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Dennis Cardiff

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Dennis Cardiff

Category Archives: Prose

They Call Me Red

21 Saturday Sep 2019

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

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They Call Me Red

https://buff.ly/2GJSDsG

RRBC Interview, Eyes on the Book hosted by Rox Burkey https://buff.ly/2OJjaKx

Dear Readers of my Gotta Find a Home Series, thank you for the 101 ratings (4.33 avg) and 58 text reviews posted on Goodreads. These four books were fictional in that I changed names and locations in the interests of privacy; apart from that, they were as close to reality as I could remember.

I have written a new book entitled They Call Me Red, under the pseudonym Dane Connor, that I hope you will consider reading. This is in the Amazon category of Action & Adventure Erotica (Kindle Store). A print version will be released in the near future. This book contains fiction, research, and life experiences. The protagonist, Dane Cross, is a retired military black op who, with his comrades in arms, wants to establish shelters around the world for those forced onto the streets due to homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, and medical conditions such as post-traumatic stress syndrome. The group builds shelters for returned soldiers facing homelessness, poverty drug, and addiction problems. They also offer Reentry programs designed to assist incarcerated individuals with a successful transition to their community after they are released.

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Read about Bethany and me in Jail Bait.

18 Sunday Oct 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

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Tags

architecture, attraction, author, books, empowerment, equality, family, love, romance, sex, travel

I gave this book a Five Star review. Download for $2.99 to see if you enjoy it as much as I did.

My review: http://ow.ly/TxQiP

Rebecca Branch

http://www.amazon.com/Jail-Bait-Rebecca-Branch-ebook/dp/B015F4HPOO/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8undressing

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Jail Bait: Five Stars

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

book, compassion, destiny, emotion, empathy, empowerment, erotic, fantasy, love, sighs, travel

jail

Buy here: http://ow.ly/SLo8V $2.99

My Five Star Review: The Best Yet!

I have read the three previous books by Rebecca Branch and loved them all. Jail Bait is about the May-December relationship between Beth, 26 and Griff, 43. Complications arise due to Beth’s four siblings and Griff’s two grown daughters. Sexual tension pervades the book. Beth uses her abundant powers of intellect, business acumen and seduction to tip the scales in her favor. Griff, although initially reluctant, doesn’t stand a chance.

Characters and events in this and preceding books are based on personal experience, experiences of friends, and imagination. There is a heart wrenching account by a Ground Zero observer of the World Trade Center disaster. He discusses his injuries and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that haunted him long after.

Rebecca Branch has tremendous empathy and a great memory for conversation. Her characters come alive with all their flaws, virtues and compassion. This is one of my favorite books. I’ve read it twice and plan to read it again.

 

The Story

His wife was dead. The cerebral hemorrhage which finally claimed her after a terrible car accident had left him alone and feeling much older than his years displayed. He’d married young and half his life had been spent as a provider, a faithful husband and the father of two grown children. He felt he was far closer now at forty-four to his end, than to his beginning. He’d stopped living. His lawn untended, food of no importance, business in the dumps…only his dog, his constant companion, claimed his attention.

A walk in the park, his first in a month, finally got him out of his house. Kody, his bright white furry beast, always on display, always the most magnificent creature in the park, drew her to him. She did not see the pain or the suffering, the self-doubt and the resignation to a future alone. All she could see was the devilishly handsome guy…kind, gentle, cultured and intelligent. A man in need and yet a man who could give so much to those around him. It may have been his chick-magnet dog that brought her to him, but now it would be up to her to gain his attention and admiration before wrapping herself around him and never letting go.

He too, was stricken. How beautiful in face and figure she was…how kind and attentive. But while grateful to be brought back amongst the living, to feel masculine and drawn to her mystery, she was no more than a teen and a casual encounter in the park would be the limit of their meeting.
Trouble was, although an ingénue and half his age, there was no way in the world she would permit this man to get away. There was but one man like this in the world like him and she, with all her determination and charm, would never permit another to have him, for from the first moment her eyes had caught his…he would not be able to turn away and would be hers and no one else’s.

Jail Bait is Rebeca Branch’s first foray into the relationship between an older man and younger woman. A story of introspection and evaluation…of commitment and redemption, and of a burgeoning love which transcends age and experience to deliver these two people into a world of untold desire, fulfillment and happiness.

Unlike her previous books, Jail Bait is a quick read and does not delve into the art and history so familiar in her other work. This is a tale of family, self, and attraction, of need, desire and commitment. Come along for the journey.

 

About the Author

11947688_168783993455094_1262461147289558124_nI am 49 years old, a wife and a mother of two young women. I live near New York City. I am an architect by trade but an art historian by education having attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate and Columbia for post graduate degrees. My father was an American archaeologist and my mother an Italian Lady. I worked as an assistant to the curator of Greco Roman arts at the Metropolitan Museum before leaving to take on my profession for need of income which the art world did not provide.

I began writing on a dare by friends who have encouraged me for years as I am a good storyteller and an avid reader. My first novel was Summer of 71, a story of romance and discovery set in Rome, a city with which I am very familiar and a place where I lecture on Roman history, architecture and culture bi-annually. My second book is Great Caesar’s Ghost which continues the story with my hero Maximillian DuPont and is a time travel romance skirting time periods from the first century BC through the modern day. My third work is titled A Roman Holiday and continues the series and has just been released. There will be at least two more books beyond these in this series. I also write short stories and a collection of these will be released shortly. They are about motherhood, romance and office affairs and escapades.

Although placed in the adult, and sometimes erotic category, my work is far more about self-awareness, relationships, coming of age, loss of innocence, personal development, reclamation, the culture of Italy, art and architectural history, an examination of the passage of time, food, and humor. I write as an adult to an adult audience and do not bury physical relationships behind closed doors. But what I write is loving and respectful of both genders, light and upbeat, fulfilling and satisfying. No one gets hurt, no one degraded. You should walk away from each of my books with a smile and an increased knowledge of the western world, Rome’s influence, politics, the social revolution, religion, and the inimitable wonder of a loving relationship between a good man and woman.

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Finding Reese by Imy Santiago

12 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

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finding

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http://ow.ly/OeRFX

Visit Amazon’s Imy Santiago Page
Imy Santiago

Biography

I love to read stories about loss, heartache and redemption so it didn’t shock me that I would end up writing stories revolving around those central themes. I write with my heart, using my life experiences and emotions to dictate the tone and path in which my fictional characters embark in my long list of stories. I believe in the power of friendship and to always remain hopeful because life is always full of pleasant surprises. If you were to ask me if I consider myself an author, I would tell you no, I am not. I’m just a girl who loves a good story that makes you ponder life choices and the darkness that envelopes a broken heart. My stories are about loss, friendship, love and hope.

 

Product Description

 

***Finding Reese. is book two in the SAFELIGHT series out of three. It is part of a continuous story line, therefore it cannot be read as a standalone. 94k words.***

Hope Breeds Life…

Sometimes destiny and fate have a weird way of reminding us of our inescapable vulnerability, but more importantly our inexorable humanity. Life is fleeting, and what little time we have left in this world, we must make do with what we have, and cherish those whom we love by our side.

Fresh back from the Jackson Reese Press Tour, sports journalist Catalina Pardo rushes back to British Columbia after receiving unexpected and distressing news. With the help of award winning photographer Stryder Martynus, Catalina is determined to prevent the news of tragedy and heartbreak from governing her life again.

Together they will embark on a new journey of introspection to overcome the ghosts and raw emotions of their pasts−on a long and unpredictable road full of complicated circumstances−to find healing, hope and salvation.

The smallest of gifts−like a friendship bracelet−have the power to save your life, and unlike fairy tales, happy endings are seldom guaranteed…

*Adult Contemporary Romance with Mature Content−Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.*

**Contains a special excerpt of We Met on a Train by Imy Santiago, releasing Fall 2015**

 

5 Stars: Imy Santiago Does it Again!

After reading Chasing Reese, Imy’s first book, I eagerly and patiently awaited Finding Reese, the sequel. I was not disappointed. Imy is a fantastic writer. Her mastery of dialog fleshes out these wonderfully flawed characters. The naturalness of their verbal responses to each other reminds me of my own friends. Indeed, these characters have become my friends. I’ve cheered their victories, cursed their jealousies, empathized with their insecurities — overall I took them into my heart. This was truly an emotional and satisfying read. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy.

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Tales of the Dragonfly: Tamara Ferguson

03 Wednesday Jun 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

abduction, crime, FBI, fear, fiction, kidnapping, love, mystery, romance, thriller

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dragon

 

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The dragonfly is believed to be a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship.

Book I: In Tandem

Separated by circumstances fifteen years earlier, Jake Loughlin and Danielle Reardon are fatefully reunited at Dragonfly Pointe.

But the mysterious Dragonfly Pointe has a history of tragedy. An unsolved brutal assault and murder of a six-year old girl over twenty years before has remained unsolved.

A successful entrepreneur, Jake has hidden his status as a special investigator for the FBI. As owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, Jake has returned to restore and renovate the abandoned property.

But, unofficially, he’s investigating the theory that a ring of human traffickers is operating in the area. With three to five kidnappings occurring at the end of each year, over the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Jake can trace a pattern going back as far as thirty-five years.

And there could be a connection to the death of the little girl at Dragonfly Pointe twenty-two years earlier.

Grieving after the death of her grandmother several months before, Danielle has finally returned to Crystal Rock. A former model and vocalist for a band, Danielle escaped her chaotic life as a celebrity when her boyfriend died of a drug overdose. After obtaining her horticulture degree, she opened a successful landscape business in New York.

When Jake and Danielle finally meet again, it’s magic.

But something odd is going on at Dragonfly Pointe.  Several times during the reconstruction process, a suspicious stranger is sighted in the area.  When a young girl is kidnapped from a nearby community, the FBI investigation becomes official, and Jake is put into action.

Then lovely, eighteen-year old, Lucy Callahan, is kidnapped. Granddaughter of the former police chief of Crystal Rock, Lucy is like a sister to Danielle.

When the FBI investigation leads back to Dragonfly Pointe, Danielle, herself, is put in danger.

Despite its tragic history, the beauty and power of the magic at Dragonfly Pointe enables new beginnings.  Suffering tremendous loss, or surviving abuse and tragedy, each character featured in the series will create their own new beginning, aided by the power of love.

Visit author page at Amazon.com/Books/Tamara Ferguson

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My Five Star Review

Tales of the Dragonfly Book 1: In Tandem, enchanted and compelled me to continue reading. The writing is flawless. It was readily apparent why this book received two literary awards. They are well deserved. Tamara Ferguson describes the main characters and the other townspeople in a way that enfolds them to our hearts. We suffer their insecurities, cheer their victories and are consumed with fear when girls and women start disappearing from the surrounding communities.

Addictive and highly emotional, this book kept me totally entranced. When I read the last page, I couldn’t wait to start, Tales of the Dragonfly Book 2: In Flight, second of the Dragonfly trilogy. Bravo, Tammy Ferguson!

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Read about my friends here:  http://buff.ly/1wyjiKS

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The Summer of ’71: $2.99 Download

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

art, destiny, emotion, empathy, empowerment, erotic, history, lifetimes, love, romance, sighs

$2.99 Download http://ow.ly/NBxic 20 Five Star Reviews

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71

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Book Description

Publication Date: January 22, 2014
Nearly raped at her photo shoot in Milan, English actress/model Molly Moncrieff flees south only to lose her luggage, her clothes, and her remaining money upon her arrival in Rome. Desperate and alone, emotionally drained and at her wits end, knowing no one but a young, long-haired American she’d just met by a fountain late at night, she has no choice but to accept his kind offer of a place to sleep. Certain that she will have to perform to his advantage, remarkably, no advantage is taken, and she rests in the comfort of clean sheets and safety in the young man’s apartment…the rich and ancient villa of his mother, an Italian Contessa. Waking, she is swept away into his world of antiquity, art, literature, music, food and culture with a loving, sweet and innocent younger man.Somewhat frightened and intimidated by her at first; thinking her way out of his league, Maximillian DuPont’s attraction to her grows as he tours her through the ancient city. Son of an American archaeologist, cultured, polite, elegant, smart and free-spirited, his youthful outlook and positive take on life brings new hope and reclamation to his stunning guest. Desperate for salvation and in need of care and understanding, she uses her every physical attribute and sensual talent to attract and capture his attention, all the while unaware that it is he, with his intellect, and in his innocence, who is capturing her heart, mind and spirit. Set against a background of the ancient city, its art and monuments, piazzas and fountains…and the café society of the early 70’s, this summer romance comes to define who these two people are, and will be, as their lives are forever changed by the encounter. This book, the first in a series, takes the reader through a world of ancient architecture, art and history, all delivered through the eyes of an art historian. The romance is the story of her reclamation and his sexual awakening, taking place in Rome, Capri, Positano, Pompeii, Santa Marinella, the aircraft carrier USS America, and New York in the turbulent times of the cultural revolution of the early seventies. Famous people and many minor characters populate the book. There is a sub-story which takes place in the First Century BC in the city of Rome, capital of a new burgeoning empire, embroiled in civil war, and ruled by Julius Caesar. The characters here are Marcellus, Tribune of the Tenth Legion, and Alessandra, hostage princess of the Kingdom of Bithynia. Another story of love, personal growth and sexual awakening, this one guides the reader through the daily life of ancient Rome, breathing life into the ruins examined earlier in the narrative. The book is at all times romantic, often erotic, but also assumes an interest on the part of the reader in Rome today and in the ancient world. Travel the mysteries of the imperial city, the medieval streets, renaissance piazzas, and the minds of the two protagonists as they find comfort, companionship, love and lust in a world of wonder and social consciousness. You will walk away from this book with a detailed guide to the ancient city and museums, and stories you will not often find elsewhere.
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My 5 Star Review
Every page fascinating.
By Dennis Cardiff
on March 28, 2015
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Reviewing “Summer of ’71, by Rebecca Branch, is like writing an account of a gourmet banquet where each course tastes better than the one previous. This book is: travelog, history, historical fiction, memoir and mind-blowing erotic romance. The characters, Max and Molly, are both lovable and vulnerable. We experience events through both personalities. Molly, the stunning international fashion model, who has been used and abused, finds herself house guest of Max, the seventeen year old, shy in sexual experience. He is a historian who, over the summer, guides her through the birthplace of his Roman ancestors. The two grow to love and desire each other, but are hindered by past insecurities. Will this be simply a summer romance or will it develop into something more? The sex is uninhibited, but not unkind. Always there is choice, consent, respect and dignity. Always there is equality of gender, sexual preference, race and class. These are big issues and it takes a big book to deal with them. Superb, in every way, this book was written by a very skilled and intelligent author. I learned something on each fascinating page. I have already ordered Great Caesar’s Ghost: A Time Travel Romance (Art Historian Super Heroes Book 2).

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Read about my friends here:  http://buff.ly/1wyjiKS

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$2.99 Download

24 Sunday May 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

compassion, emotion, empathy, empowerment, imagination, kindness, lifetimes, love, mystery, philosophy, sighs

$2.99 download
ow.ly/NlSAm

Thoroughly satisfying read, just like good sex.

51rOhDSR3wL

I have read Rebecca’s first book Summer of ’71 and gave it a 5-Star review on GoodReads and Amazon. The character of Max, from the first book, continues his adventures in Great Caesar’s Ghost, however the books are completely independent.

I haven’t read many books that involve time travel, but this one quickly dispelled my disbelief. In each time period the author gives a fascinating account of the era, in terms of dress, appliances, architecture, speech and morals. As in Summer of ’71 I learned something on every page. Rebecca has a unique and delightful manner of storytelling that gives the reader the feeling that she is a friend that they may converse with on an intimate level.

Be prepared for excitement, adventure, eroticism and thorough enjoyment as you read Great Caesar’s Ghost by Rebecca Branch. I rate this book 5 Stars. Her next Book Roman Holiday is expected to be released in July of this year.

For more information see my post at:  http://ow.ly/NmKEp

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Read about my friends here:  http://buff.ly/1wyjiKS

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Great Caesar’s Ghost by Rebecca Branch

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ Leave a comment

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51rOhDSR3wL

http://ow.ly/N2p77

From the Rebecca Branch Author Page on Amazon:

Thanks for taking a look at what’s going on in my world. I’ve finished my second book, titled Great Caesar’s Ghost. It is a romance novel about a time traveler wandering through the ages in Rome, New York, Boston and Paris. It reaches a high-point at the end and will be followed by a sequel which is scheduled for June, 2015. The next book is currently titled “A Roman Holiday”. Great Caesar’s Ghost is a continuation of the Summer of ’71 and Max DuPont is seven years older and the protagonist. Since there will now be four, and perhaps more books in the series, I’ve collectively named them the Art Historian Superhero Series.

If you’ve read any of my books, then you already know that they are romance stories with an abundance of historical and art historical flavor. They are often erotic, but the characters are genuine and in love, and the eroticism is not gratuitous, nor does it dominate the stories. Over a year ago I was challenged to write something as hot as 50 Shades of Grey and yet also appealing on an intellectual level to historians and art historians, as well as to anyone with a fascination with the city of Rome. I certainly hope my work is entertaining, but also expect that it will lead you to your own discovery of Rome, of history and art, and other cultural pursuits.

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Great Caesar’s Ghost is a thoroughly satisfying read, just like good sex.  This is a feel-good erotic mystery that will leave you feeling refreshed and wholesome, not dirty and used. The difference between erotica and pornography is expressed well by

Leon Seltzer

Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D.  in Psychology Today

…what in general separates the erotic from the pornographic is an attitude toward sex and human sexuality that can be inferred from looking (dare I use the word, “objectively”?) at the finished product. If the subjects are portrayed in a manner that focuses on their inner and outer radiance, their fleshy vitality, and the work itself seems to manifest a passionate and powerful affirmation of life and the pleasures of this world, then I think we’re talking erotic. If, however, the subjects seem reduced to so many body parts, if any beauty appears subordinate to the overriding purpose of arousal, if the sex depicted seems depersonalized, controlling, non-mutual, and devoid of fun or play (but rather seems about “getting down to business” and “getting off”)–and if the sex acts pictured contain not a hint of human caring or emotional connectedness to them–that, to me, would definitely secure the work’s place in the realm of pornography.

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I have read Rebecca’s first book Summer of ’71 and gave it a 5-Star review on Goodreads and Amazon. The character of Max, from the first book, continues his adventures in Great Caesar’s Ghost, however the books are completely independent.

I haven’t read many books that involve time travel, but this one quickly dispelled my disbelief. In each time period the author gives a fascinating account of the era, in terms of dress, appliances, architecture, speech and morals. As in Summer of ’71 I learned something on every page. Rebecca has a unique and delightful manner of storytelling that gives the reader the feeling that she is a friend that they may converse with on an intimate level.

Be prepared for excitement, adventure, eroticism and thorough enjoyment as you read Great Caesar’s Ghost by Rebecca Branch. I rate this book 5 Stars. Her next Book Roman Holiday is expected to be released in July of this year.

.

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Luke: 10 NIV

01 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Bible, Christianity, compassion, empathy, Gospel of Luke, kindness, Luke the Apostle, Luke the Evangelist, mankind, teachings, unconditional love

 
Who is my neighbor? How may I help?
 
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Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

1) After this the Lord appointed seventy-twoa others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2) He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3) Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
4) Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5) “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
6) If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you.
7) Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8) “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you.
9) Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
10) But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
11) ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’
12) I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13) “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14) But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you.
15) And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.
16) “Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17) The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
18) He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19) I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
20) However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
21) At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.
22) “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
23) Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

 
The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25) On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26) “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27) He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’c ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”
28) “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29) But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30) In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31) A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32) So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33) But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34) He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
35) The next day he took out two denariie and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36) “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37) The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

 
At the Home of Martha and Mary

38) As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.
39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41) “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,
42) but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
 

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Michael Daube – CITTA

16 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Buddhism, charity, compassion, empowerment, hospitals, loving kindness, medical aid, philanthropy, schools, teaching, unconditional love

75_MICHAELDAUBE_PMcMullan_PMcMag_060111-675x450

A RENAISSANCE MAN

A Conversation with Michael Daube

By Shaun Mader

June 2011

Copied and pasted from:  http://ow.ly/J9Ra
—

Speaking with Michael Daube, one gets a sense that his parents never handed him the rulebook for life.  And if they did, he was clearly infused with the notion that the rules arWe are their only access to health care. In India, we focus on Orissa. This is the poorest state of India and home to many of the country’s “tribals.” In the village of Juanga, we have a hospital that treats around 1,000 patients a month. The hospital has the only surgical facility within a radius of 40 kilometers.

SM: You’ve told me the story about CITTA’s inception moment before.  If I remember correctly, it started with a little garbage picking. Care to elaborate on that?

MD: Being an artist, with a strong interest in anthropology and archeology I traveled to many remote areas of the world studying and experiencing different cultures. After a trip to India for a year, I returned home to open an art studio in Jersey City. While I was looking for sculpture materials in a dumpster, I found a David Hockney portrait of Ozzie Clark and decided to sell it and take the proceeds and build a hospital in the region from which I just returned. The area was in desperate need of basic health care. It’s just grown from there! Now we have a full board and regular meetings here in New York City. Dr. Christopher Barley is the President and one of the main forces in sustaining the organizations efforts.

SM: What were some of the initial issues when you first started working in these countries? How have the issues changed as you’ve grown and spread into multiple areas?

MD: The beginning was very difficult as we were upsetting old systems. In Orissa, there was a wealthy family every 3-4 villages’ distance. They usually made their money by lending to the rest of the poor locals in exchange for labor or land. Even for 10 cent’s worth of medicines, people would sign away their life to slavery and lose their land. Wouldn’t you do the same if your child had an ear infection that could lead to death? So, providing free health services definitely upset the wealthy local families controlling the area and we had bombs placed in the road and had to take alternate routes out of the area frequently to keep from being confronted by bandits. Also, no roads and heavy monsoons led to their own set of difficulties. I remember carrying an 85 year old elder on my back out of the region to get him to the city to sign the Trust documents, as he was a board member.

Shaun Mader: CITTA has projects spread throughout India and Nepal. Could you give me an overview of CITTA’s mission and how that’s translated into some of these projects?

Michael Daube: CITTA focuses efforts on remote or marginalized populations that lack basic infrastructure and opportunities. We help build and support hospitals/schools/women’s cooperatives in the most remote and poverty stricken regions of developing countries where we work. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. We focus our efforts in the poorest and most remote District of Nepal, Humla. We have a hospital in the capital city of Simikot situated deep in the Himalayas. There are no wheels or roads in the district! The population is cut off for a large part of the year due to intense snowfall. We are their We are their only access to health care. In India, we focus on Orissa. This is the poorest state of India and home to many of the country’s “tribals.” In the village of Juanga, we have a hospital that treats around 1,000 patients a month. The hospital has the only surgical facility within a radius of 40 kilometers.

SM: You’ve told me the story about CITTA’s inception moment before.  If I remember correctly, it started with a little garbage picking. Care to elaborate on that?

MD: Being an artist, with a strong interest in anthropology and archeology I traveled to many remote areas of the world studying and experiencing different cultures. After a trip to India for a year, I returned home to open an art studio in Jersey City. While I was looking for sculpture materials in a dumpster, I found a David Hockney portrait of Ozzie Clark and decided to sell it and take the proceeds and build a hospital in the region from which I just returned. The area was in desperate need of basic health care. It’s just grown from there! Now we have a full board and regular meetings here in New York City. Dr. Christopher Barley is the President and one of the main forces in sustaining the organizations efforts.

SM: What were some of the initial issues when you first started working in these countries? How have the issues changed as you’ve grown and spread into multiple areas?

MD: The beginning was very difficult as we were upsetting old systems. In Orissa, there was a wealthy family every 3-4 villages’ distance. They usually made their money by lending to the rest of the poor locals in exchange for labor or land. Even for 10 cent’s worth of medicines, people would sign away their life to slavery and lose their land. Wouldn’t you do the same if your child had an ear infection that could lead to death? So, providing free health services definitely upset the wealthy local families controlling the area and we had bombs placed in the road and had to take alternate routes out of the area frequently to keep from being confronted by bandits. Also, no roads and heavy monsoons led to their own set of difficulties. I remember carrying an 85 year old elder on my back out of the region to get him to the city to sign the Trust documents, as he was a board member.

SM: I think the idea of sustainability has become common language amongst the aid community, but still poses a challenge when it comes to achieving it. What are some of the competing factors and do you see trends emerging that may change the traditional models of how aid is delivered?

MD: I agree with the idea of sustainability. But when you provide services to the poorest regions, sometimes you can’t even ask them for school fees of 20 cents a month, if they only eat one meal a day consisting of basically rice and potatoes! But we have developed a women’s cooperative in Bhaktipur, Nepal, that rescues women from vulnerable situations. It’s been quite a  success. They have had clients like J.Crew, Anthropologie, Donna Karan, Golfini della Nonna, Lucy Barnes, and Kate Spade. We are always looking for more clients!

SM: Many of your projects are located in very poor areas with little or no infrastructure.  I’m sure this must force one to be very resourceful and improvise with what is available Are there instances that have surprised you or forced you to look at the situation differently because of this?

MD: Each region has its different materials for building as well as unique political environments. We not only have to deal with hard-to-traverse mountains, monsoon-muddied jungles and barren deserts; but in building, politics can also be a big factor. When we made the hospital in Humla, Nepal, the Maoist conflict was in full swing and we were forced to pay the rebels and the government to bring wood and stone from the forests. Our clever “cowboy” builder sat around all day and slowly pulled the fiber fill from his tattered jacket and spun it into a woven rope! This way he could pull the wood across the river at a non-bridge site and bypass the revenue greedy forces fighting each other. That was definitely thinking out of the box!

SM: In light of the 3 Cups of Tea where donors found their funds being misused, what kinds of pressures does that put on you when your work happens in areas few are able or willing to personally go themselves?

MD: When the general public’s attention falls on one character to symbolize “giving” it gets a little dicey. When 3 Cups of Tea became a bestseller, I felt Greg Mortenson wanted to capitalize on getting his message out while the attention was on him. He did a lot of footwork and talks. In doing so, he became even more iconic and I feel lost touch with the activities that he was actually preaching about. Many people came to trust him as the ultimate source of dedication and charitable giving in the farthest parts of the world. It all seemed to spiral out of control. Generating so much funding and attention just seemed to require more of his attention to the lack of focusing on his ground work. It’s difficult to manage projects in remote regions. It requires a lot of attention, patience and creative thinking to dodge all the obstacles that come your way.

I think having such a small budget as we do, and having such an incredible output in the regions we work in, should be something we pull to the forefront of our message. None of our programs have ever diminished or closed. They only grow and become more productive. I think in the future, organizations like CITTA have to make sure people connect more with this information, maybe through increased volunteer programs? Donors will be more skeptical in the future I’m sure.

SM: I know from personal experience that international aid organizations often have administrative costs that result in a low percentage of donated money reaching the people most in need. With your organization’s projects being in such remote areas, how do you deal with those issues?

MD: It’s very difficult making giving to remote communities sexy to donors. Especially when you have so much social focus and attention on places like Africa. You have Bono and Oprah jumping into a “red” convertible to raise funds for Africa. This has a lot of pull in the public. But this also comes with a high price to get the message out. Look at the overhead recently exposed at Madonna’s Raising Malawi foundation: they spent over 3 million dollars before even dropping a brick for a school! We are in the process of opening 3 new schools this year in the northwest of Nepal. It is a district that is so poor and remote that 10,000 dollars will fund those three schools annually! Though it’s difficult to fundraise 10,000 dollars without getting the word out. Especially when you see someone putting 1.5 Million into advertising their mission, and getting 3 million back! I don’t know the answer, other than we try to move slowly, in small increments, to maintain a low budget and stability in the projects as well as making sure almost all the funds reach where they are meant to.

SM: When you travel to these areas what would be a typical trip to one of the project’s locations in Nepal be?

MD: I usually land in Kathmandu after seeing the projects in India. It’s much cooler there and always a relief when I arrive. After meeting at our office and contacting local government and other agents I need to communicate with, I make plans to go to the hospital in Humla in the northwest of Nepal. It’s the most remote and poorest District in the country. When I plan a trip to Humla there are so many factors to consider: climate (they get up to 13 ft. of snow in the winter and no flights can travel there), political situation (Maoist rebel movements often hampered travel in the past), etc. The only way to get to the region is by flight. There are no roads in the District! First flight is from Kathmandu to Nepalganj, a city on the southwestern part of Nepal. It’s on the Indian border, flat landscape, and usually very hot. We make our way to a hotel, usually a not-so-charming small cement room. From there we wait to see if we can secure tickets to Simikot, the capitol of Humla. At the small cement bunker looking airport in Nepalganj, there is usually chaos! Flights are often delayed or cancelled due to weather and high winds over the Himalayas. Many locals are backed-up due to cancellations and are all vying for tickets as well. After lots of negotiating and waiting, we clear tickets and make our way through security.

The flights are usually small 15 seat aircrafts filled with locals. It’s a very colorful sight to see: Tibetan-looking local women with large nose rings, some breast-feeding, eating, men screaming and moving about staring out of the windows, most flying for the only time in their lives. The view as you leave the flat terrain and enter the deep Himalayas makes it a dramatic flight! It’s only 45 minute to reach Simikot. When you near the city, the flight makes a plunge to meet the dirt runway. You can actually see goats out the front window as you make the decent!

The flight pulls into the airport like a taxi, spinning around at the end, coming to a stop then throwing all the supplies and luggage on the ground like bales of hay. I’m usually greeted by some staff that help me carry supplies to the hospital. After reaching the hospital, we drink warm water from thermoses and eat dahl and rice, and sometimes Tibetan bread dishes like kapsi. Sleeping there is difficult the first few days due to the altitude. I wake up frequently at night breathing deeply trying to pull air into my lungs. After meetings and discussing the project for a few days it’s just as difficult to leave. The winds might pick up and no flights will land for days or weeks!

—

Michael Daube is a NYC based artist who founded and is the Executive Director of CITTA. He is also the subject of an upcoming documentary titled, Way of Life.

LINKS:

CITTA Official Site

WAY OF LIFE Official Site

—

Michael Daube by Shaun Mader

Written by Shaun Mader

Edited by Tyler Malone

Photography by Shaun Mader

Design by Marie Havens

—

Captions:

Cover/Page 1:

Michael Daube, NYC, May 2011, Photography by Shaun Mader

Page 2:

Michael Daube, NYC, May 2011, Photography by Shaun Mader

– See more at: http://pmc-mag.com/2011/06/michael-daube/?full=content#sthash.0ViNXkee.dpuf

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Brave Miss World

16 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

abduction, at gun point, beating, coward, crime, death threats, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, rape, sexual assault, stabbing, violence

netflix-brave-miss-world_en_us_displayarth url-1

This story was copied and pasted from the following website http://ow.ly/J9Xr4

I take no credit for the content. My sincere admiration and love goes to Linor Abargil for her years of counseling and fighting against the cowardly, violent and sometimes deadly crime of rape. Love and support also goes to my many friends who have been victims and bear the lifelong scars of rape.

Linor’s Story

I was 18 years old when I became Miss Israel in March of 1998, and was sent to represent my country in the Miss World Competition. A month and a half before the contest, while I was modeling in Italy, I was brutally raped by an Israeli travel agent, and in November of that year, the world saw me cry onstage in the Seychelles Islands when I was crowned Miss World.

Immediately after the rape I called my mother, and with her support I went to the police station and the hospital in Rome to report the crime and undergo a medical exam. When I returned to Israel, we were asked to keep the matter quiet in order not to deter the rapist from coming to Israel where Israeli police, in co-operation with Italian authorities, were waiting to apprehend him.

Those weeks of silence were particularly hard on me in view of the upcoming Miss World pageant. I was scared to leave home and did not want to go. But with my mother’s encouragement, I did agree to represent my country. After being crowned Miss World, the story of my rape was uncovered by the Italian press. The next day the affair was reported in the international media, and overnight I became the face of rape victims around the world.

Fortunately, the rapist failed to read the headlines and was arrested at the Tel-Aviv airport when he tried to return to Israel. While I was trying to recover from the trauma of the rape, I faced a trial that generated extensive press coverage. During the trial, I had to relive the events, and face the rapist’s denials. I advised other women not to be afraid of reporting their rapes, and to seek punishment for the perpetrators. As a result, there was an increase in the rate of rape victims reporting the crime in Israel.

After the trial ended in October of 1999 with the conviction and imprisonment of the rapist, I stopped talking about the rape publicly. I had to figure out how to heal. I found it helpful to study drama and to I sought rehabilitation through introspection and therapy.

Upon finishing my drama studies, I started working in theater in Tel Aviv. I was cast in “The Blue Room”, in the role played by Nicole Kidman in London and New York.

In 2006, I got married to an NBA player Sarunas Jasikevius, and moved to Los Angeles. The marriage didn’t work out and we divorced after a year. I returned to Israel and enrolled in law school. I hope to use my law degree to represent women who are victims of sexual violence. In 2008 I launched this website and started speaking out about rape. In August of 2010, I got married to Oron Kalfon, who is my partner, my friend and my true love. With his support and the support of my family, I have been documenting my journey and in the film I tell my own story, without shame, as I reach out to other women around the world, encouraging them to tell theirs.

– Linor

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How It Began

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

compassion, kindness, loving kindness, mankind, mental illness, poverty, psychology, social science, social work, unconditional love

.

GFAH final 2

 

Author: http://ow.ly/AD39S
Blogger: http://ow.ly/AD3t4
Facebook: http://ow.ly/AD2sG

2010

How It Began

My lungs ached, as frost hung in the bitterly cold December morning air, making breathing difficult. I trudged in the falling snow toward the building where I work, in one of the city’s grey, concrete, office tower canyons. I dodged other pedestrians, also trying to get to work on time, I noticed a woman seated cross-legged on the sidewalk with her back against a building wall. A snow-covered Buddha, wrapped in a sleeping bag, shivering in the below freezing temperature. I guessed her to be in her forties. Everything about her seemed round. She had the most angelic face, sparkling blue eyes and a beautiful smile. A cap was upturned in front of her. I thought, There but for the grace of God go I. Her smile and blue eyes haunted me all day.

In the past I’ve been unemployed, my wife and I were unable to pay our mortgage and other bills, we went through bankruptcy, lost our house, my truck. Being in my fifties, my prospects looked dim. It could have been me, on the sidewalk, in her place.

I was told not to give money to panhandlers because they’ll just spend it on booze. I thought to myself, What should I do, if anything? What would you do? I asked for advice from a friend who has worked with homeless people. She said, ‘The woman is probably hungry. Why don’t you ask her if she’d like a breakfast sandwich and maybe a coffee?’

That sounded reasonable, so the next day I asked, “Are you hungry? Would you like some breakfast, perhaps a coffee?”
“That would be nice,” she replied.

When I brought her a sandwich and coffee she said to me, “Thank you so much, sir. You’re so kind. Bless you.” I truly felt blessed.

This has become a morning routine for the past four years. The woman (I’ll call Joy) and I have become friends. Often I’ll sit with her on the sidewalk. We sometimes meet her companions in the park. They have become my closest friends. I think of them as angels. My life has become much richer for the experience.

.

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UNIVERSAL EQUALITY

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

compassion, empathy, empowerment, free, homeless, loving kindness, mankind, unconditional love, universal equality, world

.

d5f1fa474c7415900c9afc1c61e7d6ea

.

In the past two weeks

I’ve had a lot of time to think

about important and unimportant things (long story).

I have come to some very basic conclusions

as is my right and obligation.

They may seem obvious to some.

To others they may seem inflammatory.

Deal with it —

say what you want on your own page.

I believe that as humans

we deserve:

UNIVERSAL EQUALITY IN ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE,

UNIVERSAL ACCESS: TO FOOD, WATER, SHELTER,

MEDICAL TREATMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF MEDICATION,

UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION,

UNIVERSAL FREEDOM OF CHOICE OVER OUR OWN BODIES,

UNIVERSAL FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT,

FREEDOM OF SPEECH,

DEMOCRACY.

These are big issues

that have repercussions in news events

around the world.

I haven’t worked out all the details, yet,

but I have seen a lot of headlines on television

in print media and on the internet.

On our planet

we must eradicate (as much is humanly possible,

as opposed to what is economically viable)

HUNGER

DISEASE

VIOLENCE

HOMELESSNESS

BIGOTRY

WAR

(and others too numerous

to mention).

My neighbor:

MUST NOT starve while I eat,

MUST NOT die of illness while I have access to a cure,

MUST NOT BE CONFINED BY NATIONAL BORDERS

if his life, health, or opportunities

are at risk,

MUST HAVE universal access to the best education

in order to best express his natural abilities,

MUST HAVE equal access to meaningful, rewarding and satisfying employment,

MUST HAVE the freedom to make their own life choices;

these choices MUST NOT be dictated by GOVERNMENT

RELIGION, SOCIETY or self-proclaimed MAJORITIES.

LYNCH MOB DEMOCRACY MUST BE ELIMINATED.

In short, I AM my brother’s keeper.

I WILL treat him as I would prefer to be treated.

I WILL NOT be the cause of abuse,

whether physical, verbal, mental or emotional.

I WILL live my life

according to the best of my potential.

‘NUFF SAID (for now)…

.

.

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We’re All the Same

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

compassion, empathy, family of man, free, genetics, history, kindness, lifetimes, loving kindness, mankind, unconditional love

.

evolution

.

I’m not an expert geneticist.
I’m not an expert in anything,
but, I read a lot.
I watch documentaries on television.
I have my own ideas.

This is what I’ve come to believe:
Around 500 B.C, Hanno the Navigator,
a Carthaginian explorer,
with sixty fifty-oared ships
visited the Galápagos Islands.
Hanno and his crew discovered gorillas
and gorillas discovered them.
Although the sailors could not make peaceful contact
with these creatures,
they considered them to be
related to humans.

Geneticists now believe
that archaic Homo Sapiens evolved
to anatomically modern humans
solely in Africa
between 200,000 and 60,000 years ago.
We all share a common DNA.
We are all one family.

Families have differences
They argue a lot.
Some of them move away and refuse to talk
to other siblings.
That’s natural,
it happens all the time.

We are all the same.
We seek happiness
and an end to
suffering.

.

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Twin Flames

19 Wednesday Mar 2014

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

compassion, emotion, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, free, kindness, longing, unconditional love, universe

.

twinflames1

.

twin flames
independent
vibrations in harmony
across time and space
at opposite poles
of the earth

divine
masculine and feminine
entwined through
Absolute
Unconditional LOVE
with Gold of
Perfection

.

Image:  http://www.collapsingduality.com/TwinFlameStories_Jamie_Gage.html

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Come Together

13 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 35 Comments

Tags

astral travel, Buddhism, compassion, destiny, dreams, empathy, eternal, forever, free, love, universe

.

qixi-m

.

eyes closed
not yet awake
nor quite asleep
arms and legs immobile
snug, secure
satisfied

I see myself
arise…
and float away…
(but, I rest here
confused)

body drifts
through the roof
no cold of night
only vibration
universe opens
it is I

female figure
appears
love light emanating
arm outstretched
in welcome
we come together
forever

.

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2012/08/qixi-a-tale-of-astral-amour/

.

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Strange Fruit

02 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by DennisCardiff in Prose

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

African-Americans, compassion, death, despair, desperation, destiny, emotion, empathy, empowerment, eternal, forever, free, hanging, loving kindness, lynching, mankind, philosophy, segregation, spiritual, unconditional love, world

Image result for billie holiday strange fruit images

 

Written for the Freedom Writers Contest, March, 2010, using the prompt ‘INSPIRATION’.Definition of Inspiration: “An agency, such as a person or work of art, that moves the intellect or emotions or prompts action or invention.” (Answers.com)

 

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

.

Pastoral scene of the gallant south

The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth

Scent of magnolia sweet and fresh

And the sudden smell of burning flesh!

.

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck

For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, for a tree to drop

Here is a strange and bitter crop.

.

“Strange Fruit” has been called the original protest song. It is deceptively simple and direct. The song depicts lynching in all of its brutality. The three short verses are all the more powerful for their understated and ironic language. The juxtaposition of the pastoral landscape with “The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth”, the smell of magnolias with that of burning flesh, the blossoms more typically associated with the Southern climate with the “strange fruit” produced by racial oppression — good ol’ boys by day; white robes, hoods and burning crosses by night.

The lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith In 1937 was photographed and appeared on a postcard that was seen by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish high-school teacher from the Bronx. This horrendous event took place in Marion, Indiana, August 7, 1930. Meerapol was haunted for days by Lawrence H. Beitler’s photograph of the incident, which sold by the thousands for fifty cents apiece. Strange Fruit was inspired by this horrific image and was published under the pseudonym, Lewis Allan.

Billie Holiday was performing at the club, Café Society, in New York City. After hearing her sing, Meeropol sent her “Strange Fruit”. Holiday had mixed feelings about performing the song. She presented it to her friend Milt Gabler whose Commodore label produced alternative jazz. She sang the song a cappella, and it moved Gabler so much that he wept. In 1939, Gabler agreed to record and distribute the song.

Barney Josephson, owner of Café Society, recognized the impact of the song and insisted that Holiday close all her shows with it. Just as the song was about to begin, waiters would stop serving, the lights in the club would be turned off, and a single pin spotlight would illuminate Holiday on stage. During the musical introduction, Holiday would stand with her eyes closed, as if she were evoking a prayer.

Billie’s grandfather was one of 17 children of a black Virginia slave and a white Irish plantation owner. Her father, Clarence Holiday, while touring the Southwest as a guitar player with the Don Redman big band caught a heavy cold on March 1st, 1937. He had served in France during the last year of WWI and had his lungs severely damaged by mustard gas, making him susceptible to any respiratory ailment. He delayed seeking medical attention, knowing the prevailing racial attitudes in Texas, at the time. He died of pneumonia in the local Veterans’ Hospital. He was 37.

Holiday reflected, “I have to keep singing it, not only because people ask for it but because twenty years after Pop died the things that killed him are still happening in the South.”2

Lynching ideology was directly connected with denial of political and social equality. Benjamin Tillman, 84th Governor of South Carolina from 1890 to 1894 and later a United States Senator from 1895 to 1918 stated forthrightly:

We of the South have never recognized the right of the negro to govern white men, and we never will. We have never believed him to be the equal of the white man, and we will not submit to his gratifying his lust on our wives and daughters without lynching him.

Mobs lynched 4,743 persons in the United States, between 1882 and 1968, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights. Over eighty-eight percent were African-Americans. Fewer than 1 percent of those arrested for lynching were ever convicted.

Abel Meerapol was all too familiar with the news reports describing the Holocaust that began in 1933 when Hitler came to power in Germany. It is estimated that 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust. Six million of these were Jews. In addition to Jews, the Nazis targeted Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the disabled for persecution. The American Holocaust differed only in numbers and scope.

“Strange Fruit” undoubtedly contributed to the 1964 Civil Rights Act declaring discrimination based on race illegal. President Obama reinforced this position when he signed major civil rights legislation in October, 2009 entitled the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998, and James Byrd Jr., an African-American man dragged to death in Texas the same year.

“Strange Fruit” was counted among one of the “ten songs that actually changed the world” by Q, a British music publication, but “Most Provocative” or “Most Unsettling” might more accurately reflect the song’s artistic impact and true social standing. “Strange Fruit” is “a work of art, that has moved the intellect, emotions and has prompted action”. It, therefore, exemplifies Inspiration.

.

Footnotes

1  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

2  “Lady Sings the Blues” by Billie Holiday with William Dufty, published by Harlem Moon, page 95.

 

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