Here are ten stories that impart unexpected insights from a unique and gifted writer. The surfing pilgrims who lose their paradise in the title story, The Johari Mirror; the rock-and-roll travelers in Dead Fish Eye; the clay-stained miners of The Jackass Hill Insane Asylum; all exhibit their mortal flaws, innocence, and conceits; in worlds where lives shift unpredictably, outcomes are mysterious. In Los Angeles, in the swinging sixties, a college student meets up with the Manson Family and confronts their evil. In Ohio, the Great Serpent Mound becomes metaphor for death and rebirth in the nuclear age. In 1950's Tennessee, a young boy is treetop witness to violence and Ethnic Evolution. A park ranger in Tears to the National Anthem recounts a momentous and strange mass-weeping on the White House lawn. These stories reveal the late 20th Century in exhilarating and profound transition; a life lived in the shadow of chaos. A successful Russian immigrant murders his family and commits suicide, echoing Crime and Punishment in the derangement of A Real Russian Tragedy. The Not So New Age pilgrims sing in dolphin and get a good dose of unmasking. Elvis Presley and Frederick Chopin return to remind us of the arousing possibilities of music, and of its tragic disappointment. The Johari Mirror presents the range and versatility, the artistry of language and ideas -- from tightly controlled to dazzlingly free, from mock-adolescent to piercing critic -- of a bold and illuminating writer. The voices and tales, fiction, memoir and commentary, all make the page sing in genuinely prophetic tones. Visit the author's web site at www.worldcat.com

Seven beautifully illustrated traditional stories that immerse the reader in the ancient culture of India as well as impart important life lessons • Shares classic tales from India, including stories drawn from the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and the Puranas, translated by the authors • Illustrated throughout with glowing full-color paintings in traditional Indian style prepared according to the traditional Hindu canon With this full-color illustrated collection of classic tales from India, you will learn about the playful, loyal, strong, loving, and wise gods, goddesses, and heroes of India. You will discover how the deity Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, got his elephant head, how the goddess Parvati won the heart of the great god Shiva, and how the goddess Ganga came to Earth from Heaven in the form of the holy Ganges River. You will discover how Krishna’s childhood as superhero and mischievous boy prepared him to fulfill his destiny as an avatar of the god Vishnu. In two tales drawn from the Ramayana, you will learn about prince Ram and his victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana and how the monkey-god Hanuman moved a medicine mountain to save Ram’s brother. In two stories from the famous epic the Mahabharata, you will discover how Karna became the greatest archer in the world to help good triumph over evil and how Arjuna compassionately fought his own cousins to bring peace to the kingdom of Hastinapur. The glowing illustrations, executed in transparent watercolors and tempera paints, are done in a centuries-old method traditional to India. Richly detailed, they bring to life the colorful cast of characters--humans, gods, and demons alike--and allow the reader to become immersed in the mystical world of ancient India.