When do you read poetry?  I suspect many of us read fiction on the beach, riding on public transportation, before falling asleep with the novel on our chest or lap, or with morning coffee instead of the morning’s delivered newspaper thrown haphazardly towards our doorsteps. I may be wrong, but poetry brings forth images of sitting in a rocker with a multi-colored designed throw or blanket covering part of our body.  Enjoying a cup of herbal tea with the tea ball resting on a side plate, maybe a plate of cookies to nimble on, or the warmth of a sifter of brandy with recessed low lighting to reflect shadows in the room.  Of whispering the words of the poem infused with the cadences of soft speak to a loved one as that person seeks solace in our embrace, the sweetness of the spoken word.     When do you read poetry? Identify that ambiance setting for yourself, and when the next issue of aaduna comes out, nestle into your “spot” and read A...

So what does a Bengali author who is currently based in Columbus, Ohio do? She does what she is destined to do…learn, discover, broaden her creative horizons, stretch her intellectual capabilities, and grace aaduna’s pages with her poetry. Torsa Ghosal (photo provided) Torsa Ghosal weaves thematic stories in the poetic tradition to captivate and embrace her readers.  She brings a sense of intrigue and subtle mystery to the interactions of her characters.  And I know you are wondering about the term “Bahurupi.”  Ms. Ghosal states, “ Bahurupis are quick-change folk artists who beg on the streets of Bengal, India .”   To whet your appetite for what is to come, enjoy the first few opening stanzas of “Bahurupi or Polymorphous:” When the bus brakes on National Highway 34 between Calcutta & Berhampore I decide to worship Lakshmi because I would have the owl, her mount, bring wealth. Running long hauls that stray dogs out of breath I l...

I suspect paintings and drawings start out with the simplicity of the line.  That demarcation that kicks-off the journey; a suggestion of what is to come; the essence of the idea that continues to germinate in the artist’s mind; the guidepost to a visual manifestation. The line. Subtle, eloquent, form in its simplicity.  The line. I often wonder what the “trained eye” sees that eludes most of us.  The minutia in the details…the angles, curves, swirls, and yes, the elegance.  And yet the “casual eye” is the portal to the observers’ soul, the chord that holds true to our wonderment when we see something that moves us.  Captures our spirit.  And the totality of our being is better off for that experience.       And then when “the line” intersects, meets, challenges, and complements “the word,” there is magic.  There is synchronicity.  There is Marianic and Jean-Pierre Parra . M...

We may be familiar with lawyers who have become noted and famous writers.  And I am sure there are physicians, other professionals, and career folk who transition their love of “the word” to a plateau where they share their literary creativity with the public.  There are also young people, devoid of formal academic training, who deliver a refreshing and invigorating fiction or poetic voice that makes us sit back and marvel at their creative visions.  And there are scholars whose long-standing position in higher education have enabled them to bring a level of astute scholarship and critical publications that advance knowledge even if their writing appeal is best revered by university colleagues and others interested in a specific academic discipline.  At aaduna, we have always taken pride in the fact that our contributors cannot be defined and pigeon-holed into one arena of creativity.  Their diversity of imagination often flows across several realms of cr...

Double, a word that is multi-hued with many dimensions.  It’s grammatical landscape and nuanced personality can exist as an adjective, predeterminer, adverb, noun, pronoun, verb (transitive or intransitive – remember those terms from high school,) or used in idioms or verb phrases.  Double, “having some essential part or feature twice…,” “twice as large, heavy, strong.” Now, we may know the phrase “double down,” [especially as a component of the current American presidential race] that means to become more tenacious, zealous or resolute.  We may forget or not know the original use of “double down,” which is a singular feature of the card game, Blackjack.  No matter how you approach “double” its essence connotes more than once, twice as strong, tenacious and resolute, double.  Persecution Avenue (photo provided)  It is in these contexts that we present excerpts from the fiction work of Persecution Avenue , a prior aaduna contributor.  Hi...

OK, admit to it.  You have probably used the term “double trouble” to refer to bad news, difficult situations or unpleasant experiences.  Not only has the sky fallen but it has fallen twice! The “woe” is raining down on you, not once but as a repeat occurrence to your chagrin.  I suspect you get what I am saying so let’s move on. Did you know that in 1976, Elvis Presley did a film called “Double Trouble,” and a song titled “Double Trouble” was in the movie, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?”  If you are an aaduna blog follower, you know we routinely use the phrase, “So what has this to do with aaduna ?”  Hang on.  I am getting there. In the field of behavioral health, Double Trouble in Recovery (DTR) takes the term to a level that is somewhat reflective of what aaduna is about.  DTR is “the fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with one another so that they may solve their common problems and help...

Stick-to-itiveness…determination…dedication…all are characteristics that are conjoined with perseverance. So, what does this use of words have to do with aaduna? Well there are individuals who submit work to us, and in the final analysis, are not transitioned to the role of contributor. We encourage such folk to re-visit with us and submit again. And sometimes those second efforts are not successful. Some folks persevere, some do not. Getting published is a challenge that requires perseverance. But it seems that achieving success in any field or endeavor is rooted in the ability not to give up, not to walk away, not to despair and feel inadequate. Achieving success is rooted in making the necessary adjustments if there are set-backs in reaching any goal and navigating bumps in the road.  Anita Nahal, Ph.D., CDP (photo provided) With that said, we kick off promoting aaduna's summer issue contributors by catching up with Anita Nahal, Ph.D., CDP. So, sit...