To the Editors: Regarding the issue of the Bundesarchiv profiting from the use of archival material of the Nazi era raised in my letter in these pages [“Shameful Profits,” NYR, April 20, 2023], a spokesperson for the minister of state in the Federal Chancellery and the federal government commissioner for culture and the media, Claudia […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/03/21/finally-no-more-fees/
The best description of In Search of Lost Time may come from what Proust calls dreams in its opening pages: “a formidable game with time.”
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/03/21/in-search-of-his-vocation-marcel-proust/
William Egginton’s intellectual biography of Borges, Kant, and Heisenberg takes place at the intersection of physics and religion, and traces the errors that result when we forget the limits of our human point of view.
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/03/21/the-trouble-with-reality-rigor-of-angels-egginton/
Two journalists give eyewitness accounts of the immeasurable damage inflicted on Iraq since the US invasion.
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/03/21/iraqs-twenty-years-of-carnage-wounded-tigris/
In his late writings and correspondence, Charles Darwin was thinking about how mortal beings strive to make what they can of themselves.
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2024/03/21/every-creeping-thing-correspondence-of-charles-darwin/
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly or for a monthly wrap up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme
In February I read/listened to eleven books and find myself behind five books in the Goodreads challenge. 28/200. Counting down the days until flip-flop season. I woke up Saturday congested with a gaggy cough. I may have cried. Stay Caffeinated.
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A special thanks to Tantor Audio, Hachette Books
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2024/03/sunday-post-617-in-like-a-lion.html
Quantum Seed follows a neuroscientist with the ability to control brainwaves and see into the future who gets a shocking message from advanced beings that the end of humanity is imminent. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I drew upon two things – my personal experiences in experimental neuroscience and a vivid dream I had about how our civilization has been steered off course.
Victoria struggles with fitting in, only to develop unique abilities that add to her challenge. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Initially, Victoria really wants to belong, to be understood, and to be accepted for who she is. Instead, she finds herself living a life of isolation because it’s safer and less painful than facing rejection by others. However, in order to survive, she must learn to lower her walls and trust others.
Also, her development shows that what sets us apart can also empower us. Of course, with her abilities, she faces the moral and ethical implications of how to use them.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Belonging and diversity – I see these as necessities for the survival of the individual and our civilization.
Living with artificial intelligence when it is less artificial was another big theme. The book is set in the future when AI is more organic matter like us. Thus, raising questions of rights and place in society.
Transforming ourselves is a prominent theme. Many people are disheartened by all the imbalances in the world, from inequality to a lack of value in human lives. I wondered if all of humanity depended on us transforming and evolving quickly, could we do it, and what would it look like?
The ethics of advanced interventions with the human brain is something the novel delves into, and it is a theme that won’t be confined to my novel.
Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?
Book Two will be fast-paced as the team returns to save Earth in 187 days. They face unexpected challenges all along the way. There will be some big reveals.
Book Two will be available by the end of this year (2024).
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
This thought-provoking narrative explores the boundaries of human potential in the face of a looming global catastrophe. Through the eyes of Victoria Ottery, a neuroscientist with a unique ability to control brainwaves and glimpse into the future, the novel weaves the extraordinary with the familiar while tackling themes of belonging, human capabilities, and societal evolution.
Victoria finds it impossible to fit in, but this becomes the least of her worries when a brain-training session awakens her latent potential. Suddenly, she receives a shocking message from advanced beings. The countdown to humanity’s fate has begun—could the wisdom and technology of inhabitants in another world reshape our trajectory? What will they reveal about the true nature of Victoria’s abilities . . . and her destiny?
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/03/belonging-and-diversity/
In Candace’s Big Audition, a young cow seeks the advice of her barnyard friends when she decides to audition for a singing competition that pits her against her best friend. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration for this story was based on a personal experience I had in 8th grade. Five of us girls wanted to participate in the 4 x 4 relay at an upcoming track meet. One of our group was my best friend. Our coach didn’t know what to do, so he told us to walk to the railroad tracks, which were about a mile down the road, and run back to school. The first four to get back to school would run the relay.
As we were running back, I started to think. You see, I was the top shot put thrower in our area and won first place every meet we participated in. I realized that I had an area of excellence in track, but my best friend did not. As I ran, I decided that I wanted my friend to have this honor, especially since I already had an event that I excelled in. I never told anyone because we were raised to be humble, selfless, and giving. This was an opportunity to put those values into practice, so I did. It was not without consequences, though. I chose to live with the stigma of being the slowest so that my friend could be a part of a winning team.
Halfway through the track meet, one of the other girls sprained her ankle in another event. The result was that I was able to run the 4 x 4 relay anyway. My best friend was runner # 1, and I was runner # 2. After I received the baton, I passed a runner, which put our team in first place. We stayed there for the rest of the race. Not only did I get to run the race, but I was able to participate with my best friend.
I combined my experience with the fact that I grew up on a dairy farm, and studied vocal music in college.
Do you have a favorite character in this second book in the Adventures on Apple Orchard Farm series?
It should be obvious now that the character of Candace is me. Even though I identify mostly with her, I really appreciate the character of Professor Owl. I love how he supports Candace without telling her what to do. He allows her to struggle but gives insight to her character and the decision-making process. It’s because of this that Candace not only makes her decision on her own, but she also 100% accepts the consequences of her decision.
What is one thing you hope young readers take away from Candace’s experience?
I hope young readers learn to consider others before making a decision. I’m not saying the decision Candace made was the only one she could have made, but it was the right one for her at that time. It’s human nature to be selfish and to act before thinking. My hope is that readers will take a moment to ‘read the room’ and consider the feelings of others and how their decisions will affect others.
What does the next book in this series have in store for readers?
The next book in this series is called Pretty Penelope. Penelope is a porcupine who looks at her reflection in the pond water and doesn’t like what she sees. She wishes she had fur or feathers like all of the other animals on Apple Orchard Farm instead of sharp quills sticking out of her face.
After making new friends and aiding in saving one of the chickens from a coyote attack, Penelope learns the value of her assets and that she is not only valued for what she looks like but for who she is.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Candace is a brave main character who struggles with this difficult decision, pushing her to her limits. With the help of Professor Owl, the farm’s Great Horned owl teacher, Candace discovers the resilience within her to make the right decision for her. But will she choose to do her best, or throw the audition so her friend can be chosen? Read Candace’s Big Audition to find out!
If you enjoyed book one, Finding George, of the Adventures on Apple Orchard Farm series, you will love this new adventure in book two. With its themes of friendship and resilience, readers of all ages will be delighted as the story unfolds. Buy your copy before the price changes!
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/03/learn-to-consider-others/
The Broken Whistle: A Deep State Run Amok is more than a memoir; it is a look at the corruption of the whistleblowing process within the Intelligence Community. Why was it important for you to tell your story?
Like so many others, I am just an ordinary American. I worked diligently to get an education and volunteered to serve our nation to defend and protect our beloved country from foreign and domestic enemies. Yes, it is my story, but I am not alone. It is a story that others could have also written. I am just one out of many who have witnessed the abuse of government power, but unlike others, I spoke up and had to tell it because the abuse of government power threatens the existence of our Constitutional Republic.
President Ronald Reagan said during his inauguration as the governor of California, “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”
Therefore, it is crucial for the citizens of the United States to witness my firsthand story on the consequences of unchecked abuses of government power. My story shows the abuses I suffered for seeking to hold the CIA and Intelligence Community accountable for violating US laws. Just like it happened to me, it could happen to any and all ordinary Americans. If these abuses of power are left unchecked, tyranny will come knocking on their doors.
Your years working for the CIA gave you a front-seat look at the corruption of power and the way those in power twist policy to suit their needs. What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
There is a well-known saying that, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Attributed to 19th-century British politician Lord Acton. I witnessed firsthand the absolute perversion of power in the CIA and the Intelligence Community. The lust for power and influence drove senior leaders to betray the Constitution and the laws of the land. An attitude as if they were saying, “This is my CIA and my position. What I say and do is right, regardless of the law.” The truth is they trampled laws to cover up their abuses of power. That is the main storyline written in the book’s narrative. And I wrote as raw and real as possible with many examples to show the reader what I witnessed firsthand.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about Whistleblowers?
The revelations brought forth by most whistleblowers and the abuses they suffer cause many of these individuals to be mischaracterized as disgruntled and troubled individuals—troublemakers, snitches, rats, poor performers, vindictive, etc. It is nearly impossible to counter the coordinated assaults and attacks against a whistleblower’s character. Those who take reprisals literally have an army of attorneys and surrogates to defend them. Meanwhile, the whistleblower is like a lone Spartan in the Battle of Thermopylae on top of the hill, facing a massive onslaught of slander and defamation. It is a no-win scenario for the whistleblower. Almost all whistleblowers never recover from the reprisals.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Broken Whistle?
My Epilogue ends with a poem by Martin Niemöller, a German theologian who lived before, during, and after the Nazi German regime. The title is “Who Will Speak For You When They Come Looking For You?” Unchecked abuses of government power have consequences. It is only a matter of time, not if it will, to affect many others outside of the DC establishment. We, the People of the United States of America, must demand that our government authorities obey the laws of the land and the Constitution and preserve our Constitutional Republic. As President Reagan said, failure to speak up and act to hold those in power accountable will lead us down a path of tyranny. Therefore, The Broken Whistle is a call to action for Americans to stand up and demand robust government oversight to defend and protect the laws of the land—to reign in abusive government institutions like the US National Security bureaucracy also known as the “Deep State.”
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon
The Broken Whistle is a searing exposé that unveils a chilling chapter in American history, a narrative meticulously recounted by Pedro Israel Orta. Plunged into the heart of power and deception, Orta emerges as a force to be reckoned with. On September 23, 2019, his single Twitter thread ignited a tempest, tearing through the sinister underbelly of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act (ICWPA), which had been perverted for political ends. In this gripping account, Orta fearlessly shines a light on a corrupt system that brazenly weaponized the very process designed to uphold truth and accountability.
As the pages unfold, Orta unflinchingly reveals how the Intelligence Community (IC) whistleblowing process was perverted to target a sitting president, while genuine whistleblowers endured unimaginable torment and abandonment. With chilling detail and unyielding determination, Orta pulls back the curtain on the U.S. National Security Bureaucratic State, exposing the rampant abuse of power by the Deep State, shielded by Congress’s deafening silence.
Delving deep into the heart of darkness, Orta uncovers the unsettling saga triggered by the enigmatic “Ukraine whistleblower,” whose disclosures unleashed a political storm, despite falling outside the jurisdiction of ICIG and DNI, as confirmed by the Department of Justice. These allegations, detached from intelligence activities, were shamelessly exploited—an elaborate ruse orchestrated to manipulate public opinion and orchestrate the impeachment of a president.
Through the pages of The Broken Whistle, Orta lays bare his own harrowing journey, navigating the treacherous corridors of the Central Intelligence Agency. Within these walls, truth becomes an enemy, and those who dare to speak out face ruthless retribution and termination. As Orta’s unwavering voice rises above the cacophony of corruption, readers are led on an odyssey that unveils a bureaucratic machine bent on crushing dissent and preserving its shadowy secrets.
The Broken Whistle is an unapologetic chronicle of one man’s fight for justice—a clarion call that reverberates through the darkest corners of power. Prepare to be captivated by Orta’s unflinching courage as he peels back the layers of deception, exposing a broken system that has forsaken its sacred duty.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/03/unchecked-abuses-of-government-power/
In The Gatekeeper of Pericael, a 12-year-old boy races to protect the gate that keeps his people safe from the soul thief threatening his people. Where did the idea for this novel come from?
The Gatekeeper of Pericael started as an action-packed adventure without romance for my young sons. While I’ve always liked the idea of magical worlds, I always thought that if there were real kids that grew up in (or beside) a magical world, there would be some who would take it for granted, or even fear it. So, I really wanted to explore how a preteen who sees his magic practice as a chore and has legitimate, valid fears of a dangerous magical world he was expected to protect. At its core, The Gatekeeper of Pericael is about a boy learning to accept the world around him—both the wondrous and the terrifying. It’s about a boy accepting his responsibilities and learning how to move forward in spite of his fear—themes I hoped to impart to my own kids and other readers.
I found the edge-of-your-seat adventure in your novel to be quite appealing. What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
I’ve always loved monsters and intense action since I was young, so this was a super fun book to write for me. I think my favorite scene to write was the cave sequence in which Porter and his friends are trying to lead the village away from the Terzi. Between their realization of what the Terzi are, the stakes of so many people depending on them, and Porter really coming into his own—it was awesome to go through that emotional roller coaster with the characters.
Were you able to relate to your characters while writing them?
Absolutely! I think every one of my characters carries a piece of me. Like Porter, I started out as a fearful kid that had to make the conscious choice to be brave. But then, I’ve also had times in life where I’ve felt very much like Fira—frustrated by the limitations of her village’s system and with a steely passion to succeed in spite of it. As I grew older and had to be responsible for others younger than myself, I developed more patience and dependability like Conri. And of course, I feel like it’s the most fun to be like Ames, silly and irrepressibly optimistic.
I find a problem in well-written stories in that I always want there to be another book to keep the story going. Is there a second book planned?
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it! I’d always envisioned The Gatekeeper of Pericael as a trilogy–the characters growing a year or two older with each book—and I definitely had big plans for Fira, Porter, and Ames. Unfortunately, I’ve found upper-MG/lower-YA creepy fantasy hard to market, so I moved forward with other projects instead. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I find my way back to Pericael one day to continue the series. It definitely calls to me!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website | Amazon
In Pericael, no one goes out after dark…
Twelve-year-old Porter would much rather spend his weekends playing soccer than channeling spirits in the parallel universe of Pericael. Unfortunately for him, Porter’s family has guarded the gate between Earth and monster-filled Pericael for generations, so he’s not getting out of Gatekeeper lessons anytime soon.
But, some after-school activities are more dangerous than others.
When a soul thief threatens the gate, Porter reluctantly comes to its defense… and gets thrown deep into Pericael’s dangerous jungle wilderness. With the help of two fierce native girls, Porter must learn to embrace the creepy spirits and find his way back to the gate. But the soul thief is racing for the gate too, and if he gets there first, Porter won’t have a home to go back to.
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2024/03/03/the-wondrous-and-the-terrifying/