I've always been fascinated by characters in books who have an empathic bond with each other- it's probably why my first book naturally featured the concept of lifemates. It was no surprise then, that I've become obsessed with the show 'Sense8' on Netflix, which features a cadre of eight people all over the world who can share thoughts, sensations, skills, and emotional support through a bond that transcends distance and language.
One of the characters said in an episode that he felt their gift was once more common, but humans had found a way to breed it out because it hindered the one thing that humans do best- it's easier to kill when they feel nothing.
It made an impact on me. How could we possibly hurt another human being as easily as we do now, if we could feel emotions and see through their eyes of others how much pain we inflict? Offhanded, passive aggressive comments. Deliberate emotional manipulation. Domestic violence. Racism and oppression. Warfare.
Many writers have explored this theme. For the most part, the consensus is that species who have managed to develop a sense of empathy are peaceful and at harmony with themselves and others. Trouble usually comes when a less sensitive species who has not developed this gift moves into the neighborhood. The empathic race is inevitably on the losing end of the conflict.
In the series 'Sense8' these gifted individuals are hunted down and experimented upon, treated as dangerous fugitives. There are obvious parallels drawn in the series in our society: racism, poverty, prejudice, the denial of equal rights to same-sex partners to see their loved ones in intensive care. These eight characters face all of these things in addition to persecution for being something a little more than human.
I have often noted with despair that the trait of empathy is indeed being bred out: that people have somehow come to believe that compassion makes people weak. The drive to succeed, to be right at all costs, to defend our own rigidly held beliefs has become more important than the welfare of the fellow inhabitants on this planet.
It makes me very sad that things as small as the amount of melanin in one's skin, whether we believe or don't believe in a higher power, or check red or blue boxes on election day cause such dissent among human beings. Indeed, there are some who ridicule people like me as "bleeding liberal", "hippie tree hugger" because I am more a humanist than anything: I feel that our primary reason for existing is to take care of each other. Heaven forbid that we do that. It might force us to feel something uncomfortable.
Without empathy, it becomes impossible to care for others, yet the same individuals will complain bitterly that nobody helps them out. It's hard to do when it isn't encouraged by society. Movements like the random acts of kindness show us that empathy is still there, but we've fallen out of practice. We need reminders to be decent human beings.
Human beings need reminders to be human. If that isn't irony, what is?
I'll continue to look forward to this show for the fulfillment of that fascination I have with human connection that transcends speech, religion, sexual preference, race, or geography.
And I'll mourn the fact that it's still considered science fiction.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Music is magic
Music has always been an enormous part of my life. Each year, it seemed there was a "song of the summer" for me, usually the one I heard most at the community pool. One year, it was Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street", which remains an all time favorite of mine. Another year, it was Kansas "Carry On My Wayward Son", a favorite I now share with my daughter, who discovered it via 'Supernatural'.
I love sharing common music with my kids, and when they were younger, we'd sing along to Owl City or songs from 'Phineas and Ferb' in the car. My son and I now sing together to Fall Out Boy's "Immortals" and "Centuries"--a mark of his changing taste in music as he grows up more quickly than Mom's heart can stand. My daughter and I share Broadway soundtracks, and the song "For Good" from 'Wicked' becomes more poignant each time we sing it, as I face the fact that she is now an adult.
Back in the dark ages (the 80's), I used to wish there was a way that I could pick and choose the music I wanted without having to buy the whole cassette tape or record album. CD's came along, and with them the ability to burn music, but it was the advent of MP3 that for me was a gift from the gods. I can have all my 80's New Wave favorites like Thomas Dolby, Peter Murphy, Madness, and Duran Duran right alongside my Rush and Incubus, and my newer favorites like Of Monsters and Men, Fall Out Boy and 30 Seconds to Mars cued up in between. My childhood in the 70's is represented by John Denver and The Carpenters. (I am not ashamed! Those 8 track tapes in the van on our long vacations defined my need for car music.)
The streaming music function on my phone is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't even drive to the store without my music. I have a subscription to Rhapsody, and whenever I hear something I like I just add it to my playlist. (Most recent addition: Bastille's "Pompeii" and "Bad Blood".)
Having my favorite songs at my fingertips saves my life on those long workday road trips when my next patient is 60 miles away. I can sing at the top of my lungs to save my sanity after the second visit to pronounce a death in two hours.
But more and more now, it's a way of recapturing youth: my own, and my children's. With these songs, I will always be twelve and on vacation with my parents and brother, fourteen at the pool staring down at the blue water from the high dive board, or sixteen and watching the first days of MTV.
Or in the car five short years ago, when my kids were still little in my eyes.
I love sharing common music with my kids, and when they were younger, we'd sing along to Owl City or songs from 'Phineas and Ferb' in the car. My son and I now sing together to Fall Out Boy's "Immortals" and "Centuries"--a mark of his changing taste in music as he grows up more quickly than Mom's heart can stand. My daughter and I share Broadway soundtracks, and the song "For Good" from 'Wicked' becomes more poignant each time we sing it, as I face the fact that she is now an adult.
Back in the dark ages (the 80's), I used to wish there was a way that I could pick and choose the music I wanted without having to buy the whole cassette tape or record album. CD's came along, and with them the ability to burn music, but it was the advent of MP3 that for me was a gift from the gods. I can have all my 80's New Wave favorites like Thomas Dolby, Peter Murphy, Madness, and Duran Duran right alongside my Rush and Incubus, and my newer favorites like Of Monsters and Men, Fall Out Boy and 30 Seconds to Mars cued up in between. My childhood in the 70's is represented by John Denver and The Carpenters. (I am not ashamed! Those 8 track tapes in the van on our long vacations defined my need for car music.)
The streaming music function on my phone is the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't even drive to the store without my music. I have a subscription to Rhapsody, and whenever I hear something I like I just add it to my playlist. (Most recent addition: Bastille's "Pompeii" and "Bad Blood".)
Having my favorite songs at my fingertips saves my life on those long workday road trips when my next patient is 60 miles away. I can sing at the top of my lungs to save my sanity after the second visit to pronounce a death in two hours.
But more and more now, it's a way of recapturing youth: my own, and my children's. With these songs, I will always be twelve and on vacation with my parents and brother, fourteen at the pool staring down at the blue water from the high dive board, or sixteen and watching the first days of MTV.
Or in the car five short years ago, when my kids were still little in my eyes.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
New Yoooooork, Neeeeeeew Yoooooork! The chaperones never sleep...
I apologize for not keeping up with my blog--I went on an adventure! Last week, I helped chaperone my beautiful daughter and ninety other high school students to New York City for a music competition. Their chorale and symphony orchestra swept the competition, thank you very much!
We had a whirlwind trip - twenty four hours on a bus there, hit the ground running, and never stopped until we boarded the bus for another twenty four hour ride to go back to Kansas. I have always considered myself a "city girl", but I realized that I have absolutely no idea what real city life is like. Manhattan is an amazing world in and of itself, and if I'd had the chance to visit any of the other boroughs, I'm certain I would have been just as lost.
In Times Square, the press of bodies was unbelievable. I felt like a mother duck with my train of ducklings--we seriously had hold of the jackets of the person in front of us so we didn't lose anybody, but we still lost three in the bowels of a gift shop on the way to the M&M/Hershey store. Fortunately, we didn't leave any students behind, even the boys ogling the pretty street character wearing not much more than body paint and a smile.
It was an amazing trip, but I have to admit that New York has now lost the mystique it once held for me. After all, the buildings and skyscrapers are just buildings, people are just people, and taxi drivers are freaking insane. I felt that way after visiting London many years ago--it made me sad in a way, but at the same time I learned that all over the world, people live in cities, work, play, fight, love, and plead for your spare change.
We're all the same, no matter where we live. Let that be a lesson for me in my writing: No matter what world I'm writing in, people have a common core. The dialect might be a little different (like the difference between Long Island and Lawn Guyland), but inside, the language of humanity is identical.
We had a whirlwind trip - twenty four hours on a bus there, hit the ground running, and never stopped until we boarded the bus for another twenty four hour ride to go back to Kansas. I have always considered myself a "city girl", but I realized that I have absolutely no idea what real city life is like. Manhattan is an amazing world in and of itself, and if I'd had the chance to visit any of the other boroughs, I'm certain I would have been just as lost.
In Times Square, the press of bodies was unbelievable. I felt like a mother duck with my train of ducklings--we seriously had hold of the jackets of the person in front of us so we didn't lose anybody, but we still lost three in the bowels of a gift shop on the way to the M&M/Hershey store. Fortunately, we didn't leave any students behind, even the boys ogling the pretty street character wearing not much more than body paint and a smile.
It was an amazing trip, but I have to admit that New York has now lost the mystique it once held for me. After all, the buildings and skyscrapers are just buildings, people are just people, and taxi drivers are freaking insane. I felt that way after visiting London many years ago--it made me sad in a way, but at the same time I learned that all over the world, people live in cities, work, play, fight, love, and plead for your spare change.
We're all the same, no matter where we live. Let that be a lesson for me in my writing: No matter what world I'm writing in, people have a common core. The dialect might be a little different (like the difference between Long Island and Lawn Guyland), but inside, the language of humanity is identical.
Thursday, March 12, 2015
New release from Valerie Clarizio! Crazed Reckoning: A Nick Spinelli Mystery
My friend Val has a new book coming out today! Nick Spinelli is one of the sexiest detectives out there...check him out! If you go to one of the blogs there is also a Rafflecopter giveaway!
New Release & Giveaway – Crazed Reckoning, a Nick Spinelli Mystery
Title: Crazed Reckoning, a Nick Spinelli Mystery (Novella #3 in the Nick Spinelli Romance Mystery Series – Saint Patrick’s Day setting)
Author: Valerie J. Clarizio
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
Release Date: March 12, 2015
Buylinks:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/526784
TEASER: “LET ME GET THIS RIGHT. YOU’RE TELLING ME YOUR DEAD FATHER’S FINGER SHOWED UP IN A CACHE BOX IN DOOR COUNTY, OVER FORTY YEARS AFTER YOUR FATHER DIED.”
Giveaway: In celebration of the release of Crazed Reckoning, a Nick Spinelli Mystery I’m giving away copies of Covert Exposure, a Nick Spinelli Mystery! You can nab your copy here at Smashwords for a limited time (MOBI, PDF, or EPUB): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/415230
Sale: To further celebrate, Craving Vengeance, a Nick Spinelli Mystery is on sale for a limited time at Smashwords and Amazon for only $2.99:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/415246
Giveaway #2: Visit the following blogs during the March 12th Release Day Blast and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win an Amazon gift card!
Read Our Thoughts Book Blog Spotlight/Excerpt
Aubrey Wynne: Romantasy Through the Ages Guest Post
books are love Spotlight/ Excerpt
Those Crazy Book Chicks Spotlight/ Excerpt
mousey books Spotlight/ Excerpt
Kishan Paul Spotlight/ Excerpt
Author Sandra Love Spotlight/ Excerpt
Amanda’s Blog! Spotlight
Padme’s Library Interview
The Phantom Paragrapher Spotlight
Books N Pearls Interview
Dahlia Donovan Spotlight
Thank you all for visiting and your continued support!
MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH BE WITH YOU ON SAINT PATRICK’S DAY! CHEERS!
![MC900436369[1]](https://valclarizio.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/mc9004363691.png)
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Post-contest musings
It’s amazing how the advent of Twitter and Facebook has
created a community where aspiring writers are able to support and promote each
other.
I’m currently participating in #AgentMatch, hosted by the dynamic
Samantha Fountain @FountainWriter.
During this event I’ve made a number of new Twitter friends, traded
manuscripts with one whose book I was dying to read, and have watched as other
enormously deserving writers’ queries have received requests from agents…
…And listened to the deafening silence on my entry in regard
to requests. It’s always a humbling thing, having poured so much creative
energy into my manuscript and having revised the query at least fifty times. I went
into this with a calm heart, because I believe in this manuscript, and I know
that eventually it will see the light of day through an agent’s notice or a
small press’s vote of confidence. But
it’s still a little stinging to the ego when your work is passed over.
Those of us who haven’t seen any action on our entries (most
of us fantasy and sci-fi authors—drat the market, anyway!) have banded together,
and have been reminded why we do what we do by the positive support offered
from our peers.
We love to write.
We each have a dream to share our work with others. For me,
it’s a desire to give somebody else the joy I experience as a reader, of
becoming immersed in a world that exists only in imagination, to live
vicariously through the characters and as a result dream up fantasies of their
own. Maybe even be inspired to write, as I was.
I wondered aloud in the Twitter-verse about what writers did
before social media to support each other. I can imagine lots of lonely nights
in front of a typewriter or a legal pad, scribbling away, with no way to reach
out immediately to other authors and say, “Do you ever just feel like giving
up?” “Do you have any tips on how to polish up this chapter?”
It’s no wonder there’s a stereotype (still relevant, if
references to wine are any indication in the Twitter writing community!) of the
lonely scribe, drinking at their desk as they peruse their latest draft. It’s
still a solitary business, creating worlds on paper. Non-writing spouses don’t
always understand the creative need; children know Mom or Dad love their
computer a lot and are grumpy if writing time is interrupted. Those of us who
have supportive friends and loved ones are very lucky, but at the end of the
day, it’s still just us.
And only another writer, one who feels the spur of the muse,
can truly understand the drive, the joy, and the disappointment.
So, as I revise this query for the bazillionth time in
preparation for a new round, I am grateful for the support and friendship of
other authors. We can do this.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Love Least Expected
Check out this wonderful new book from my friend and mentor Aubrey Wynne and eight other authors. It debuted yesterday at number 15 on Amazon! Some sweet and steamy romance stories, that's for sure... Can't wait for some of these teasers that are turning into full-length books very soon!
Romance with a touch of magic…
any time, any place, any century
ON SALE NOW
Youtube Trailer
Rolf’s Quest
Time is running out for the royal wizard of Henry II. Rolf’s quest: find genuine love and lift the enchantment that has imprisoned his ancestor, Merlin, for centuries. Now he must win Melissa’s heart without the use of magic. She desires him, but will she defy her family and refuse her betrothed? Or will Rolf be doomed to a life of bitterness like his ancestors before him.
Other books by Aubrey Wynne
Henry, a shy and talented artist, moonlights as a security guard at a museum and loses his heart to a beautiful, melancholy woman in a painting. As his obsession grows, he finds a kindred soul who helps him in his search for happiness. On Christmas Eve, Henry dares to take a chance on love and fulfill his dream. Published my Melange Books, LLC
Pete McNutt needs customers for his new business. Spring has arrived and it’s prime time Privy Season. After much consideration, he refines his sales pitch and heads to the monthly meeting of the Women’s Library Association. Published Alfie Dog Fiction
The evil Queen Lucinda exacts revenge on a royal poet by casting a spell of never-ending clichés upon the kingdom. Will the clever King Richard thwart his stepmother’s magic and save the good people of Maxim? Test your literary knowledge and enjoy an entertaining spoof on fairytales. Published by Alfie Dog Fiction
The Editing Hall
Second place in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll 2014
Making your literary dreams come true.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Delusions of Resolutions
This Post originally appeared on A Montage of Writers
So, it’s that time of year again…resolutions out the wazoo,
few (if any) of which I will manage to keep. This year, I’m going easy on
myself. Since I never keep any of them anyway, perhaps a little reverse
psychology is in order.
Resolution number one: I resolve to eat at much junk food as
I possibly can. I will become Nabisco
chairperson of the board simply by the number of Oreos that I consume by the
end of 2015. Ice cream is a food group, and middle-aged women need extra
calcium. Pizza has ALL of the basic food groups, so why eat anything else?
Resolution number two: I resolve to never exercise again and
will instead direct the lives of my family from the comfort of my bed. I will
be waited on hand and foot by my loving children and my husband like a benevolent
Jabba the Hutt, dispensing advice and locating lost socks and missing school
ID’s with the power of my mind.
Resolution number three:
I resolve not to make a budget. Like the Pirate Code, it’s more like
guidelines, anyway. The grocery allowance
is of much more realistic use as a restaurant allowance, and the utility
companies make tons of money. They don’t need mine. I’m sure they’ll
understand.
Resolution number four: I resolve spend as much time on the
internet as possible and solely communicate with family members via tumblr wars
and eCards. If you need me, you can find me on Twitter or Facebook. I will have my iPhone surgically attached to
my hand so I can be contacted day or night via Messenger.
Resolution number five: I resolve to drink more Caffeine,
which is my overlord and Starbucks is the center of the universe. I will never
sleep again, lovingly contemplating the mysteries of coffee in all its forms as
often as possible in between cases of Diet Coke, as the rest of the world slumbers
like losers.
Yeah, that should do it. Now excuse me while I wash these
Oreos down with a Caramel Macchiato.
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