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November 1, 1999 - Three Books By Local Authors
As our world comes to resemble a global village and seems smaller everyday as the age of information burgeons, when we read books we often feel like we know the authors in ways our ancestors had never thought possible. We are privy to intimate interviews and even dinners with our favorite authors on TV. By attending speaking engagements when they are in town we have the opportunity to speak with them afterwards and even get a hug. In addition, many writers now have sites on the World Wide Web or email addresses on the Internet, thus offering further access.
Still, there remains something special about books that are written by people who live nearby, particularly works of merit. While the tri-state is home to a number of renowned writers, rarely do we find spiritual and inspirational authors who reside in our area. Recently however, Kenneth J. Becnel, Jan Wolterman and Leland Davis have filled this local literary void and are hopefully creating a welcome trend.
Like James Redfield's now famous Celestine Prophesy,
Simon Said...
by Kenneth J. Becknel is a spiritual odyssey. Unlike "Prophesy", Kenneth's book is an introductory primer of metaphysical teachings, a concise compendium of how this field of study is generally perceived to date. He conveys this information in the context of a coincidental encounter in Yosemite National Park with someone called Simon who, after a bit of mutual checking each other out, becomes his teacher for four days. Simon Said... is artfully constructed and portrays essential information in a remarkably readable manner. At one point during this profound interlude Simon says to Kenneth, "When you get back to Cincinnati...",which brings it all home to those of us who live here.
Speaking of coincidences and bringing spirit to Cincinnati, Jan Wolterman feels
There's No Such Thing As Coincidence
and shares why she has come to this conclusion in her recently released book. In a courageously self-revelatory way, Jan shares incidents from her life and those with whom she has shared such serendipitous moments. The last 52 pages of this book consists of two worksheets, one for self and one to share with an intimate other. Regarding synchronicity, eighteen years ago Jan and I met under entirely different circumstances. At that time I am quite certain neither of us could have imagined that she would write such a book and that I would be reviewing it!
The meaning of this thing that we call life seems so elusive at times. Leland Davis, a retired Kroger executive feels that
Life Is For Loving It!
and explains why in his book which is subtitled "A Journal of Joys too often overlooked in our search for happiness". Leland's book is a treasure-trove of brief, inspirational passages which reflect the wisdom he has gained over the years. He was inspired to write this book as a legacy for his children and their children. I, for one, feel enriched that he decided to share these insights with the rest of us too.
© Kristina Strom
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