Why History is the Agreed Upon Lie

This week I have the incredible honor of being featured on Mcv Egan's blog, for an entire week! Here is the first installment in a succession of brief articles. I start with this:

"History is written by the winners. They make sure to remove that version of history that belongs to the losers."

And to illustrate my point I offer two excerpts, from two different books: first, from my upcoming book about the life of King David, and second, from my book A Favorite Son.

Check the article here: Why History is the Agreed Upon Lie

In a dark night with not a friend

Poem by my father

Translated from Hebrew by me

In a dark night with not a friend
I walked all alone in the world
A splitting burst of thunder I heard
And sea breakers that hammered and curled.

A thunder rolled over the skies
Wind gusts battered me with a cry
Terror blinded my eyes
I couldn’t tell an enemy from an ally.

In a night with not a friend, all bleary
I could see no shelter around
I walked on, broken and weary
Searching for hope to be found

★ Inspired by poetry? Treat yourself a gift ★

Home

FREE Google Play ★ Smashwords ★ Kobo

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

"HOME is an invitation, a very personal one, and should not be passed over"

A masterfully built story with a most colorful narrative

M.C.V. Egan (Maria Catalina Vergara Egan) is the author of The Bridge of Deaths. The story came about through a lifelong obsession to solve the mystery of her maternal grandfather's death in faraway Denmark. She has a particular interest in historical fiction, so I was greatly honored when she purchased my book, A Favorite Son, and then posted this wonderful review for it:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterfully built story with a most colorful narrative, June 26, 2013

By 

Maria Catalina Egan "M.C.V. Egan" (Delray Beach, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Favorite Son (Paperback) 

There is so much I enjoyed about this book, that I do not quite know where to begin. I read somewhere that Uvi Poznansky "paints with her words" and that she has a background in architecture. FAVORITE SON shows these with a strong building technique in her story and the colorful play with her words.
In my Favorite Son the author takes the Biblical story of Rebecca and her two sons Jacob and Essau and in a masterful manner she built and decorated the story through the voice of Yankle. As entertaining as the story is, it is also very thought provoking. The array of emotions is so palpable, the reader feels the hate, the jealousy as surely as the characters do. To be honest my heart beat a bit faster in some scenes and I did perspire in others...the author's magnificent writing grabbed me as a reader and I simply could not let go.
The flow of the story made for a fast read which I have earmarked for a re-read in the near future, it was simply that enjoyable, and I seldom read a book twice

Biblical themes given modern relevance

Bob Dunbar is the author of The Holy Sabbath Morning: A Novel of the Alamo. 
What can I tell you--he has just made my day! 
I have just found his review for A Favorite Son:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biblical themes given modern relevance., June 26, 2013

By 

R. Dunbar - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)

Where were Bible stories like this when I was in Sunday school? Uvi Poznansky blows the dust off the Biblical tale of the conflict between Jacob and Esau in a highly entertaining fashion, making it relevant to a contemporary audience. The story is, of course, a morality play, but in Ms. Poznansky's hands, it comes across without sermonizing. Instead, the story plays out in a matter of fact, often humorous fashion.
This story, even though its prototype is thousands of years old, has all the elements necessary to appeal to a modern audience: greed, deceit, brothers in conflict, and manipulating parents. Ms. Poznansky's handling of these age old themes brings the story up to date and gives it relevance for a modern audience. I would be interested to see more along this line from this author.

First review for Twisted: Captivating!!

Wow--I am so glad this is the first review for my new book, Twisted! Written by Dolores Ayotte, author of A Woman's Voice, who is a great inspirational writer and one of the best reviewers on Amazon:

 Captivating!!, June 25, 2013

By 

Dolores Ayotte

This review is from: Twisted (Kindle Edition)

Henry Ward Beecher so sagely states that ..."Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." "Twisted" is the fourth book that I have read and reviewed by talented author and artist, Uvi Poznansky. Every time I read one of her poignant works of art, I sense that Ms. Poznansky leaves a part of herself in every word she pens and in every piece of art she creates.

"Twisted" is a compilation of four short stories that reads like a narrative. Each novellas is written in the first person and each of the main characters is brought to life as the reader hears the voices of these individuals as they share their plight. Job's wife in, I Am What I Am, has an encounter with the devil as she pleads with him to reclaim her own name. Ms.Poznansky quickly draws her reading audience into a familiar yet foreign setting as she creatively and unexpectedly twists the yarn as she weaves her storyline together. This gifted writer follows the same technique in each of the subsequent novellas, I, Woman...The Hollow...and, The One Who Never Leaves.

There is the added bonus of "Dust" a lovely poem whereby both a male and female take turns expressing their innermost selves and how they communicate in their love/hate relationship. This exchange is followed by two photographs demonstrating the "transition a piece of art undergoes in the foundry".

It is virtually impossible to resist being mesmerized by Ms. Poznansky's message as she so adeptly leaves a part of herself in her varied creative manifestations. It is apparent to me that one artistic gift freely flows into the other. Each of them is so closely connected that it is difficult for the amateur which, in essence is what I consider myself to be, to truly recognize when this actually occurs. When reading Ms. Poznansky's novel, novellas, and poetry, I sense that I am on the inside looking out at her other art forms. In other words, her written words create a voice for her lovely works of art....an explanation for how they came to be. They are alive in every sense of the word and every step of the imagination...so closely united that it is impossible to separate the two. This is when the deepest level of Ms. Poznansky gift is clearly demonstrated. Whether by every stroke of the paint brush...or in her sculptures...or in every word that she writes, this gifted author leaves a part of her soul. No matter the medium she becomes the creator that she is...just as Henry Ward Beecher states in his opinion of artists. Ms. Poznansky has not only dipped her brush into the paint but her pen as well...deeply into her soul, as she shares her many creative gifts with us.

Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores Ayotte
A Woman's Voice - Inspirational Short Stories - Volume 1

Israeli-American Releases New Book of Biblical Fiction

Submitted by the dedicated (and tireless) Erika Goodkin Domingue of Literati Consulting, here is a new, just published press release:

May 15, 2013, Los Angeles (FPRC /LiteratiConsulting/) --- Acclaimed American-Jewish author Uvi Poznansky has released a new book! The work, entitled A Favorite Son, retells the biblical story of Jacob and his mother Rebecca as they come to terms with the passing of the elderly Isaac. The story reflects a modern-day version of the characters as they plot to take control of their family’s power and inheritance...

Read the entire press release, titled

Israeli-American Releases New Book of Biblical Fiction

It was 

FREE PRESS RELEASE CENTER

I Stand Here Before You, Not Knowing My Name

"I stand here before you, not knowing my name.

The light in this place is so blinding, so intense, that for as long as I can remember, it has forced me to close my eyes. Now this is about to change. Coming out of a brilliant haze, here she is: My Creator. I am clay in her hands. Let her do with me as she pleases; for what am I to do?

Now listen, listen to that sound: The air is vibrating around her; I can feel her breast heaving. Is she about to blow life into me? Here it is, here is her touch— 

She puts a mark on me, pressing the sharp end of a chisel until it pierces the center of my eye. I shriek! I cry without a sound. It is not until she pulls out the blade, that I become afflicted—for the first time in my life—with vision. Emerging from the glow that has so far pervaded my existence, I open my eyes.

The haze is gone. There is not much to see around me. Here is a dim place. A place of doubt. Clutter. Confusion. From this point on, I start sensing shadows..." 

So starts one of the strangest stories I have ever written... Take a look at female figure in my sculpture, and then listen, because it is in her voice that the story is told. 

Once the original clay model arrives in the foundry, it is dismembered: below you can see the dismembered lower part of the male dancer of the clay model for my sculpture (seen in full, above, in bronze.) A 'negative' of the parts is created, a mold, ready for pouring of molten bronze. Having witnessed this process, which takes as long as six weeks from the time the clay model arrives and a bronze sculpture is ready, made me think about death and rebirth, which is what this story--now included in my book Twisted--is about. 

★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill ★

Twisted 

FREE 

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

"A sensitive melding of poetry, prose, and art"

The Woman Behind the Voices of Twisted

Today I would like to introduce the narrator behind the voices of  my new collection of dark tales. I have already worked with her on narrating my novel, Apart From Love. She was such a natural, that no one can call her Anita a 'performace'. Working with her was such joy! So I had to hear the lovely, intimate voice of Heather Jane Hogan again, this time for Twisted, where the challenge--and the fun--would be to find a different voice for each one of the four tales.

I find her self-depracating humor quite touching. Here are a few things she says about herself:

• "I sing in the car. Loudly. I’m that woman you see on the highway, belting out tunes as if she were on stage somewhere and blissfully unconcerned that other people on the highway can see me." 
• "I love roller coasters. The more twisty-turny-upside-down-back-and-forth-hair-raising, the better."
• "In 1999, I went skydiving. I’ll never forget it. It wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be exhilarating; that I would land and shout something like, “WOO HOO!!”… but… at least for me, it was more of an overwhelming experience. Afterwards, I just wanted to sit and contemplate my belly button."
• "In 2003 and 2004 I won the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), hosted by http://www.nanowrimo.org. They host a challenge every year during the month of November for you to write a novel. It doesn’t have to be good, no one reads it for proof (the contest is honor-based) – but you have to write 50,000 words in one month (the definition of a novel). It’s a great and challenging exercise, even if you’re not a writer."

★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill ★

Twisted 

FREE 

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

"A sensitive melding of poetry, prose, and art"
Dr. Grady Harp, Top 50 Reviewer

With father's day just passing, there's honor in this tribute

Just discovered a new review for Home: a big thank you to the reviewer, whose pen name SMFD stands for Suzzette Dawes, the Jamaican-raised author of The Collection, Adventures in the Courtyard, and Tortured Souls. This is what she wrote:

5.0 out of 5 stars a lot of emotion is shared and conveyed, June 17, 2013 By  SFMD - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Home (Kindle Edition) A book with beautifully written poems and prose. It opens with a daughter writing about her father and some special memories attached to the armchair. I like the rhyme pattern and the flow of the poetry It reveals, it unveils a clue (from Muse) Essay - A Sentence Unfinished - is a heavy read. Uvi describes a scene where her father sitting in his armchair remembering his escapes from the Nazi to Spain to Israel. The other chapters follow with her father as a child (I guess she has heard the stories over the years). His family running from invasion during World War 1 abandoning their home town (German invasion). With father's day just passing, there some honor in her translating her father's poems. Then there is her father's poem "Bent over Memories" reminiscing on his daughter when she was younger while looking at children playing in the park: No longer will I carry you in my arms, little girl" and "Now I am alone. Supported by memories... Sitting in the park for hours Watching someone else's children." Verse conveys strong feelings - daughter far away but the children playing reminds him of time spent when his daughter was younger. Overall a good read that out pours the emotion and provides some insight on life: "I Plucked a Wildflower" - Funny but morbid to write about own funeral, the mourners you don't know and the debt you left behind. Humor that no interest on the other side. Take that banks! If i had to choose a favorite, it would be "We Pass" due to the contrast of fall and spring, how we are now and how we used to be (symbolized by the couple who passed embracing). Fall (when leaves separate from the trees) and fail relationship - the comparison noted. Sorry for the spoilers but I enjoyed reading Home.

Blasphemy: Is it?

The moment I have dreaded for quite some time is upon me... I have been charged, and with words none too kind: "Awful. Abysmal blasphemy." 

It was a risk I took when choosing a character from the bible for my story A Favorite Son. I knew I would be in trouble when I chose to portray Yankle not as a hero, and not as a patriarch of multiple religions, but rather as a flesh-and-blood, cunning young man, at the point when he is about to commit a sin. As you can imagine, his thoughts at this point are far from being holy. For me, to put righteous thoughts in his mind would be to falsify the truth--even if it is truth in fiction.

I take the charge seriously, and I respect the opinion of the reader who leveled it at me. I do understand where it is coming from. Perhaps it is hard to see your idol, a legendary figure in your religion, being handled by a stranger in a somewhat precarious manner...  

Now, I thought it would be a sensitive moment for me, because for the most part, I have been spoiled: my work has been embraced and loved by so many of you. Strangely, I find this moment thought provoking. So let me ask you, do you think this is blasphemy? Perhaps so... I could get away with it if I said that it is my character who thinks these arguably-appalling thoughts. I will not. He is my responsibility, because it was my pen who wrote his words:

"I admit, mine is a strange family. You might call it dysfunctional. How it became the cornerstone of multiple religions is quite beyond me. If all those believers out there are as obnoxious as I am, they should take those scriptures with a grain of salt.

And another thing: How my name became the cornerstone of that notorious chain of restaurants, which we here call, with great fondness, the Yankle-in-the-Box establishment, is a complete mystery to me. I guess it happened in honor of my stew. Here in the wilderness, every edible nugget—regardless of where it came from—is considered a delicacy."

Yankle in A Favorite Son

★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift ★

A Favorite Son

Paperback ★ Hardcover

Audiobook

You May Have Heard Those Rumors About Me

"You may have heard those rumors about me: How I escaped by moonlight; how I hid inside each one of the seven wells of Beersheba, with nothing in my possession but the shirt on my back; how I eluded my enemy, my brother; and then, how frightened I was, how alone. I’m afraid you have been, at best, misinformed; or, more probably, mislead by some romantic foolery, some fiction and lies, the kind of which can easily be found, and in abundance I might add, in the holy scriptures.  

I insist: It was not moonlight but rather, high noon; I was wearing no shirt whatsoever—nothing, really, but a goatskin sleeve. There was only one well in which I could hide, not seven. And most importantly, I was hardly alone; for the entire camp—all the maidservants, the shepherds, the guards—stood aghast all around me. So now, you must see that I could not, despite my best intentions, escape stealthily out of there; nor could I elude anyone.

Instead I was flung out, kicking and screaming, with tugs and pulls loosening the remaining shreds of my clothes, and whacks and smacks coming at my bare back from all directions. My left eye swelled up to such a degree that out of necessity, I resorted to use the right one—only to discover, once I raised my head from the dirt, that my brother was standing right over me. His foot could be seen coming straight at me, at an easygoing, unhurried pace, until it turned into a full blown kick."

Yankle in A Favorite Son

★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift ★

A Favorite Son

Paperback ★ Hardcover

Audiobook

"Compelling", "Entertaining", "Like a kaleidoscope"

The Woman Behind the Voices of Home

I am truly honored to announce that a prolific performer, Kathy Bell Denton, is the voice actress reading the poems and prose for the audiobook edition of my book, Home. Kathy is an actress, singer, and voice over artist. You can view an impressive list of her film and theatre roles, here: Now Casting. 

Her regional credits include work at International City Theatre (StageScene Award), The Old Globe, Kennedy Center, The Gem (Dramalogue Award), Sierra Rep and four seasons with Ensemble Theatre of Santa Barbara. Local credits include Sacred Fools, The Classical Lab, The Odyssey, Theatre West, The Unknown Theatre, Vox Humana, Malibu SummerStage, and West Coast Ensemble. Her TV/Film credits include: Southern DysComfort, Someone Marry Barry, Murder in Retirement, Bitch (Sundance), Poor Mrs. Sobel, Kadis, I’ll Pick the Flower You Love, Appleville Eats Its All Stars.

To my surprise, I found her voice reading Sonnet 99 of the Bard. In this reading she uses her easy flowing, lovely Southern accent (actually very close to Elizabethan accent) which is only one of her many accents. First, here is the sonnet, written by the playwright and poet William Shakespeare, in which he expresses his love towards a young man.

★ Inspired by poetry? Treat yourself a gift ★

Home

FREE Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo 

 Google Play ★ Smashwords

Paperback ★ Hardcover ★ Barnes&Noble

Audiobook

"HOME is an homage to her father... poetry that's never been placed before the public until now"

Do You Set Them Free, Or Do They Dance Around in Your Mind?

M.C.V. Egan is the author of a love story and a mystery book titled The Bridge of Deaths. The story came about through a lifelong obsession to solve the MYSTERY of her maternal grandfather's death in faraway Denmark. In it, fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as Archives and historical sources to solve “One of those mysteries that never get solved”. So I feel truly honored to connect with her. She has just posted an interview with me, and I found her questions particularly insightful. Her first question was this:

Once a character is fully developed do you set them free or do they still dance around your mind?
Check out the interview here: Interview with Uvi Poznansky

Sneak Peak of Apart From Love

Indies unlimited just posted a Sneak Peak of Apart from Love.
Check it out here.

Twisted: Prepare Yourself... Keep the Lights On

In this unique collection, Uvi Poznansky brings together diverse tales, laden with shades of mystery and the macabre. There are four of them: I Am What I Am; I, Woman; The Hollow; and The One Who Never Leaves. Here, you will come into a dark, strange world, a hyper-reality where nearly everything is firmly rooted in the familiar—except for some quirky detail that twists the yarn, and takes it for a spin in an unexpected direction. 

This is the reality you will see through the eyes of a ghost of a woman, trying to reclaim her name by appealing to the devil; the eyes of a clay figure of a woman, about to be fired in the kiln, longing for her Creator; the eyes of a woman in the midst of a free fall, about to become a ghost; and the eyes of a feline creature with cracked fangs, trying in vain to resign herself, by hook and by crook, to being locked. These characters explore their identity, and challenge their fate. 

Inspired by her art, by quotes from literature and the bible, and by the author’s professional career, these tales come from different times and places. Yet all of them share one thing in common: an unusual mind, one that is twisted. So prepare yourself: keep the lights on.

★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill ★

Twisted 

FREE 

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

There is Nothing Apart From Love

Oh what a lovely review of Apart From Love! Many thanks to the reader, whose nome de plume is Astarte:

5.0 out of 5 stars THERE IS NOTHING APART FROM LOVE, June 8, 2013

By 

Astarte - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Apart From Love (Kindle Edition)

Many grateful thanks for "Apart From Love": The characters are still inhabiting me. It gives me hope that by revealing our secrets, we who are radically different from each other may understand and be understood; come to embrace and be embraced. A difficult story, from a heart as big as the world. I plan to read all her other books. Hers is a unique voice, very deep and much needed.

Cover Reveal for Twisted

Twisted is available now in all three editions! Let me give you a sneak peak of the cover, which--as always--is inspired by my art: 

To read more about the inspiration for the underlying image (and for the novella I Am What I Am, which is the first story in the collection) check this out: My Bone Princess.

★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill ★

Twisted 

FREE 

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

Written for a smart and perceptive reader, who is not afraid to let her imagination fly.

-Oleg Medvedkov, Top 500 reviewer