Journey of Shunya Means Zero

I just received my author copies of Shunya Means Zero, a book that's had a very long gestation...23 years!!! Sometimes, when you flip an idea on its head, it falls into place.

I've always been fascinated with numbers and patterns and so it was natural to write about the history of our numerical system. Magazine writing has trained me to have a tight focus so I decided to stick to the history of zero, which was invented in India, and followed it with an introduction to the history and culture of India using the tried and true method of counting. Zero violence. One Taj Mahal. Two Language Families. Etc.

 
I started submitting to publishers in 2003 and after about a dozen submissions over three years with only a few personal rejection letters encouraging me, I shelved it. I was busy writing other books and teaching. In 2017, I revisited Shunya (see Vijaya Bodach: Journey of Little Thief! Chota Chor! ) and flipped it--first the counting, then the history of zero and it was accepted right away by Reycraft. My editor, Sunita Apte, helped me make the text even tighter and I was so delighted that Nayantara Surendranath was again paired with me to do the illustrations. But it was a long wait...but God's timing is always perfect. And worth the wait. 

I wrote this for my children, but it is their children who will be the beneficiaries of this book. I was able to dedicate it to my grandbabies. Just five days after Dagny's baby boy was born, my editor sent me the final art (I'd seen some sketches before but seeing the art in full color took my breath away) and we went through another round of tweaking the text. I had the baby's initials for the dedication. Yay! I wrote to Max and Laura, asking whether they had decided on a name for their baby girl. I promised I'd keep it secret and only my editor would know, lol. But they hadn't decided. So I went with babyB. 

I got an email with the final proofs the day Max and Laura's sweet baby girl was born. We still didn't know the name until the evening, but once they decided, I shot back an email to my editor for the final dedication. Whew!!! 

More importantly, although I'm proud to be American, I have not forgotten my roots, the place that began shaping me into the person I am today. I have wanted so much to share it with my children, but by the time they were old enough that they'd remember a trip to India, my health was declining, and travelling was (still is) too hard on me. Max and I had the opportunity to go to Kolkata and work with the Sisters of Charity in 2020, but the lockdowns meant no travelers were being issued visas. It was a huge disappointment. I pray that we'll all be able to take a family trip to India with the children and grandchildren...but in the meantime, they'll have this book. It is so much more meaningful now than when I first penned it. I can't wait to share it with not just my grandbabies, but with school children everywhere. Here's Grandpa practicing for reading to the grandbabies :)     

Let Freedom Ring!!!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” ~Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776).

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend celebrating America's 250th birthday! We had a relatively quiet celebration, walking over to Smythe Park for music and food. What a surprise to have an Indian food truck! And Dagny made the beautiful fruit platter. But I really, really missed having fireworks on Daniel Island. If not now, then when?

My thoughts are very much on the freedoms we enjoy. True freedom isn't doing anything we want, but the freedom to do the right thing. As our pastor reminds us, we are free to sin, but not free from the consequences of sin. May God help us choose rightly!

July 4th would've been my father's 98th birthday. And I keep praying that he chose to be with Jesus in heaven. I am so grateful to him for bringing us to this country. I fished out an old picture, a Polaroid, that was taken when I was naturalized as a US citizen in the courthouse in Spokane, WA. I was 19 years old and had been waiting for this day since arriving in the US five years prior as a "resident alien." The term evoked laughter with thoughts of Martians (my family is from Maharashtra and years later my kids would simplify it to Martian). I knew even then that the US was the BEST country in the world to live in. And it's been confirmed over and over since living and visiting other countries. I came across a tweet by Jordan Peterson where he sums up the root of America's greatness: Dr Jordan B Peterson on X: "To the Americans: I've travelled all over the world. I've familiarized myself with many places, and met many people. And I'm a Canadian, although I’m privileged to reside once again in the States. And here's something I've noticed, and it’s a key element of America's continuing" / X 

I am so happy that my barbershop chorus will bring our Red, White, and Ringing show to various communities this summer to celebrate America's 250th birthday. God bless America!!!

Books about the Writing Life

At the beginning of this year, I discovered Philosophy of Writing by David Arndt. It's one of the best books I've ever read about WHY we write. The point of writing is to test and examine our thoughts, to clarify, deepen, and refine them. It leads to truth and wisdom. Arndt also has many practical tips at the end for good writing. I highly recommend it and thank Bloomsbury for an Open Access copy that you can also download: Philosophy of Writing: : David Arndt: Bloomsbury Academic - Bloomsbury  Doesn't that cover make you want to slip inside the book?

This first half of the year has been busy with babies and music and travelling, so I am relishing the quieter pace this summer to read and write. I feel like I am returning to myself. Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life by Charlotte Donlon came on my radar at just the perfect time. Although I rushed through it to write a review, I will be getting my own paper copy to mark up, to accompany me. Those who've not had spiritual direction might wonder what it is--it is to invite the Holy Spirit into a holy conversation, to affirm, to clarify, to raise questions, to listen. It is creating a sacred space for attentive presence. Although Donlon writes from the Christian perspective, writers of all faiths should be able to relate to her spiritual direction and apply it to their writing lives. I found it fascinating that when my writing isn't going well, I'm also struggling spiritually.

I loved the premise: that all of life is the writing life. Donlon organizes the material into four parts: Belong, Become, Behold, Bestow. And even before we begin, there is silence. Before silence, breath. Before breath, being! The blank page waiting to be filled. A sacred space full of possibility. Isn't that just beautiful? She writes gently and with great insight. Some examples: Begin where you are, begin with 15 minutes, begin with prayer. Belong to yourself, belong to your desires, belong to a poem. Become friends with time, become more at peace with uncertainty, become a writer who writes in the dark. Behold through contemplation, behold the ordinary, behold your own writing. Bestow through words and objects, bestow through story, bestow through intercessory prayer. And then to Begin Again. I loved the concept of how we return in cycles and spirals, how it reinforces connection to our own selves, others, God, and our creative efforts. This is a great gift for writers. Thanks to Netgalley for a review copy.

Spiritual Direction for Writers made me think of Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved, in which he explicates how much we are loved by God, and when we realize it, how our lives change. We recognize that we are Taken, Blessed, Broken, Given. So much of the writing life is about receiving and abundance of blessings and then transforming them--our experiences and insights--as gifts, for readers.

Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process by Peter Elbow has to be one of the best books on the craft of writing. His chapters on Voice are some of the most insightful. Write with freedom. Revise later. Easier said than done for some of us who struggle with perfectionism and all its related fears. Spiritual direction helps to move from fear into freedom, as I begin to trust the creative process, in God even more.

I really enjoyed Sue Monk Kidd's Writing Creativity and Soul earlier this year. Part memoir, part writing advice, it reminded me so much of her older book--Firstlight--a compilation of her essays in Guidepost magazine, full of wisdom for the creative life. 

A Most Beautiful Father's Day Weekend

This past week has been full of so many blessings, with priestly ordinations in our diocese followed by the beautiful first Mass of our very own Father Philippe and the baptism of our little grand-daughter on Father's Day. My heart is so full. Seeing Father Philippe grow in his vocation--he sang with us for a year while he was discerning--has been such a joy. And to be ordained Father's Day weekend was so very special. A couple of years ago, I discovered this beautiful prayer, and I was so heartened to see it on Father Philippe's holy card he chose commemorating his ordination. We received a blessing and it is such an honor and privilege to kiss his anointed hands. Deo gratias! Let us never forget to pray for our good and faithful priests, who make untold sacrifices for their flock.

Father Philippe chose the Sparrow Mass by Mozart for his first Mass of Thanksgiving in honor of our Lady, Star of the Sea, who always, always guides us to her Son. The Mass was magnificent--the music evokes the cheerful chirping of the sparrows, small and humble, totally dependent on God's Providence. The church was full of parishioners, altar boys, seminarians, deacons, and priests on this Saturday morning, all worshipping together. Msgr. McInerny gave the homily, on Father Philippe's journey to the priesthood, how it began in childhood, his faith nurtured by his parents and those before him. My mind wandered to the hymn: Faith of our Fathers--how necessary fathers are for transmitting the faith. Michael told me that one time during confession a priest told him that no matter how devout the mother is, grace flows to the family through the father, who is the head, so it is paramount that he practices his faith. This was even true in the Holy Family--grace from the Heavenly Father flowed to the Holy Family through St. Joseph. It is truly wondrous. Fathers, you are so important!

Sunday was Father's Day and it was so beautiful that Max and Laura brought their little daughter to the Heavenly Father for baptism. I was so grateful she could wear our family's baptism gown. She was alert and didn't cry even once as Holy Water was poured onto her forehead. She's such a sweet baby, taking after Laura and her mother. Our families had the best time getting to know each other and to have both our grandbabies under one roof was such a joy. We are already envisioning the years ahead... It's been so wonderful to see our children grow in their vocation--it is no surprise given the good example of their own fathers. May they continue to provide and protect, love and lead their families to heaven! Heaven!!! 

It was a busy weekend with all the family, all the outings, both baby and I took a nap. It is the sweetest thing of all.  

Summer Garden

I am so blessed that Michael is a good gardener. We've been enjoying winter greens--kale, collards, cabbage--all winter and all spring. But when the bugs started to get into them, I harvested everything. Now we're enjoying the fruits of the summer garden--lots of cucumbers and tomatoes. Okra and peppers are coming in regularly too, and finally the eggplant. We had a little crop of plums and peaches too. A big fat raccoon and cute little rabbit visit the garden every day too... 

 

We just love sitting out on the back porch with our kitties, smelling the flowers, and enjoying the fruit of our labor. Tell me, how does your garden grow? May your summer be full of bountiful blessings.  

Catching up on Book Reviews

It seems that ever since I started keeping a physical log of the books I read, I've been remiss posting reviews so it's high time I mended my ways. What triggered this confession is seeing Carol Baldwin's wonderful article on children's books that appeal to adults in Writer's Digest. Her debut historical novel, Half Truths, is one that definitely would appeal to adults, given it's set in 1950s and many people who were coming of age in that time are still alive and have memories of what it was like in North Carolina. But it's the timeless quality of the story itself. A young country girl coming of age, having impossible dreams, discovering family secrets long buried. It's a story about friendship, racial tensions, and societal mores. Although I guessed the secret early on, it did not deter from the pleasure of reading the story. I appreciated seeing how the real Horace Carter mentors the fictional Kate Dinsmore in journalism. Truth really does set you free. Carol Baldwin grounds us in the time and place deftly by having quotes from the Tabor City newspaper. Meticulously researched, beautifully written, and so very encouraging--this is a book 20 years in the making! You can learn more about Carol and Half Truths on her blog: Carol Baldwin's Blog: HALF-TRUTHS. Many thanks to Carol and Monarch Publishing for the ARC I read last year. 

I was so eager to read Joy McCullough's memoir, Suffer a Witch, because it deals with a very sensitive topic, being groomed and assaulted by a youth pastor, and how the author overcomes this breach of trust. Her prose poems are brutally honest and she pairs them with letters to women of the past (the vast majority of them burned as witches). What makes me doubly sad is that the author's own father was the senior pastor and although girls brought it to his attention, nothing was done. Although I can understand the author's rage, the book offers none of healing balm that I would've expected for others. I cannot recommend this book at all because it is full of hatred. I found myself praying for the author, that God will grant her the grace to forgive her youth pastor. And I pray that justice is served. That youth pastor should be brought to trial, punished, and not ever be placed in a position to groom and assault young women. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy. 

Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future that Awaits You by John Burke was a great gift to me. I needed to read this after my father's passing and truly I am praying that he chose to be with Jesus. As the subtitle says, John Burke weaves near-death accounts with Scripture and it makes you long for heaven even more. What is clear is that there's a review of life that occurs--how our actions, good and bad, affected others, how even our failure to act affected others, and how much everybody wants to be with Jesus because of the unconditional love they experience. He had examples of NDEs from other faith backgrounds who converted to Christianity because they saw the truth--that Jesus is God. Burke also writes about NDEs where the people are given a vision of hell. It is truly horrifying. Many saints have had visions of hell, including the three little visionaries from Fatima, and so they spent hours praying for conversion so that poor sinners wouldn't go to hell. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in life after life... 

Piccolo Spoleto Concert

We're taking a much-needed week off from barbershop practice tonight after our Red, White, and Ringing concert the last day of the Piccolo Spoleto festival. So wonderful to celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary with a truly American tradition--barbershop! I was so grateful to sing from the risers, though I had a cane with beautiful blue flowers, borrowed from a parishioner, should I need it. It matched our blue shirts. I love how God takes care of even the smallest details, knowing how much I like pretty things. 

Below, a few recordings. Enjoy!

One of my favorites from Toy Story: 

1. You've Got a Friend In Me
   https://youtu.be/3eaKgqFFoPg

Holy City Harmony Quartet Debut:

1. America the Beautiful
   https://youtu.be/Tl546wWiuN0 

One of the few songs where we tenors get the melody. It's an emotional song; I saw some in the audience weeping. Music truly helps heal a hurting heart:

1. It Is Well with My Soul
   https://youtu.be/Hve7zXkYt9A

Most importantly, you too can sing along. Here's David teaching the audience:

1. When the Saints Go Marching In
   https://youtu.be/SS8oVJIUB7I

Local ladies, if you love to sing, we invite you to come join us for Guest Night June 22nd. No experience necessary.