The Wildfire Series by Sabne Raznik

Last Chance for "Alice In Wonderland"!

"Alice In Wonderland" at the ACT Theatre in Elkhorn City, KY. USA is wrapping up its run of this original production that is true to Lewis Carroll's classic tale of absurdity this weekend. There are only two shows left: Friday, October 24, 2014 at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. There will be no showing on Saturday, October 25th because of the local high school's homecoming dance. Get your tickets before the dream is over for the last time!

Down The Rabbit Hole

The award-winning ACT Theatre in Elkhorn City, KY., U.S.A. is putting on an original adaptation of Lewis Carroll's "Alice In Wonderland", sponsored by Raging Rapid Art Gallery, until October 26, 2014. This is "Alice" like you've never seen her - more fantasy than Disney - weird and wonderful. A perfect satire of British society in Carroll's day, it is still deeply relevant in today's global xenophobic, holier-than-thou atmosphere (for those who must have meaning). For those willing to let the imagination play, it is summed up nicely by the King of Hearts who declares: "Well, if it has no meaning, so much the better, as it saves us the trouble of finding any!" The production is a colourful parade, true to Carroll's intention. A delightful night out for children and adults alike. Shows are Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 7:30 pm EDT and Sunday matinees at 3 pm EDT. Tickets are $9 USD.

For full disclosure: I am playing the role of the Pigeon.

Buy tickets

The Virtual Blog Tour , I'm a Joining

I've been asked to join the "Virtual Blog Tour" by answering the following questions.

 1. What are you currently working on?

My poetry manuscript "Linger To Look" is currently in production stage. I'm trying to get it ironed out for eventual publication. I would like to have it released in time for the 2015 Spring book buying season, but, if not, I'll aim for the 2016 Spring season (I'll keep everyone updated). "Linger To Look" is my most experimental poetry yet. It draws heavily on Middle Eastern history and influences and blends them with Appalachia.

 I'm also finishing a songwriting collaboration with Kevin Mallory. The song will be called "Solitary One". I am reading four books for review. I'm also meant to interview Lia Parisyan for this space - watch for that. A local ACT Theatre has recruited my colleagues and I to design and build the set and costumes for its upcoming production of "Alice in Wonderland". It is up to me to find a visiting artist for the annual main event at Raging Rapid Art Gallery. I am also preparing to take a Modern and Contemporary poetry class starting in September. My plate is full!

2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?

I attempt to honour the Appalachian tradition while updating it with the contemporary and influences from around the world with a touch of the experimental. Appalachia is a land of great change right now. I try to reflect that in my writing. Therefore, it isn't what you would expect of an Appalachian poet by any means. My work falls firmly within the school, if you will, of the Appalachian Renaissance, but is still its own.

3. Why do you write what you do?

Firstly, because I love words in a sensual way. The way each one sounds, feels in the mouth, echoes off surfaces, and the shades of meaning and connotation. I love what I do. Secondly, to shatter stereotypes: Appalachian stereotypes obviously, but also others. I love to erase boundaries and strive for the supranational. All cultures are my culture and my culture is all cultures. The variety and colors that make up mankind is more beautiful and infinite than all the variety of flowers. Why not celebrate it for what it is: when harmonious, the most glorious creation of all God's creations. It is no surprise, therefore, that love tends to be a dominant theme.

4. How does your writing process work?

Every work comes about differently and I generally let them grow as individuals - like children. But a method that has been successful more than once is to write one phrase or stanza at a time and later organise it, so that the final poem is a collage, a patchwork quilt greater than the sum of its parts. It can be a very long process. Patience is vital. And humility. I have to get out of the poem's way. My job is to jostle the words around until they tell me where they need to be. That's all. The best work emerges when you take yourself out of it.

The key to this blog tour is to keep it going, so here are the three writers I'm tagging:

Michael O'Dea, a poet who draws from rural Ireland, County Roscommon mostly, for simple but profound and beautiful verses.
Christodoulos Makris, a very busy poet currently practicing in Ireland and the U.K. His work is heavily experimental, opening up exciting new avenues for the poetry of the area. He even made a poem that continually updates itself via Twitter!
Artemis Blithe, a poet who excels at spoken word and performance and who is also bringing Appalachian poetry to the 21st century.

Tattoo Arts Festival

I will have a table set up with copies of both my books - "Following Hope" and "Marrow" - available for sale, as well as selected sketches of the "Salome Series".

See Goodreads for more info. ***UPDATE 8/23/2014: Event has been cancelled***

Why Oriental Dans is Healthy and Great for Weight Loss

(Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on June 27, 2011)

Oriental Dans is more commonly known as Bellydance. It's origins are obscure and may reach back almost to Eve herself. It is believed, however, that it began as a way for the women of a harem to entertain each other and as a natural way to prepare for childbirth. The latter is the reason why it was traditional to perform while pregnant. It is known that the dance has always been performed at weddings. In "Thousand and One Nights", these wedding performances were usually done by the bride herself upon being presented to the groom and showcased in 6 or 7 different gowns and this constituted the ceremony. In the Middle East today, Oriental Dans is the common dance on the street (except in those areas which are strongholds of religious extremists) - as common as any dancing we might see as we go about our business.

And it has numerous health benefits. For about 15 years or so there has been an increase all over the world of bellydance as a form of exercise for weight loss and well-being. Why is that?

Oriental Dans works with a person's muscles, not against them. Especially is this true for the feminine body, but there are many male dancers out there who benefit as well. This is an exercise regimen that is low impact and less likely to result in injury. Also, there are forms that match almost any ability and learning level. It keeps the joints fluid and flexible (arthritis patients, here's your routine!). It promotes better balance and can include strength training without the person feeling like they are strength training. Most importantly, it focuses on a positive self-image.

What do I mean by that? While most exercise programs focus on the end result - the perfectly fit and skinny body that every woman and man is "supposed" to have - Oriental Dans is about enjoying the journey. A person forgets that fitness and weight loss are the goals. Instead, these becomes happy side-effects of regularly doing something the person enjoys. In other words, this is truly fun! The fact that there are professional bellydancers of literally all shapes and sizes re-shifts the perspective: it's not what you look like, it's about how you feel. Do you feel thin? You are. Do you feel beautiful? You are. Do you feel graceful, energetic, sensual, alive? You are. Do you feel funny, glamourous, and joyful? You are. Because all of those qualities shine through in the dance and suddenly no one cares that you've got 20, 40, or 100 pounds to lose.

And before you know it, it's gone. I know. Over a period of a year, Oriental Dans has helped me go from 200 pounds to 169 pounds- and dropping.

But besides weight loss and overall fitness, the dance is especially ideal for moms-to-be. If a person is pregnant, some moves must be avoided or modified for the baby's safety, i.e. no deep, sharp hip drops and careful with the 90 degree angle backbends favored in the Tribal Fusion form of the dance. It is, therefore, probably a good idea to practice it within a class and after consulting a doctor under those circumstances. However, it has been noted that Oriental Dans helps to strengthen the mother's abdominals for childbirth and promote the overall well-being of the womb, etc. Also, the gentle rocking of hip circles and shimmies helps the baby to be positioned properly for the big day. In view of this, there are many classes that cater primarily to pregnant women.

So the next time you are wowed by a bellydancer, remember all of the health benefits associated with practising this most ancient art form.

(Sketch is part of a series of sketches by Sabne Raznik called "the Salome Series" and is currently available at Raging Rapid Art Gallery.)

Raging Rapid Art Gallery and the Arts House: Appalachia Rising

(Originally published on Yahoo! Voices on May 25, 2014)

**For full disclosure, I am affiliated with Raging Rapid Art Gallery in particular, but support all venues for art in Eastern Kentucky.**

Appalachia has a long, rich, and unique tradition in all of the arts. But until recently the culture was a survivalist culture where art took a back seat to manual labor and the need to eat and exist. Historically a very poor region of America where the abundant local resources are mined and stripped to benefit others and the land and its people are exploited, Appalachia is beginning to shake off the oppression of King Coal to an extent and rise out of the dust of the coal pile.

As always, the recent recession hit Central Appalachia harder than the rest of the U.S. The rest of the nation has begun a slow and precarious recovery, but not so in Central Appalachia. More and more coal jobs are becoming mechanized and that means more layoffs and even fewer jobs than in 2008. Therefore, the region is looking to diversify its economy at last just to survive. Many towns have more empty buildings than occupied ones. This has made property values drop but has opened up opportunities for the ingenuity of local entrepreneurs and others to shift the economic and cultural ground for the first time in over 150 years. The focus to rebuild and reinvigorate Central Appalachia is mostly concentrated on capitalizing on its abundant potential as a tourism designation. One of the major directions this new initiative is taking is to provide venues for local artists of all stripes to step out of their living rooms and local family circles and actually practice their arts in viable ways.

Toward that end, local artist Trent Hylton renovated his grandparents' old Western Auto shop that had been completely empty of any business since the 1990s into Raging Rapid Art Gallery.

Elkhorn City, KY. has been a fairly major tourist attraction for years since it is the gateway to "the Grand Canyon of the South" a.k.a. the Breaks Interstate Park, is part of the Trail of the Lonesome Pine, and hosts annual events such as the Apple Blossom Festival in May and whitewater rafting on the world-famous rapids of the Russell Fork River in October. It is also home to the Artists Collaborative Theater. But it was missing something vital, something Trent supplied when he opened "The Gallery", as it is affectionately called, in May 2013 at 155 West Russell Street. On its Facebook Page, it is described as an art gallery/artist hangout/idea factory and that is an apt description.

What Trent has created is a rustic homespun space and a relaxed inclusive atmosphere where just about anything can happen at any time. More than just a traditional art gallery, it is also a place for poetry readings, musical performances, hooping, and tricks with fire. Things there generally happen rather spontaneously, but there are also planned events throughout the year. The biggest of these is the annual "Keep Elkhorn Weird" event held on Memorial Day weekend. This is often a three day event at which its participants and attendees come in costume and features all that the Gallery has to offer: poetry, music, and local art. In 2014, the Gallery hosted world-renowned mixed media artist Abdala Faye who donated two of his paintings to be auctioned off for the benefit of Elkhorn City's further development. The Gallery is a place to be yourself, to brainstorm ideas, collaborate, and be creative in any and all ways possible. Artists are encouraged to sign the floor. Most of those associated with it are volunteers; it is truly a labor of love and not at all your usual art gallery experience.

In the nearby county seat of Pikeville, KY., similar initiatives are being taken with a different slant. Pikeville is also a long-standing tourist destination due to its historic downtown area, its connection to the Hatfield & McCoy Feud and President James A. Garfield, its annual Hillbilly Days festival, and its Cut-Through Project, but it is also looking to capitalize on that. Recently, the city unveiled plans to turn Second Street (which is currently mostly lawyers offices and empty buildings) into an Arts and Culture District.

Among one of the first attractions to open in this new district: The Arts House. The Arts House is home to the Pikeville Artists Cooperative and is directed by the Pikeville Main Street Program. Located at 123 Second Street, it is a combination studio/gallery/shop space where paying members of the Cooperative create, show, and sell their art. At this time, most of its practicing artists are not Appalachian natives; many of these artists recently moved into the Pikeville area. Its stated mission is to "foster and feature the work of Central Appalachia's finest artists in every medium", meaning every medium of visual art. Both the Cooperative's contract and the space within the building itself is meant to inspire the reputation of elitism (keep in mind that I use that term with its local connotations; Central Appalachia has its own idea of what elitism constitutes) . Obviously a more polished and professional space than Raging Rapid Art Gallery, it is also more exclusive.

The art that can be found there is impressive. Jill Valenzuela and her husband (whose day job is plastic surgeon at the local hospital) have the most art in the space at this time. She works with looming, fabrics, and metal. But the work that I was most drawn to was New Jersey native/recent Pikeville resident Tatsiana Harbacheuskaya and her cityscapes from around the world drizzled in bright colors that delighted the Van Gogh lover in me.

The Arts House held an Open House/Business After Hours event in conjunction with the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 15, 2014. It was a stunning night where the charm of the old stately house that was renovated to hold the studio/gallery/shop space was in full evidence. Refreshments were served in a little kitchen in the back. The turn out was fantastic as the space quickly became crowded by locals eager to celebrate the new opportunities that venues like this represent. It was all very typical of what one would expect at a gallery opening and a wonderful evening for the city and Central Appalachia.

If you come to Eastern Kentucky, I recommend a visit to both these venues since they offer completely different experiences and together represent the whole of the state of art in Appalachia at this crucial point in its history. Come celebrate the best of local talent and ingenuity as Appalachia rises out of the coal pile and learns to value its unique culture at last!

Learn more about Raging Rapid Art Gallery.

Learn more about The Arts House.

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