purportedly the true story of how Congressman Charlie Wilson led the charge to fund the Afghan resistance, the book is both entertaining and disturbing. Well researched and detailed, it does not drag. The scary part for me, however, is that it proves what I have always said about our federal government: It is too big and out of control.

For this reason alone it is an important book. It shows how Washington works.... or doesn't. Or does in spite of itself in some ways.

Like many books interpreting history, it may be a little overboard in crediting Wilson with ending the cold war (almost single-handedly). But the proposition is intriguing and has at least some partial merit. What he accomplished was no less than astounding.

So when to my surprise I saw a trailer for Charlie Wilson's War coming to theaters, I was really looking forward to it, and hoping they did not botch the story. Just so you know, the film was a superb adaptation. Tom Hanks was good, of course, and Julia Roberts played her role well, but the screen play is what made it all work. It would have been so easy to have gotten lost in the details and to have made a lengthy, wearisome but "important" film. Instead it was a tight story with solid performances throughout. Kudos to director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Catch-22) and a big round of applause for Philip Seymour Hoffman whose range of characterizations is astonishing. The contrast between Capote and Gust Avrokotos is remarkable.

The film had any number of places where it could have become derailed. Instead, Nichols maintained the discipline necessary to make this a highly entertaining and thought provoking experience.

I'll save my comments on No Country for another day.

Run Lola Run

Just finished watching Run Lola Run. (Original German title: Lola rennt.) From the first note and image you are “there.” The movie immediately notifies you that this is not just another film. Two quotes appear on the screen….

“We shall not cease exploring…” ~ T.S. Eliot

“After the game is before the game.” ~ Sepp Herberger

...followed by the opening monologue:

Man, probably the most mysterious species on our planet.
A mystery of unanswered questions.
Who are we?
Where do we come from?
Where are we going?
How do we know what we think we know?
Why do we believe anything at all?
Countless questions in search of an answer…
an answer that will give rise to a new question…
and the next answer will give rise to the next question and so on.
But in the end isn’t it always the same question?
And always the same answer?

The ball is round, the game lasts ninety minutes. That’s a fact.
Everything else is pure theory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The film is a fresh blend of audio and visual impressions threaded into a surprising and intense three part exploration. The tale, once told, does leave questions. But they promised that in the beginning, didn’t they?

Matilda Who Told Lies and Was Burned

Matilda told such dreadful lies, It made one gasp and Stretch one's eyes;

Her Aunt, who, from her earliest youth,

Had kept a strict regard for truth,
Attempted to believe Matilda:

The effort very nearly killed her,

And would have done so, had not she

Discovered this infirmity.

For once, towards the close of day,

Matilda, growing tired of play,

And finding she was left alone,

Went tiptoe to the telephone

And summoned the immediate aid
Of London's noble fire-brigade.

Within an hour the gallant band

Were pouring in on every hand,

From Putney, Hackney Downs, and Bow

With courage high and hearts aglow

They galloped, roaring through the town,

"Matilda's house is burning down!"

Inspired by British cheers and loud

Proceeding from the frenzied crowd,

They ran their ladders through a score

Of windows on the ball room floor;

And took peculiar pains to souse

The pictures up and down the house,

Until Matilda's Aunt succeeded

In showing them they were not needed;

And even then she had to pay

To get the men to go away! . . . .

It happened that a few Weeks later

Her Aunt was off to the theatre

To see that interesting play

The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.

She had refused to take her niece

To hear this entertaining piece:

A deprivation just and wise

To punish her for telling lies.

That night a fire did break out -

You should have heard Matilda shout!

You should have heard her scream and bawl,

And throw the window up and call

To People passing in the street -

(The rapidly increasing heat

Encouraging her to obtain

Their confidence) - but all in vain!

For every time she shouted 'Fire!'

They only answered 'Little Liar'!

And therefore when her Aunt returned,

Matilda, and the house, were burned.

Hillaire Belloc

Paths of Glory

This afternoon I decided to revisit Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, co-written and directed by Stanely Kubrick. This cold war classic was remarkable for its originality and dark comedy. "After all, we don't want to start a nuclear war unless we have to now, do we?" (Peter Sellers as Officer Mandrake)

It's hard to pinpoint the film that put Kubrick on the map as a director, but certainly all of his works demonstrate the power of his vision and unique genius. His films are both distinctive and daring.

One of my current top ten films of all time is Kubrick's Paths of Glory. It may have been the first film I wrote a review for on the Internet Movie Database. The following review is posted there, and at the end of this blog entry you may link to my reviews of several other films.

Early Kubrick film displays his profound skills of storytelling in film in remarkable and poignant World War One film.

I have placed this early Kubrick anti-war statement on my top ten list both for its originality, great acting, compelling story line, plot twists, and surprisingly beautiful and inspired ending. This one is a heart-breaker account of a moment in history that repeated itself endlessly in that horrific bloodfest called the trenches of World War I. To some extent Kubrick returned to the theme in various ways with Full Metal Jacket, but Kirk Douglas as Colonel Dax is perfect here, demonstrating the challenge of maintaining honor within a system that has turned values on its head. It is a crisis in the life and career of Colonel Dax, who has lived by the watchword of Duty with a capital D throughout his career, but has remained idealistic and faithful to his men. The army's absurd effort to capture "the Anthill" results in a tear in the fabric of his idealism. The ugliness he sees is an eye opener for both Dax and the audience, who sees the truth with tragic clarity.

Colonel Dax, identifying with his men, is an inspiration in contrast to an empty culture of power and prestige with no ethical base.

For additional film comments:

http://imdb.com/user/ur12458383/comments

A Remarkable Tale from the Land of Podd

In a faraway land, in the Land of Podd, folks felt themselves each just a little bit odd.

Why in fact, not a few, not even a dozen,

and not just a sister or uncle or cousin...

'Twas the entire country caught under this spell,

each believed only others were anything swell,

and each felt discouraged, just a smidge, by his lot,

and this is what happened, believe it or not.

It had been a bad year, and in addition to famine

there were enemy troops on the borders of Salmon,

their unfriendly neighbors near the Mountain of Yore

and the King was near certain that his land was done for.

So he needed a messenger to save their lands

and he sought out a hero from the kingdom's bands.

But each made excuses, for this and for that,

One said, "My hair's funny,"and "I can't wear a hat."

A second, who resisted, said his nose was too fat!

The king tried reason, and he also tried terror,

but soon realized that the latter's an error,

so he promptly decided to appeal to God,

'cause these were strange people, these people of Podd,

for nothing was wrong... though each thought he was odd.

The king finally saw, although quite peculiar,

that the land would be lost -- including their ruler! --

if he couldn't find someone to carry out this task,

but there seemed no one else in his land left to ask.

Yet the Kingdom was saved, it turned out in the end,

all because the king knew that to save his own skin

he would have to step down from his throne to the street,

and even though he didn't like his own feet,

he became a great leader by hiding it inside,

and he ran 'cross the hills to the far other side

to bring back an army or some kind of troop,

to finish forever this enemy poop.

I guess that is why some are kings, some are not,

We're really all the same, and we're all that we've got.

copyright 1996 ed newman

PERMISSION TO REPRINT GRANTED if attribution is cited.
Can you send me a note telling where you shared it?
ennyman@northlc.com