We have heard phrases or sayings that suggest there is always a new beginning after any closing.  When one door closes, another one opens.  The end of a story is the start of new one. Divorce is a new opportunity i.e. a new beginning etc.   And I always surmised that what does not kill you only makes you stronger is a saying that falls into this same realm of closure and new starts.  Saturday closes the week, and Sunday is sitting right there; ready; primed; eager to get a new week off and running.  There are two summer contributors who have the task of closing out this series of aaduna introductions to the next issue on a Saturday.  The actual beginning in this promotional initiative will be the launch of the summer issue and that will come soon.  With the realization that the end is just the beginning, we present He Junhua and Flo Au . *****   He Junhua (photo provided)   He Junhua was born in 1988 in Hubei,...

"Early September in Sterling NY,"  Lisa Brennan, Photographer (c) 2017   There is something beyond pleasurable in the way that the end of August transitions into September.  Some folks take this time as the end of summer and plan a change in activities especially as American style “football” revs up for another NFL season.  Children routinely bemoan the fact that school will start in a few days.  Some folks start to plan fall activities, and then there are legions of folks who see this transition as a continuance of the ‘traditional’ summer but with a less hectic pace. They are not defined by a calendar.  While most vacations are over, the BBQ grills and bags of charcoal will stay in place; seasonal afternoon cook-outs and parties will still drift into the late evening hours and permeate  backyards with laughter and good times, and daily summer wardrobe of shorts, flip flops, sandals, summer dresses and baseball caps worn backwards will not come...

Writers and poets {as well as other artists} have the keen ability to have us witness and embrace life’s frailities and the unmeasurable horrors that some people knowingly inflict on other people. Throughout the world, the core of humanity as being just and good remains challenged by a variety of sinister motivations that can be disturbing and terrifying. But, not being able to identify and confront such evil allows darkness to further spread and flourish. Bear witness to the excerpted work of Howell and Kapungu. J.C. Howell (photo provided) J. C. Howell is cu rrently living in the small suburb of Berwyn, Illinois.  He lived for two years in the Czech Republic, primarily in the city of Prague, and the magical town of Český Krumlov.  His writing is influenced by his exposure to Central and Eastern European literature: primarily Czech and Russian, though his favorite writers are global in scope.  Here is the opening to his story, “Tether.” ...

OK, for those readers who do not know why Wednesday is referred to as hump day, don’t look to me for that answer. LOL. Why the terminology?  Dunno…maybe someone can research the rationale and send it to me.  I will share.  Anyway, my individual perspective and guess is that Wednesday has been relegated to a ho-hum middle of the week day status, and it lacks the pizazz{good or bad} that may permeate other days of the week.  Without offending anyone, it may be like how some folks assess the status of middle children in the family when they are being honest. At aaduna , each and every day is our opportunity to excite and create adventures for the mind by using words and images that are wrapped in universal themes of human expression.  We welcome contributors Sandhya Acharya and Wandeka Gayle to aaduna’s summer 2017 issue.  Sandhya Acharya (photo provided) Sandhya resides in Santa Clara, California and joins a distinguished list of C...

As we work to prep the coming issue, we have also been thinking about what actually happens after the issue is launched and you click on it; read it; skim it; share it; reflect on it…etc. Do we… Uncover the diverse emotions of life through words and images? Enrich your heart, soul, spirit? Help transition the global community into a world-wide neighborhood? Prompt you to read, reflect, act!? Provide a multi-dimensional journey into words and images? Give you words that intrigue; images that enrich; a publication that emboldens? Satisfy your hunger for stimulating words and images? Fuel your creative spirit and inspire your need to share your creative impulses with someone else? And does aaduna rock your imagination? Whoa…this blog posting is not about aaduna {well, may be a little.} It is about our summer contributors so let’s get back to what we do…promote our contributors! * * * * * * Shawnte Barr (photo provided) Shawnte Barr is an aspiring and emerging poet and...

We all know folks who use far too many words to detail a situation that best requires paucity and sharpness…a clarity of thought. Sometimes, saying less is saying more especially when  those words evoke deep seeded feelings and convey a range of emotions.  There are summer contributors that say less and mean more. Selena Oquendo (photo provided) Selena Oquendo will have three pieces in the forthcoming issue.  Here is a snippet from “Flame.” i laid in the dark for a cold and lonely emptiness. there was a burning red flame that was up in the desolate darkness; i tried to reach out for her but my arms were weak with worry of being burned with her beauty. ***** Margarita Serafimova (photo provided) Margarita Serafimova resides in Bulgaria where she conjures imagery through poetic lines that are terse, fleeting, and enables our imagination to soar and think not only about possibilities but the unimaginable.  With three brief untitled p...