Lazy afternoon under the pines. . .

In a recent trip to my cabin in the Okanogan Wilderness area, Lucy and I observed a group of deer lazing under some pines in the afternoon sun.

No worries: they made it through the winter, fattened up a bit, and its just before the fawns arrive. . .

Next Generation Indie Book Awards. . .

Controversial is the only way to describe the debate over today’s entrepreneurial Independent authors. As with any uninvited change to established institutions, the mainstream publishing industry has been uncomfortable with this fast growing trend.

Similar to Indie films and Indie music, the mainstream publishing posse has their points. The checks and balances in place for selecting just the right media bubbles up what they believe will sell to the public. True, this insures a high standard of editing and formatting. Also true, it restricts incredibly rich choices for those whom have a passion for their genres.

An unbiased answer to the cry for quality and choice are industry respected publications such as Kirkus Discoveries, Midwest Book Review, Foreward Magazine, and others who specifically target services for independent authors. Consumers can be assured that reputation is foremost for these publications – ergo a strong review assures a reader of a quality story.

Also emerging to meet the demand for quality are reputable Independent book competitions to showcase the best of the best. As with the Sundance Film Festival and South by Southwest Festival, these competitions seek to uncover budding talent that has gone unnoticed.

I am pleased to congratulate the winner of this year’s Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the Historical Fiction Category, “Buffaloed”, by Fairlee Winfield.
Alongside “Buffaloed”, I am proud to share a position as a finalist in the Historical Fiction Category for “. . .a rib from Eve”.

Kudos to all of the finalist and winners of these prestigious awards, and a special thanks to the judges and organizers for supporting this growing trend in publishing!

Appreciate Cultural Riptides

When one cannot travel Europe in person, the next best thing is taking a ride with Rick Steves, one of my favorite northwest personas who has spent much of his life showing us “Europe through the Back Door” on his syndicated public television travel series.

In a recent post on his “Travel as a Political Act” blog, he articulates quite eloquently the repetitious nature of our European ancestors.

When visiting a small Catholic church in Spain he muses:

“It becomes even more poignant when you realize that the church is built upon on the ruins of a mosque, which was built on the ruins of a church, which was built on the ruins of a Roman temple, which was built on the ruin of an earlier pagan holy place.”

His TAPA blog has definitely become one of my favorite lurks. . .

Carmina Burana

I spent a delightful Friday evening attending a marvelous event presented by our own northwest Seattle Peace Chorus featuring the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff with the Western Washington University Orchestra.

The theme: Re-creating for the audience, through music and song, the Goliard’s 12th century writings which portray peaceful satirical protest against the Papacy.

The evening began in a most appropriate setting. In the midst of the Seattle urban business center, I am swept back to a more simple artistic point in time upon entering the Town Hall venue.

Once a church constructed in the early 1900’s by the an affluent Christian community, the sanctuary-like setting inspires hushed voices as I weave my way among the curved wooden pews which encircle the stage — formerly the platform for a preachers pulpit. A central domed ceiling with Greek Corinthian-like pillars and fine stained art-glass windows filtering late afternoon light remind me of a quintessential European setting.

A friend from the Chorus recommends sitting close to the percussion section and I take her advice, delighted to be so close to the many instruments awaiting the musicians who command them.

The Chorus opens with 11th century anthems written by Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179). Between melodic movements a narrative is read which hints the current day mishaps in the Middle East, experienced by those of European decent, are remarkably similar to those encountered by their ancestors during the crusades – a point well taken.

Following 11th century Hildegard’s serenade, exuberant young musicians from Bellingham’s college in northern Washington enter the stage followed by the acclaimed Soprano and Baritone soloists who will be participating in this musical time travel.

. . .And these students are such appropriate participants in this performance of Carmina Burana. As social rebels of the time period, the Goliards, followers of a legendary Bishop Golias, were mainly clerical students at the universities of France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and England who protested the growing contradictions within the Church, such as the failure of the Crusades and financial abuses, expressing themselves through rather risqué song, poetry and performance.

The Carmina Burana opens as well as closes with Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi(Fortune, Empress of the World). Listening to the song via this YouTube link is worth 1000 words. . .

The overall performance was worthy of a PBS special. Sitting in such close proximity of the percussion section, the energy of these young musicians absolutely blew me away. It was if they were one with the music in body, spirit, and rhythm – such a complex performance could not be performed to such a moving degree of incarnation otherwise.
The Seattle Peace Chorus, guest soloists, and WWU students can be assured they would have made their 12th century spiritual kinsmen and kinswomen proud in this magnificent performance.

I walked away with an increased awareness of how the human spirit forever tends to repeat the same mistakes as well as successes, over and over throughout history. I carry with me a feeling of almost existing inside the Carmina Burana masterpiece for a short period of time, woven for my pleasure by these performing artists who portrayed the awe-inspiring tale. . . .

Full text of Carmina Burana can be found here.

The Seattle Peace Chorus
Carl Orff’s Choral masterpiece, “Carmina Burana”
Directed by Fred West

Featuring:
Alexandra Picard, Soprano
Stuart Lutzenhiser, Tenor
Charles Robert Stephens, Baritone
Special guest artist Linda Strandberg, Soprano
With Western Washington University Orchestra, directed by Arthur Shaw

Liber Historiae Francorum - review

Winning the right call himself first, Bernard S. Bachrach enables us to view one of the few original Latin narrative histories, Liber Historiae Francorum, scribed during Merovingian Gaul translated into English by Bachrach himself.

Inviting us to view his translation in the context of understanding the late seventh century man who wrote it, Bachrach gives a nod to the creative restraints and censorship such a literate person may have had to succumb.

In Latin, sapiens means “a wise man”. Given the author of this story is unknown, for the purpose of this review I will call him Sapiens.

“Let us set out the beginnings of the Kings” Sapiens opens as he relates the origins of the Frankish tribes. Beginning the history, as told in the old oral tradition, he relates how the few Trojans who survived the Greek invasions fled north to Sicambria and their established their new home. Eventually, he relates, they win a reputation among the Romans as the “Franks” which meant “Fierce”.

Assigning word fame to each King, Sapiens pauses at Merovech, the founding namesake of the famed Merovingian King line of the Franks. Describing the saga when Merovech allies with the Romans and fellow Germanic tribes, he proudly tells the tale of this fierce Frank who set Attila and his Huns on their heals in defeat.

Ancient Gossip, intrigue, and romance are related by Sapiens, many which are corroborated in other texts of the time period. We hear of the womanizing behaviors of one King Childeric and his eventual love affair with the neighboring Thuringian Queen Basina whom becomes his wife and bears the next brace of Kings. We hear of the dance between King Clovis and Queen Clothilde as she eventually persuades him to abandon his Pagan Gods for Christianity. Even though baptism is purported to have resulted in the death two infant Merovingian offspring, 3000 of his warlords are consecrated along with him. Sapiens quotes the concentrating bishop as he entreats Clovis to: “. . .adore what you have burned, burn what you a have adored. . .”
We get a peek into the actual taming of the tribes’ psyche when one trusted roman counselor convinces King Clovis to ask for tribute “. . .instead of laying waste to the fields, despoiling the meadows, cutting the vines. . .”
In Clovis’ epitaph, Sapiens professes “He killed a great many kings and a great number of his relatives.”

A subsequent emergent Merovingian King Clothar is documented seeking savage retribution when Sapiens reports he `. . .went through all of Thuringia and depopulated it. . .’ We can only surmise slaughter and mayhem.

In the next brace of Kings Sapiens surfaces the infamous Merovingian blood feud between Queens Brunhilda and Fredegunda depicting numerous murders and tortures committed at their command. One titillating fact surfaces, not known in other texts, when Fredeguda’s husband, King Chilperic, catches her unawares, and discovers her love affair with a certain Duke. Sapiens pulls no punches and professes actual quotes of the Lady’s words when she instigates the immediate murder of her husband before he can seek retribution, somehow laying blame on her sworn enemy, Queen Brunhilda. Also shocking is Sapiens’ statement, if as fact, that Queen Brunhilda murders her own son-King and grandsons, after a family dispute.

Among generations of these kings a surreal norm is unearthed by Sapiens: murders of King after King with the scramasax; Kings taking their wives sisters in their beds; Saint’s relics producing magical vengeance or benevolence upon of Kings depending on the happenstance; wives, sisters, mothers and consorts enjoying amazing influence and counsellorship with their Merovingian lords; Patricide, torture, assassination, tonsure. . . .

Adventure, romance, intrigue, and bloodshed show the best and worst of our Caucasian ancestors through Sapiens’ somewhat censored tale.

We must award Sapiens a 5+ Star review for an amazing first hand saga that survives and is still read 1300+ years after the demise of its author. I can’t help but wonder what he and other fellow scribes might have dared set to word-fame, but was then erased and retribution paid for in blood. . . .