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The River of Winged Dreams by Aberjhani

The River of Winged Dreams
What began as Songs of the Angelic Gaze in the summer of 2006 continued the following year as The Bridge of Silver Wings, and developed even further two years after that into The Bridge of Silver Wings 2009.

Whether readers describe it as a conversation between one author’s pen and his sense of an angel-populated cosmos, or a modern interpretation of literary voices such as Kahlil Gibran’s and Rainer Maria Rilke’s, this great adventure through dimensions of soul and letters now moves boldly forward as the volume entitled The River of Winged Dreams.

What marks this volume as one significantly different from its predecessors? As pointed out in “Evolution of a Vision: from Songs of the Angelic Gaze to The River of Winged Dreams,” the difference stems from a paradox. It is a paradox in the form of a dream that has exhausted the life of its beauty while giving birth to a new ongoing manifestation of its remarkable glittering self.

The manifestation of vision continued because the unsentimental realities of history continued, and exactly what that means in the context of The River of Winged Dreams is exquisitely apparent in pages reflecting seasons of the horror and elation of our very modern twenty-first century times.



The city of Savannah, Georgia, long celebrated by tourists and natives alike for its charm, beauty, and cultural diversity, has just added another jewel to its fabled crown. ELEMENTAL: The Power of Illuminated Love is a celebrated gift book by two of the city’s most acclaimed creative artists: painter Luther E. Vann, whose work is currently on display at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for the Arts, and writer Aberjhani, co-author of the award-winning Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance. A perfect gift for graduations, father’s day, birthdays, and other occasions, ELEMENTAL: The Power of Illuminated Love contains more than 60 brilliant reproductions of Vann’s prize-winning work along with statements by the artist on his unique creative vision. In addition, the book also features introductory essays by Aberjhani and accompanying poetry, much of which has been showcased in ESSENCE Magazine and other publications. Although born in Savannah, Vann spent much of his youth in New York City and took some of his first art lessons there with Harlem Renaissance artist Charles Alston, famed for his public murals, popular magazine covers, and paintings of African-American family life. Vann’s current show at the Telfair Museum Jepson Center for the Arts, on exhibit until August 17, 2008, is housed in the facility’s Lewis Gallery. The Telfair is the oldest public art museum in the South and Vann is the first African-American Savannah native to have a one-man show at its new state of the art Jepson Center.


First edition of I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY by Aberjhani with original cover by Gustave Blache III

I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY
“A MASTER GRIOT: Aberjhani is truly a most gifted wordsmith and master griot. I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY is a marvelous collection of stories and poetry sure to lift your spirits and touch those special places within your soul... a must read.”
--Angela Kinamore, former poetry editor, ESSENCE Magazine


THE BRIDGE OF SILVER WINGS
FROM THE INTRODUCTION: “The truth is we do not always know how we go from falling off the edge of one cliff to running with determination beside the ledge of another. The Bridge of Silver Wings…is what saves a given soul when that soul no longer has any idea how to save itself.”


ELEMENTAL, THE POWER OF ILLUMINATED LOVE
ELEMENTAL, THE POWER OF ILLUMINATED LOVE, by celebrated artist Luther E. Vann and author-poet Aberjhani is a book that has been almost two decades in the making.

It presents readers with what may be described as two public journals in a single book, one of which is written in the visual language of Luther E. Vann, whom writers have sometimes described as "a poet whose language is painting." The second journal is the one Aberjhani shares through his poetry and creative nonfiction exploring the life and work of Vann. When combined, critics have noted, the two tend to fit together like puzzle pieces.


Original cover art for CHRISTMAS WHEN MUSIC ALMOST KILLED THE WORLD by Luther E. Vann.

CHRISTMAS WHEN MUSIC ALMOST KILLED THE WORLD
"Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World" combines popular music culture, science fiction fantasy, and horror to create a uniquely engaging metaphysical epic. The story takes us inside the world of Danny Blue, a young man struggling to make peace with the death of his girlfriend, a gifted artist named Valerie Hyerman whose passing sparks the creation of a controversial spiritual movement. Was her death suicide, murder, or something completely different from either?

The stunning truth unfolds in Froggtown, a college community where many people are said to have “died dirty” and wander the streets in search of release from a spiritual limbo. Such a town seems an unlikely place for a superstar musician like Jimmy Redfyre to kick off his tour on Christmas Eve, or for his main rival Ruzahn to keep popping up in Danny Blue’s life. Moreover, how is it that both singers seem to have released songs about his life? Equally bizarre are the strange changes that Danny Blue himself begins to experience and that appear to be causing him to evolve from an ordinary human to something not so ordinary at all. Written with the visionary intensity of Franz Kafka, the mystical poetics of Khalil Gibran, and the psychological complexity of Philip K. Dick, Christmas When Music Almost Killed the World is a one-of-a-kind work of extraordinary modern fiction.

A Creative Thinkers International/Black Skylark Singing Book
ISBNs 0966235673 and 9780966235678


The American Poet Who Went Home Again
Just like modern literary life, THE AMERICAN POET WHO WENT HOME AGAIN expands beyond the safety of pages bound by predictability to explore and often confirm exciting creative possibilities. From the celebrated “Return to Savannah” and the uncut extended version of “This Mother’s Son,” to “Journey through ‘Universes Beyond the Invisible” and “The History that Peace Made,” the author takes his readers on epic jaunt across landscapes of “the soul at work.”

Whether dealing with the challenges of care giving and racism, or coping with the subtleties of art and spirituality, this is one author-poet and one book that sings with the beauty of hope and the persistence of life itself.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
Winner of the coveted Choice Academic Title Award, and recognized as the MBWC Best History Book of 2005, ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE takes us inside the captivating genius that gave the world jazz and all night partying while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the triumphant Civil Rights Movement.


The Goddess and the Skylark, Dancing Through the Word Labyrinth
Presented by Mark "Rahkyt" Rockeymoore and featuring Nordette Adams and Aberjhani, THE GODDESS AND THE SKYLARK, DANCING THROUGH THE WORD LABYRINTH, contains some 17 musically charged works. Interspersed throughout are excerpts from an interview with the artists conducted on PowerTalk-FM Internet Radio. Available in CD and download formats.

TRACKS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
Tracks 1 & 14 And Then The Rain God Screamed for Love; Track 2 Poets Everywhere and Always; Track 3 Arrogance, Thy Name is Poet; Track 4 "DarkMagusMiles Ahead #7"; Track 5 Time Travel at Newark International Airport; Track 6 I Made My Boy Out of Poetry; Track 7 One Too Many Times; Track 8 Dead River Blues for Langston; Track 9 Between the Gold Moon's Winking; Track 10 Shadow Candy; Track 11 Schizophrenic Love Fugue; Track 12 Sunrise Elegy; Track 13 Twilight of Kisses; Track 14 And then the Rain God Screamed for Love; Track 15 I Can Only Speak of Me; Track 16 An Angel for New Orleans; Track 17 Crescent City Blues in K.


Book signing at Carnegie Branch Library in Savannah. (Photo of Aberjhani courtesy of Mark Darby) Queries regarding book signings, lectures, or spoken word performances may be sent to the author at: P.O. Box 5493, Savannah, GA 31414.

THE WISDOM OF W.E.B. DU BOIS
Here is Du Bois at his brilliant best on such subjects as the dynamics of creativity, the healing joy of love, the prophetic vision of democracy, the spiritual perils of war, and much more. These pages throb with uncompromising faith in the truth and beauty of the human spirit.

LITERARY SAVANNAH (edited by Patrick Allen)
"Many have written about Savannah, but few have captured the true spirit of southern grace most often associated with her history as well as the mysteries and humor that await behind the walled gardens and gated homes. Whether born there or simply passing through, Savannah is a town that has inspired writers for centuries and, at last, in LITERARY SAVANNAH the city's story is told."
--Patrick Allen, editor

Gift Books We Love Giving and Receiving

Twenty-first Century Poetry
The River of Winged Dreams
Works in verse on the rise of President Barack Obama, the life and death of Michael Jackson, the Virnginia Tech massacre, and the celebrated days and seasons of the modern world.
Literary fiction and poetry
I MADE MY BOY OUT OF POETRY
An inspired celebration of spirituality, the music of language, and the power of dreams.
Poems by Aberjhani
THE BRIDGE OF SILVER WINGS
A poetic flight into the exploration of how human beings manage, or sometimes fail to manage, the transition from imminent personal destruction to unaccountable personal victory.
Art and Poetry
ELEMENTAL, THE POWER OF ILLUMINATED LOVE
A brilliantly painted journey through the art of Luther E. Vann with accompanying text by Aberjhani and guest authors.
Paranormal Fantasy Fiction
CHRISTMAS WHEN MUSIC ALMOST KILLED THE WORLD
A rock and roll metaphysical fantasy set in the Deep South, this is one extraordinary novel.
Travel and History
The American Poet Who Went Home Again
A shimmering collage of memoir, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, and dizzying flights into poetic observation, this is the amazing story of one writer’s rediscovery of his family, his hometown of Savannah, Georgia, and himself.
Nonfiction
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
“Celebrate Harlem’s past and present with Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance.”

--ESSENCE
Magazine
THE WISDOM OF W.E.B. DU BOIS
“Readers have praised this superlative book for the author’s intelligent and informative writing.”
--Biblio.com
SPOKEN WORD MUSIC CD
The Goddess and the Skylark, Dancing Through the Word Labyrinth
“These are some of the most talented people in urban poetry today, and I think you'd be missing something huge if you don't get yourself a copy, now.”-- Poet William F. DeVault
Literary Historical Anthology
LITERARY SAVANNAH (edited by Patrick Allen)
An exceptional historical literary anthology featuring writings by natives of and visitors to Savannah, from founding father George Washington to modern award-winning author Aberjhani.