Dr. John Crowley, (photo provided) While he continues to be active in the world of words even in retirement, Dr. John W. Crowley has rarely spoken in Auburn (though he has been a city resident.) The last time Crowley did a public talk was during the Nineties when he delivered the commencement address at Auburn Correctional Facility. So, it is safe to share that he is an undiscovered gem. And if rare books and the history behind such publications and writers like Mark Twain spark your interest, then you should be in the audience on October 12, 2017 when he will grace the podium at “ word, revisited ” at 6 PM at Cayuga Museum’s Carriage House Theater . Professor Crowley taught American literature for forty-two years, all but ten of them, at Syracuse University, where he chaired the English department for three years. Dr. Crowley has published about fifteen scholarly books, a hundred or so essays and reviews, and a few of his essays have appeared in aaduna . Interestingly, he ...

With the aplomb that she is noted for, last evening, Patricia Roth Schwartz took her “ word,revisited ” audience, who came to the Carriage House Theater , Cayuga Museum of History & Art , on an enchanting poetic journey that took flight with birds; re-captured memories of childhood times in West Virginia; the intrigue and dynamic creativity of incarcerated men in the Auburn Correctional Facility; the intricacies and adventures of loving someone, and the racial turmoil of past and present times, as well as matters of citizen resistance. All in one reading! Schwartz, a prolific published poet, writer, raconteur, and writing workshop leader, presented a gracious evening of words that soared, rested, and resumed its journey of emboldening the imagination of participants. During her Q&A with sublime grace, she bantered about her life and evolution of becoming a poet, and her adventures as a student with other noted “celebrities.” {Next time you see her, ask her about Check...

In the city of Auburn in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York stands a walled institution that has defined the intricacies and livelihood of the City and its residents for centuries. From its inception in 1816, Auburn State Prison was the 2nd NYS prison; established a new system of inmate incarceration called the “Auburn or Congregate System;” was home to commercial silk production with the purchase of cocoons in 1841 and became the principal cash market for silk cocoons and raw silk; holds ownership to being the first facility in the world to use the electric chair for an inmate execution in 1890, and in 2010, Auburn Correctional Facility, a maximum security state prison, serves as manufacturer of NYS license plates. So, what does this backdrop have to with a firefly and light? Patricia Roth Schwartz (photo provided) Patricia Roth Schwartz, poet, memoirist, writer of fiction and creative non-fiction, and editor will be the featured speaker at the Septemb...

Well, if you are a fan of the ‘word’ then you wait with a joyful expectation for the next book, collection of poems, essay, play, lyrics, screenplay or any other creative endeavor that centers around a special person weaving and positioning words in forms that intrigue, empower and stretches our imagination and sense of our life.  And your joy will continue to broaden! bill berry, jr. and Elinor Cramer On Thursday, September 14, Syracuse based poet Elinor Cramer kicked-off the fall 2017 season of “ word, revisited ,” a bi-monthly literary program produced by The Cayuga Museum of History and Art , Olive Trees , and aaduna . And she created a wonderful ambiance of celebration, pathos and intriguing poetic tales of the colorful denizens of a cooperative apartment called the Mayflower from her recent chapbook aptly titled, “Mayflower.” Ms. Cramer wasted no time in capturing her audience’s imagination and creating an ambiance where her characters became real ...

Go to www.aaduna.org and click on current issue. Read it. And then… You decide its value to you.  We think you will be enlightened and challenged after reading and seeing what this issue contains whether you are in agreement with what you experience or not.  You decide. Stay creative,  bill _____________________________ aaduna   - an online adventure with words and images - a globally read, multi-cultural, and diverse online literary and visual arts journal established in 2010.  Visit us at  www.aaduna.org  where we put measurable actions to our words. Help us build community!   Share with your friends,  "like" our  Aaduna-Inc  facebook page and follow us on twitter  @ aadunaspeaks  !     aaduna-Inc   Visit regularly for updates !   @ aadunaspeaks

They come from all over the globe…not just the United States where states like Connecticut, Louisiana, and New York are represented. In New York State, contributors call Rochester, Syracuse, Auburn, Moravia, Albany, and Kingston home. They reside in Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; St. Paul, Minnesota; Los Angeles, California and California’s Bay Area, which “ encompasses the major cities and metropolitan areas of San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland, along with smaller urban and rural areas.”  Bulgaria, Mongolia, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Mumbai, India, Hong Kong, Vancouver and British Columbia in Canada play host to their residencies.   The contributors featured in aaduna’ssummer 2017 issue are diverse and represent the nuances, intricacies and contemporary world view associated with a multicultural grouping of writers, poets and visual artists.      Their names are Serafimova, Junhua, Oquendo, Mbaye, Byer, Kapungu, Taiye, Gayle, Ligüe...

  bill berry, CEO/publisher aaduna with mascot, "Cleopatra" (photo by Lisa Brennan) Cleopatra, a Sphynx feline, shared aaduna mascot status with her brother, Cairo, until he passed away last December due to congestive heart failure.  Whenever, I am working on aaduna (especially now as we do final edit and review on the next issue,) she routinely sits next to the laptop or on my lap and watches what I am doing, or she goes off into a cat trance.  This picture is worth 80 words because it conveys more than words do. * * * * * * Watch for aaduna's Summer 2017 issue - LAUNCHING SOON! _____________________________ aaduna   - a timeless exploration into words and images - is a globally read, multi-cultural, and diverse online literary and visual arts journal established in 2010.  Visit us at  www.aaduna.org  where we put measurable actions to our words. Help us build community!   Share with your fr...