Happy 2024 to our community! May your year be filled with success and love.
Literary Revelations is ready to release Greenlandos by Virginia Witch. We will announce the exact date in a few days. Until then please read the Amazon description I wrote. It will give you more insight into the book. Thank you!
Amazon Description
Virginia Witch’s Greenlandos is a captivating book filled with humor, adventure, and ecological lessons. This extraordinary tale has an enchanting plot. In it all the characters are vegetables, adding a unique twist to the story. While it is a book for everyone to enjoy, it particularly resonates with middle graders.
Greenlandos is not just another entertaining read; it also carries important lessons about defending our environment and taking care of our planet. Through its delightful narrative, young readers will discover the significance of environmental responsibility in a way that is both engaging and educational.
What sets this book apart are its excellent characters. Each vegetable character possesses distinct personalities that will capture the imaginations of readers young and old alike. The story unfolds with humor woven throughout, creating moments of laughter that make the reading experience unforgettable.
Parents, teachers, and educators will find Virginia Witch’s Greenlandos an excellent addition to their collection of children’s books. It serves as a valuable tool to spark conversations about the safety of our environment while providing an enjoyable reading experience for young minds.
So whether you’re a child seeking an exciting adventure or an adult looking for a heartwarming story with meaningful themes, this book is for you too! Get ready to embark on a journey like no other as you dive into the pages of Greenlandos.
We are still receiving submissions for Petals of Haiku: An Anthology. You can find the guidelines for submission here: Submissions will close on January 15.
Bio Sarah Das Gupta is a teacher from Cambridge, UK who has also lived and taught in India and Tanzania. Her work has ben published in over 100 journals/ magazines in numerous countries, including: US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, Romania and Croatia.
Waltzing with Chopinin Snow
Snow falls softly. Outside the road is blocked, a white wilderness of silence spreads through the city’s heart. The front door guarded by icicles, frozen fringe of winter daggers.
Inside a fire flickers sleepily. Red embers suddenly awake and die.
Chopin waltzes fill the room, seeping through snowy walls from far off, white fields of memory. We are dancing in that lost world of gilded ballrooms, silk and chiffon trailing, over the gleaming floor. Chandeliers iridescent in the candlelight reflecting the dancers in the mirrored walls.
Troikas waiting, horses stamping, steaming. Ready for the clear sound of harness bells.
We drift on, cocooned in the warmth of the sitting room. Avoiding the astonished looks of the shabby chairs. Piano notes circle with us. Outside is only snow.
Up in the Clouds
Christmas Eve, a scatter of snow. Cold, very cold as only the mountains can be.
Darjeeling, midnight, bells ringing, ghosts of the Raj dream in cold tombs of lost Indian summers.
Kanchenjunga, the sacred mountain Her five peaks the five treasures of snow.
Salt, gold, jewels, sacred scroll, impenetrable armour, guarded by demons of old.
Thank you for reading and please stay with us. We will soon announce the publication date of Virginia Witch’s fabulous book Greenlandos.
As the year comes to a close, the team at Literary Revelations wants to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude and extend our warmest wishes to you. Thank you for being a part of the Literary Revelations Journal community and for your unwavering support throughout the year.
With Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays just around the corner, we want to let you know how much we appreciate your presence in our journey. Your readership has been invaluable, and it is because of readers like you that we are able to continue sharing extraordinary literary works.
In November 2022 we established Literary Revelations to honor the memory of Gabriela Marie Milton’s mother who deeply loved literature and arts. In one year we have a top journal with top of the world contributors, we published three #1 Amazon bestselling books, and we got listed in Doutrope.
In reflecting upon this past year, we can confidently say that together, we have achieved excellence. The Literary Revelations Journal has grown in leaps and bounds thanks to your unwavering dedication as a reader. We are proud of what we have accomplished together and excited about what lies ahead.
As this festive season approaches, filled with joyous celebrations and moments of love, please accept our sincerest thanks once again. We hope that you find peace in these holidays and that they bring you warmth, happiness, and inspiration for the upcoming year.
From all of us at Literary Revelations Journal,
Thank You!
Letter from Virginia Mateias, aka Virginia Witch the author of Literary Revelation’s on the upcoming book Greenlados
Mid-December Literary Revelations was ready to publish Greenlandos, a fabulous book for children and adults written by Virginia Mateias aka Virginia Witch. However, we have received a letter from the author that we would like to share with you. In the light of this letter Literary Revelations will publish Greenlandos in January 2024. Please stay tuned for more news.
Dear Gabriela,
Perhaps the following lines will seem strange to you. Or maybe not. I am taking the chance to express what I feel and think at the moment. I would like to postpone the publication of my novel, ‘Greenlandos,’ to the beginning of 2024. January is the month my father was born. It is also the month he departed from the world of the living. This book is dedicated to my parents and those whom we often overlook: those who cultivate the land and ensure our daily sustenance. My father loved gardening. After his job at the hospital, he would work in the garden. It was his way, he said, of feeling closer to the sky and the earth. And the way he found rest.
I know you will make the best decision. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to publish ‘Greenlandos.’ I hope this book becomes a wonderful companion for its readers!”
Christmas in art
Virginia Mateias is not only an author but a cultural correspondent too. She has prepared for our readers the following material. I hope you enjoy it.
Christmas, as a celebration central to hope and joy, has been consistently depicted throughout time. I have selected four remarkable paintings from different centuries. We will explore the various ways these works contribute to illustrating Christmas as the birth of hope, symbolically represented by the Holy Child.
“The Birth of Jesus” by Giotto (1305-1306):
In this uplifting fresco, Giotto captures the moment of Jesus’ birth with a simplicity and depth at the same time. The Holy Infant, illuminated at the center of the scene, becomes a symbol of purity and hope for a world laden with expectations. The adoring characters contribute to an atmosphere of reverence, illustrating the essence of Christmas as a source of hope amid darkness.
“The Adoration of the Magi” by Peter Paul Rubens (1609-1610):
Rubens brings a solemn perspective to Christmas in “The Adoration of the Magi.” Through the grandeur of the composition and expressive details of the characters, the painting highlights the adoration brought to the Holy Infant. Hope is represented through gestures of reverence, illustrating the journey of the wise men toward the divine light of Christmas.
“Healing of the Ten Lepers” by James Tissot (1886-1894):
While not directly depicting a Christmas scene, Tissot’s painting explores the theme of healing and generosity. In the context of Christmas, it emphasizes the power of hope to heal and transform lives. Hope is reflected in the miracle of healing and in a moment of compassion and generosity.
The highlighted artworks, employing various techniques, capture the perspectives these renowned painters held on the essence of Christmas. Spanning from biblical scenes to contemporary depictions of familial bliss, these paintings transcend temporal and spatial boundaries, inviting us on a captivating journey through the festive celebration of Christmas.
Literary Revelations is proud to bring you the poetry of Mykyta Ryzhykh.
BIO
Mykyta is a 22 year old poet from Ukraine, nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He has published extensively. I will name just a few journals in which his work appeared:
Dzvin, Dnipro, Bukovinian magazine, Polutona, Tipton Poetry Journal, Stone Poetry Journal, Allegro Poetry Magazine, Alternate Route, Better Than Starbucks, Littoral Press, Book of Matches, Acorn Haiku Journal, The Wise Owl, The Tiger Moth Review, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Neologism Poetry Journal, Shot Glass Journal, QLRS, The Crank, Chronogram, The Antonym, Monterey Poetry Review, Bending Genres Journal, Cajun Mutt Press, Audience Askew Literary Journal, Spirit Fire Review, The Gravity of the Thing, Star 82 Review, A Thin Slice of Anxiety, The Decadent Review, Corvus Review, American Diversity Report, Unlikely Stories, Triggerfish Critical Review, The Moth, Rock & Sling, ZiN Daily, Stone of Madness, The Cortland Standard, Quarter Press, Schredder, Wilderness House Literary Review, Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Third Wednesday, Cosmic Double, and Poets Choice.
POEM
Copper night knocks On the back of the head, asks: “What street is this?” And this is not a street, This is the whole life. Here at the age Of 4 I drank sleeping pills, At 14 I lost my virginity, At 24 I lost my family, At 34 my father died (thank God, my father died). Now I’m free like the cry of a newborn. I’m single, like when I was born. A lonely body without everything Meaningful, invented, composed. The body, by its movement forward, Has reached the very beginning. Ashes close to dust. And suddenly the night opens its Lunar hood, and now death looks At me with its bony eyes. “Come on, friend,” I said to death, “I hope you don’t turn me into a zombie.” The door of cast iron milk opened. And I started drinking. My teeth turned black and fell out. Birds pecked out my eyes. My body fell off me. Copper night, Pig-iron milk, golden memory. And suddenly: emptiness.
Reprint by Crank, May 2023
Thank you for reading and please stay with us. Tomorrow we will announce the publication date of Virginia Witch’s fabulous book Greenlandos.
John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, Santa Fe Literary Review, and Lost Pilots. Latest books, ”Between Two Fires”, “Covert” and “Memory Outside The Head” are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in the Seventh Quarry, La Presa and California Quarterly.
FULL DREAM AHEAD
As a teenager, I was a rock guitarist in utero. Sometimes Eddie Van Halen. Sometimes Eric Clapton. I plucked the strings of a tennis racket. The amps were in my head.
I was never a pasty-faced clerk bent over a desk. Or a guy in overalls wielding a spanner. Or some schmuck, on an icy morning, plunked down on a stool, milking a cow by hand.
I saw many a video clip of someone who’d made it, tossing off riffs and solos like a chef making salad. Surely they were once kids imitating their axe-wielding heroes. But how did they make the leap from acolyte to god?
At seven, I was a would-be sergeant in the cavalry. At eight, I donned cheap space gear for a trip to the galaxy’s edge. At nine, I was a fireman. At ten, a cop. When I was a kid, I was never what I am now.
THE OLD GARDENER
He pottered in his garden wearing nothing but a scruffy white undershirt, and hand-me-down shorts.
Sadly, the vegetables grew as stunted as he was. The soil was poor. So were his bones.
He ate what he could of his crop. But most he threw away or replanted
to no better result than before. His house was as shabby as he was. When he cut the lawn, it was with the last
remaining push-mower on the street. His heart was bad and his knees no better.
For years, we expected to see the ambulance pull up outside his gate. It never came
though it did for some much younger. He had a modest purpose in life but it was enough
to keep him going. He was an inept gardener. The longer he lived the more that was an honor.
Lizzie Eldridge is a Glasgow writer with 2 published novels. One of these, Vandalism, was shortlisted for a National Book Prize in Malta where she lived for 12 years. Her flash fiction, short stories, CNF and poetry appear in anthologies and journals, such as Epoch, Northern Gravy and Ellipsis Zine. Her forthcoming chapbook, It doesn’t matter when, is due to be published in January by Naked Cat. She can be found on Twitter (f*** X) @lizzie_eldridge
This is the way the world ends
It was a wreck, with nothing worth salvaging. The flotsam, the jetsam, the scum of debris bobbing on the water like the abandoned clutter of a neglected hovel that you’d never call a home.
No-one cared. No-one picked up the useless pieces. No-one tried to piece together the fragments so any sense could be discerned.
Twisted metal, smouldering ashes, blackened sky and dirt-filled ground. No plants. No blossoms. No trees to offer shade or give shelter from the pain that burnt into the eyes.
No eyes to see. No hand to reach out and offer some last gasping sense of comfort. No rescuing arms to give even the illusion of safety in this dismembered landscape of carnage and despair.
No despair without humans to heave and groan and feel this. No hope without a voice to whisper consolation. No forgiveness in a broken land of retribution. No respite in this aching void of darkness. No song to sing of all that we have lost.
A lone bird staggers through the shrapnel, too weary to peck at wanton bits of flesh. Its wings now heavier than its feeble body. Its final flutter and its failure and its fear. The weight of its futile efforts and the inevitable collapse.
The wailing of machines without a driver. The piercing blinding flashes that cut through the night. Rain falling, and perpetually, with no reason. Nothing to nourish. No soil and thus no thirst.
This weeping and this screaming and this begging. The prayers of those long dead linger silent as the darkness. Those long-lost pleas for mercy and forgiveness hang limp and useless in a blood-stained shroud.
Why, oh why, oh why hast thou forsaken me? Why can you not hear us in our desperate hour of need? Did we not kneel and bow our heads before thee? Did we not ask you for compassion when we called out to you most?
One flicker of a candle would have been enough. One last glimpse of sunlight before this endless storm. One quicksilver flash of a genuine smile from a wise old man who may have seen all this before and reassure us that if we stay calm, then sun will surely follow after dawn.
Gaping mouths stretched taut across the skulls of children. The bones of fingers scratching through the jagged wood. The deathly howls of the deceased whose shadows haunt the devastated streets.
The refusals, the denials, and the bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bombing. The never-ending shelling of a deadly empty shell. The vengeance of the vengeful tearing corpses limb from limb. The withered hand, reaching slowly upwards. No breath left to defend. No air left to breathe.
Wherever life has not died out
Man cannot live on bread alone, but that was all they had. Feeding so many more than five thousand and with only a handful of bakeries left, queues lengthened day by day, parched mouths desperate for nourishment. The people starved as the smell of freshly baked bread rose into the autumn sky.
A blinding light, a fire to end all fires, shatters this same sky violently, such terrifying noise. This same sky is set alight as buildings are flattened, homes sliced in two, and limb from tiny limb is ripped apart and torn asunder.
The tantalising aroma of gently rising dough is choked with the stench of sulphur and scorched flesh. A heavy, gut-wrenching, sickening smell staggers its unyielding way through the screaming darkness. The pungent nausea of the dying hangs stagnant in decaying streets where, moments earlier, the living gave grateful thanks for the bread they were about to receive. A motionless baby lies etched into the blackened ground. A mother claws at the ash-filled air in feeble hope of an answer to her prayers.
Burnt-out husks of homes remain where children once watched TV while parents spoke about a future that perhaps, one day, they’d see. The skeletons of cities – where roads once mapped out familiar pathways to school, to work, to the waiting arms of relatives – now smashed, decapitated, a shapeless mass beyond all recognition.
A silence descends after the shrill piercing drone of danger bursts into thunder, gaping inside a hell so bleak that those who find a final anguished ounce of strength to push their hands through rubble, heave stones away, wish, with all the force that pounds against their wounded heads, for resurrection. Digging frantically with broken hands, they pray for mercy. What is this life, survivors groan as, heaving their mutilated bodies upwards, they find those hands they thought reached out to offer help belong to corpses.
No respite. No shelter. No quiet comforting haven where families can embrace each other with reassuring warmth.
No compassion. No release. No gently whispered bedtime stories.
No hushing. No soothing. No forgiveness.
No end to this interminable night. No comfort for those condemned to writhe in agony until that last snatch of breath becomes too much to bear. No daybreak and no dawn.
No moment when the weeping and the wailing and the grieving can pick up shattered thoughts, let splinters drop from their limp fingers, fall into the smouldering cinders of wicker baskets which once held soft bread, reeking now of coffins torched by hatred marching, relentless, demanding an eye for a clawed-out eye.
October and November are the cruellest months, meting out fear after fear with bloodthirsty lust.
What is that sound? Please. Is someone there alive?
We’ve come, my friends, with shrapnel bones. We’ve come to join the dead.
Hello everyone and thank you for stopping by. We will unveil the publication date for Greelandos by Virginia Witch in several days.
Till then we have a new advanced praise for the book. I hope you enjoy it.
“Greenlandos” offers a satirical and humorous perspective on human society, approaching life with humor, sometimes even dark, in a unique way. The author brings social satire to the forefront through characters like Dr. Praz, who advocates for the absurd and comedic sacrifice of fellow citizens : Science demands sacrifices, Garlic! Progress has always been reached through chlorophyll spilling!(page 60)
The book’s originality lies in representing people as vegetables, each with human habits and characters, introducing an element of absurdity and surprise to the story.
Virginia Witch, the author of the book, presents a variety of typologies, from the superhero Belladonna to characters like Pumpkin Chef and Mr. Cucumber, the neighborhood drunks. This diversity of characters contributes to the complexity and richness of the story. The unpredictable evolution of these characters maintains the reader’s interest from the beginning to the end.
The strength of the book lies in its advocacy for friendship and responsible behavior towards our planet. The author successfully blends fantasy with real data, creating a world where vegetables become vivid portraits of humanity. This original approach breathes fresh air into the satirical genre. Geared primarily toward middle school children, Greenlandos is a book with a dual audience. The ecological and moral education woven into the story is designed for children aged 10 and above, while the satirical aspect and additional information at the story’s conclusion are intended for adults.
At the end of the book, the cards presenting elements of culture and myths related to vegetables and plants add an additional layer of interesting information. Highlighting the extraordinary benefits of these vegetables for our health provides readers with a useful and educational perspective. Consequently, “Greenlandos” transcends the realm of merely being a humorous and satirical tale, evolving into a captivating exploration of the interplay between fantasy and reality.
Théophile Husar, professor of English literature & author.
While photography inherently gives the impression of being “real” or “existing in reality,” the essence of monochrome photography lies in creating scenes that do not actually exist. Through this abstraction, the universal characteristics and emotions of the subject are emphasized, bringing out a deeper sense of reality. If color photography can evoke individual emotions and meanings as realism, monochrome photography can be said to enable a universal empathy not influenced by color.
In summary, monochrome photography opens up new visual and emotional dimensions by stripping away color from reality and achieving a unique balance between reality and unreality. It is one of the methods that appeals to human perception and emotions, a means to explore the world “beyond of the surface” of the photograph.
Naoki Kimura
Featured picture Hikari.
Literary Revelations is thrilled to bring you an interview with a fabulous Japanese photographer whose artistic endeavors have received high recognition: Naoki Kimura. In this interview you will discover a true artist. Please stay with us until the end. You will not regret. Thank you.
Naoki Kimura is the author of the book Nagi (Shinnihon Publishing) and the recipient of numerous international awards.
Please read more about his work and his bio HERE.
Now let’s go to the interview.
Gabriela Marie Milton: Naoki-san, I am honored and humbled you accepted my request for an interview. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. From our correspondence you know very well how much I admire your art, and how much your black and white photography means to me. Yet, to start, let’s talk first about your decision to become an artist, a photographer. I want you to return to a time when you were 15 years old, and you were walking the streets of Nishijin, Kyoto, Japan a place which by some kind of miraculous coincidence I visited. Please, tell our readers how you, the 15-year-old boy felt, and what made you decide to become a photographer.
Naoki Kimura – The catalyst for my journey into photography began shortly after I entered my first year of high school (in Japan, the school year starts in April, not September). It was a time when cherry blossoms had fallen, making way for fresh greenery. I was strolling through the city when I happened to notice a sign for a group photo exhibition.
My memory of the event is somewhat vague, but I believe it was a small gallery located on the second floor of a building. It was indeed a group photography exhibition, and what stood out most in my memory was that nearly all the works were monochrome. As it was my first experience attending a gallery exhibition, I remember nervously stepping into the entrance. The space was minimalistic, with three white walls forming a simple rectangular studio-like area. There were around 30 photographs displayed in a single row, ranging in size might be from 8×10 to about 11×14 inches. Unfortunately, I can’t recall all the works now, but one image caught my attention. It was a scene of an old-style red (should be) Japanese mailbox, set against a strong yet graceful evening sunbeam casting its shadow. It was a breathtaking moment, and that image captured my heart. I don’t remember the artist’s name or the title of the piece. Furthermore, I’m not entirely sure why it left such an impression on me, but I believe it was the power of expression through “photography” itself that resonated with me.
There was an atmosphere that seemed to convey something profound, even though it was just an ordinary mailbox. While I was writing my name in the guestbook, I absentmindedly glanced around the exhibition space and realized something remarkable. There were about ten or so attendees, and I hadn’t heard a single conversation among them. It was silent, and then it dawned on me—they were all communicating in sign language. It was at that moment that I realized the exhibition was showcasing the works of “deaf, hearing-impaired” individuals.
Could it be that these individuals, who lacked one of the five senses, had woven a unique kind of “power” into their creations? My young and inexperienced sensibilities began to sense the strength of human emotions and the potential of photography as a means of expression. I became deeply intrigued by the art of photography. Photography is a way to convey the world as seen through one’s own eyes to others. As a photographer, I wanted to capture my perspective and emotions through photography, and through that, share the beauty and emotions of those moments with others. It was these feelings and innate “awareness” that led me into the world of “photography.”
Gabriela Marie Milton – Let’s go to the substance of your work. Please talk to me about the time you spent in Europe, particularly your study of the Renaissance period. Looking back now how did that period influence your work? How does the art of that time reflect in your work?
Naoki Kimura – In a somewhat paradoxical manner, my involvement in Renaissance-era background and symbolism during my student days could be seen as a journey to discover the essence of my own “photographic works.” It wasn’t a matter of having a specific trigger or connection to Western culture or European art since I was born and raised in Japan. Instead, it was more like a childhood sense of aesthetics that drew me towards Renaissance paintings.
To put it somewhat boldly, it felt like memories from a past life. My father was stationed in Europe and the United States since when I was born, so even while in Japan, I had easy access to Western culture. There were art catalogs from renowned museums around the world at home, and I distinctly remember leisurely flipping through them. Undoubtedly, such experiences had some influence on me. As I delved deeper into art history, I encountered the field of “Iconology,” and it led me to perceive a paradox between my artistic style at the time and my background. Iconology seeks to decode the impressions and meanings inherent in artworks and images, and it is a crucial factor not only in art but also in the realm of “photography.” Photographers believe that they can convey meaning and emotions through composition and the arrangement of elements. Moreover, Renaissance paintings and sculptures often depict religious themes and narratives and studying them could provide insights into the messages and stories within those works.
Similarly, during that period, I sought clues from the Renaissance approach when trying to express specific themes or stories through photography. However, as I mentioned at the outset, a kind of “paradox” confronted me. It was a struggle to reconcile the idea that while I experimented with compositions, symbols, and the meanings they conveyed intellectually, my work didn’t feel authentic unless it was driven primarily by “sensitivity.” Pressing the shutter—this act indeed, when grounded in a contextual flow, could trigger a concept, but I realized it didn’t resonate with my personal style. Not all of a sudden, but in truth, I came to recognize that something akin to a revelation, something close to divine inspiration, was guiding the shutter to produce what I consider to be a kind of masterpiece of mine. So, for instance, I dabbled in academic research, but it didn’t lead me to a style rooted in that research. Instead, I ended up expressing myself in a style that sometimes seemed contrary to it—a somewhat comical tale, I must admit. It’s simply that a profoundly abstract atmosphere touched a natural chord within me. This, I believe, was one of the characteristics of my “Renaissance period.” I returned to the fundamental notion that beauty doesn’t always require explanation.
Gabriela Marie Milton – Let’s go now from what I call “Naoki Kimura’s Renaissance Period” to “Naoki Kimura’s Japanese period,” a period very present in your work today; a period in which the Japanese motifs are flourishing. Why did you “return home,” so to speak? And how do the beauty and the power of your native culture reflect in your work today?
Naoki Kimura – In a way, my several decades of venturing to the United States with an intention to explore, and on the other hands seeking my aspirations in Europe, particularly Italy, now feels like a period that was akin to “training or ascetic practices” for me. Looking back, I realize that I always subconsciously viewed myself as a perpetual work in progress, especially when it came to being an artist working in Europe and the United States. Additionally, during that time, I deliberately chose not to foreground my “Japanese” identity in my approach.
Around the time that approximately three decades had passed, I had a certain feeling—I can’t explain it clearly, but it was as if the “timing had ripened.” It felt somewhat like a natural progression, as if stalactites slowly and patiently bridged the gap between heaven and earth, following a single current. It was a decision that finally led me to embrace my nationality and identity as “Japanese,” the roots and core of my personality, and the source of my cultural foundation and strength.
However, this shift in embracing my nationalism as Japanese didn’t bring about changes in the influence on my work or the evolution of my concepts. While there are clear differences in the photographic subjects, the underlying concept remains consistent. It’s my dedication or, to put it differently, a desire to express the fluctuations of sensitivity, almost like an “intangible affection or dilemma” You could even call it “Mono no Aware,” It is an instinctive search for beauty that cannot be explained in the context of contemporary art, which can be considered abstract. At present, it cannot be called “conceptual art”.
Perhaps it could be explained within the context, deriving from the concept of “Marginal Art” itself, but I see it as a more primitive pursuit, guided by innate desires. As for the motif, the representation of “Nagi, -Lull-” which flows continuously within me from the Renaissance period to my time in Japan, captures the essence of this pursuit.
Throughout my growth from childhood, I carried within me a unique Japanese sensibility, such as “Mono no Aware,” “Wabi,” and “Sabi,” which I should have inherently experienced. I initially attempted to capture the legacy of the Renaissance period through this sensibility. Later, I applied this sensibility to digest foreign cultures. This journey led me to a turning point where I felt compelled to, once again, entrust a part of myself to the light and winds of my homeland.
Gabriela Marie Milton – Let’s dig deeper into your work. Why black and white? I remember I wrote to you once that by choosing black and white, you create a new reality. The Renaissance in black and white is different from how the real Renaissance looked. Most people who visit Greece today believe that white (yellowish, grayish) and blue are the colors that dominated Ancient Greece. That is not true. The temples and statues were colored. Time transformed Greece. By choosing only black and white you transform reality. Why only black and white Naoki-san?
Naoki Kimura – The reason I specialize in monochrome photography is not to reject natural colors but because the contrast between the realism inherent in color representation and the unreality woven by monochrome expression resonates as an approach to human “imagination” and “sensitivity.” Monochrome photography tends to focus on the essence of the subject and express it in an abstract form.
While photography inherently gives the impression of being “real” or “existing in reality,” the essence of monochrome photography lies in creating scenes that do not actually exist. Through this abstraction, the universal characteristics and emotions of the subject are emphasized, bringing out a deeper sense of reality. If color photography can evoke individual emotions and meanings as realism, monochrome photography can be said to enable a universal empathy not influenced by color.
In summary, monochrome photography opens up new visual and emotional dimensions by stripping away color from reality and achieving a unique balance between reality and unreality. It is one of the methods that appeals to human perception and emotions, a means to explore the world “beyond of the surface” of the photograph.
Monochrome photography also has the characteristic of conveying a sense of the passage of time beyond capturing a “moment.” Of course, the same can be said for color photography, but the limited information in monochrome photos allows for even more freedom, making it a factor that can appeal to people’s concepts. In simpler terms, it might be a process of presenting a connection to the viewer’s “unique individual thoughts” and “nostalgia”.
While easy to understand, it is also easy to induce a directionality of thought, and I believe that “Black and White photographs”, which are less informative due to the lack of color, are more easily associated with concepts within the individual.
This may lead to the cultivation of deep emotions and a sense of symbolism, even though the imagery is unrealistic. By eliminating color information, we can emphasize the symbolic aspects of the subject, and in a state liberated from the influence of color, shapes, structures, and contrasts become sharper. When this happens, the symbolic meaning of the photograph emerges, approaching what I seek, which is akin to the concept of “Yuragi”(fluctuation) or “Nagi.”(Lull-calm)
I believe that there is a faint affinity between the infinite tonal range and the flow of time in “black and white.”
Gabriela Marie Milton – Please choose two of your favorite photographs and talk to me about them.
Naoki Kimura
At the top of the still chilly hill, Cherry trees in full bloom stand as if in love with their ancient glory. A single breeze that passes through is stopped. Bloom has been lulled.
It is said that there was a time of darkness when people feared evil spirits of rivers and mountains and turned to God.
”The dawn of the Renaissance, when humanity was restored.”
The fantastic accompaniment of the choir would have praised the freedom of the people. The dull glow of metal lies dormant behind a strict guard.
I wonder if the organ is still there with the same feeling.
The low, heavy sound of a car passing by outside. Only one pipe seemed to resonate.
I watched the faintly colored light of the sun shining through the window. I waited for the echo once more.
A slight tremble brought in the calm.
I wondered what it would praise for …now.
Gabriela Marie Milton Naoki-san, thank you again for this interview. Literary Revelations is thrilled to feature you and your magnificent art again. Anything else you would like to tell our readers? Anything else we should know about your work?
Naoki Kimura – I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for taking the time to interview me. It has been an enriching experience to delve into your valuable insights and opinions, Gabriela-san. This interview has provided me with a fresh perspective, stimulating my thinking and creative endeavors. It has also given me the opportunity to reflect objectively on myself.
I am truly thankful for the consideration and support of “Literary Revelations” and of you Gabriela-san.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to the readers. I hope that my work reaches your hearts and inspires them. While my creations are shared through the medium of photography, your reception and interpretation add new depths to them. I hope that we can continue to explore new worlds together through my artwork.
With heartfelt appreciation,
And now, I would like to share a little about my work with all of you.
My work is an exploration of the ancient Japanese sentiment known as “Mono no aware” or the appreciation of the transience of things. This concept underlies all of my creations. Through the concept I refer to as “Yuragi ≒ Nagi (Fluctuation ≒ Lull)”, I aim to evoke empathy and resonance. Beyond visual perception, my work also seeks to connect with the emotional aspects through the material elements of original prints.
Thank you once again for this opportunity.
Gabriela Marie Milton – The pleasure is all mine, Naoki-san.
Literary Revelations is thrilled to present you with the poetry of Ben Nardolilli. We hope you enjoy it and wish you wonderful weekend.
Bio
Ben Nardolilli is currently an MFA candidate at Long Island University. His work has appeared in Perigee Magazine, Door Is a Jar, Red Fez, Danse Macabre, The 22 Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, Elimae, The Northampton Review, Slab, and The Minetta Review. Please follow his publishing journey at mirrorsponge.blogspot.com.
A Universal Production
A body in rest becomes ugly, hideous in ways No compliments can cure, At the shore of a desk, it twists and bends With shoulders taking on the angles of an ox, And legs swelling as an alleged cushion Cuts into the circulation, Meanwhile the pits miraculously begin To cry even though the air is managed, The eyes fade, of course, as the lenses dull The back curves of words, And the brow turns to a furrow harvesting faults, What happens to the heart Is unseen, a rumor for doctors to suspect, Until an autopsy reveals a candelabra of clogs
Renewable Every Hour, Pending Availability
Sneezing my way forward along the shoreline, and looking up at the lights of the towers ahead, a quick azimuth tells me I am lost
Low tide, one less moist horror, until I trip over on the mud wishing there could be some snow if there is going to be all this cold
A kiss with the depths avoided, something to be happy about, even if the dirt cannot be dusted off the knee hurts, but it can bend
Announcements
Thank you for your submission to our upcoming anthology Petals of Haiku. We are thrilled with the number of submissions. The deadline is January 15 so we are still receiving submissions. With a cover designed by the brilliant duo of award-winning Japanese artists, Hikari, and her mentor Naoki Kimura, please do not miss the chance to have your words grace the pages of our anthology.
Thank you for your poetry and short prose submissions to Literary Revelations. The volume of submissions that we have to read is very high so please be patient with us.
Please do not forget that we are looking forward to late December when we plan to release Greenlandos by Virginia Mateias. You can read more here.
Hello everyone and welcome to Cyber Monday at Literary Revelations. This season please do not forget to shop for book. We have three #1 Amazon Bestsellers. All poets who contributed to those volumes are fantastic.
Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology (Literary Revelations, January 2023)
A #1 Amazon bestseller [New Hot Releases in Poetry Anthologies]
Description:
From authors featured on NPR, BBC, and the New York Times, and from emerging poets, comes a monumental anthology in which every poem sends shivers down your spine. Childhood’s joy and trauma expressed – with stunning talent and sincerity – by over 150 poets in more than 280 poems. Childhood spaces magnified by the human memory, populated by good and bad, by trips to hell and heaven, in an almost Hieronymus Bosch type of atmosphere. Over 150 voices call you to read this book. Read it. You will learn that childhood never goes away. You will be reminded of the beauty of the seraphim and the need to protect children from any form of abuse. 150 voices knock on your door. Open the door. A chorus of childhoods will tell you that our children need love.
Literary Revelations is proud to bring you this anthology and deeply grateful to all contributors for pouring out their hearts into the pages of this book.
Love, Stars, and Paradigms by Swarn Gill (Literary Revelations, April 1, 2023)
#1 Amazon bestseller in the US, the UK and Canada [Category: Love Poems]
Description:
Swarn Gill’s poetry collection, Love, Stars, and Paradigms is a must-read for anyone looking for original and stunning poems about love, social, and political issues. Through his work, Gill explores the connection between the natural realm and the human condition with an eye for detail that is both captivating and thought-provoking. Through powerful imagery and vivid language, he paints his own unique perspective on the world around us. Whether it’s about heartache or joy, Gill’s words will touch your soul. Love, Stars, and Paradigms is an unforgettable journey through the beauty of love and the complexities of relationships.
Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh (August, 2023)
A #1 Amazon bestseller on Hot New Releases – Haiku and Japanese Poetry; on August 13, 2023, features as the #1 bestselling haiku book in the UK.
Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems by C.X. Turner and James Welsh is a spectacular collection. From every page the beauty of haiku and senryu poetry jumps, inscribing itself in the soul of the reader with color, sonority, melancholy, grief, and love. Water, clouds, memories, do not only mark chapters. They become the real soul of the book. The transitory nature of haiku and senryu – with their delicate and ethereal qualities – is magically transformed by the authors into permanence. That is no easy thing to do. C.X. Turner and James Welsh create a world of splendor and depth that will forever mark those who read the book.
The book showcases seven wonderful sketches done by C.X. Turner. You will find beauty and great substance in them.
Building Sandcastles has received plenty of advanced praise:
Bryan Rickert, Editor: Failed Haiku Journal of Senryu, President: The Haiku Society of America writes: “With both broad brushstrokes and intimate details, these two poets paint the beautiful experience of their haiku worlds.”
Joe Woodhouse, Editor: Wales Haiku Journal states that: “In one breath tender and poignant, in the next stark and arresting, this collection of short poems is a journey of discovery through an evocative series of moments in nature. It is an exploration of that yearning to glean meaning from the chaotic lives we all lead.”
Roberta Beach Jacobson Editor, Cold Moon Journal and Five Fleas (Itchy Poetry) tells us: “Building Sandcastles: A Book of Short Poems, the stunning new collection by C.X. Turner and James Welsh, is a must-have for your shelves. These thought-provoking haiku and senryu left me breathless.”
