Of Mortality a Music, by Julie K. Shavin. This is a collection of poems (and some proems), mainly spanning the last five years, and includes the poet's cover art, front and back. Also included are forty-four de-saturated original artworks and digitally-enhanced photographs. The volume ponders human relationships, our relationships to non-human animals, addressing sense of place, religion, politics, illness, loss, love, domestic violence, freedom, societal mores, redemption, suffering, perseverance, joy, the writing process itself, and more. There is much melancholy, even bitterness here, but such are offset by love, compassion, celebration, and also humor, the last of these, at times, wicked, at others, downright silly. The author does not play well with others, in the sense that she will not compromise her vision of the world. She is a an extreme lover of language -- her work is lyrical, musical -- and this single volume might just speak volumes, which means she could stop writing, a fortuitous thing - or not - depending on the reader. A portion of all proceeds from any of Shavin's arts pursuits (writing, music, visual art) is always donated to organizations working to end animal abuse.
About the Author: Julianza (Julie) Shavin is a writer, composer and visual artist, pursuits which she labels, respectively, as "obsession," "passion," and "meditation." A Kentucky native raised in Atlanta, Ga., she "adopted" the Rocky Mountains in 1993. She is currently honored to be president of Poetry West, the largest thriving collective of poets in Colorado Springs, and vice-president of Blissfest333, an annual city-wide collaboration of artists to raise money for charity. She is a member of Columbine Poets (local branch of the State Federation of Poetry Societies), Colorado Poets' Center, Creative Thinkers International, The Academy of American Poets, and The National Poetry Foundation. She was a semi-finalist for Pike Peak Poet of the Year, 2006, and recently received two grants from the Pikes Peak Arts Council. Her hobbies are gardening, reading, and chocolate. She has two dogs, two cats, three children, and part of her mind. She has long been involved in animal welfare, advocating for adoptions from shelters, spaying/neutering, and an end to the overwhelming uses/abuses of animals, suffering that goes on every second of every day. For three years she worked for a shelter outside of Atlanta. Currently, she is a volunteer with National Mill Dog Rescue, which addresses the horrific issue of puppy mills. Her website is Julianza, Inkling (www.droppinglikerubies.com), with a link to her "baby," Elegy International Against Animal Abuse. "Elegy" was created in memory of a fur animal depicted in the incredible online documentary, "Earthlings," which she cannot recommend highly enough. A portion of any proceeds from her various art pursuits goes to animal causes, so she thanks you sincerely for partnering, via support of her endeavors.