Look and Listen

Biography

Over the past thirty years, I have expressed myself creatively as a Transpersonal Counselor as well as a teacher in various disciplines, as diverse as Sprititual Healing, Introduction to Sufism, Elementary School Art and Dance, Dances of Universal Peace, Massage, Qi Gong, Meditation and as a Childbirth Educator--but never considered myself a writer. One day a friend invited me to a writing group at a local bookstore where they practiced writing from clever prompts. When I wrote from the prompt "Someone wins something they don't want" I never expected to end up, eventually, with a 200 page book of fiction about a spiritual journey entitled "The Legacy of Violetta Rose: An Inter-Dimensional Journey Through the Lincoln Tunnel and Beyond. I was even more surprised when I realized that the writing of the book was a spiritual journey in itself. I'm delighted to share the experience with anyone who has interest in a book much like Carlos Castanada's "Teachings of Dan Juan" except that it's about a neurotic New York Jewish Baby-Boomer Psychologist whose spiritual guide is apparently the ghost of an old woman living at the lake house in New jersey (the house is the unwanted prize.) My Wheaten Terrier, Layla, also has a part in the story as the main character Alicia's inter-dimensional companion.

Inspiration

The source of my inspiration in this particular book was my muse, or spiritual guide, Violetta Rose. Even though this is a work of fiction, and the main character, Alicia Morgenstern, is undeniably similar to me, the wisdom that comes through in the book seems to come from another source. As I mention in the beginning of the book, these terms are all based upon previous belief systems, so I could just as easily say it came from my "subconscious mind," or the "collective unconscious" or my "high self." But I must say that in each chapter of the journey, the outcome was a surprise to me as I wrote it, and the ending also was totally unplanned. I have since written in the traditional form by creating an outline with a plot, a hook, and a protagonist and antagonist, but this book was totally written from inspiration, without planning of any kind other than being open to what came to me when I sat down to write. When it came to editing, I found I could only edit the details, but never the words of Violetta. What formed me as a writer, in this particular case, was my willingness to sit in front of my computer each morning, and write what came through. I had no courses in writing and never even considered it a possible creative outlet for myself until the first day I sat down with the prompt "Someone wins something they don't want."