Una gran experiencia transcrita con todo detalle, un taller de cine, con la magia de la creación colectiva.

La Mala Hora. Gabriel García Marquez

Relato de un recién llegado. (1) De repente me encontré en este pueblo perdido del mundo, mas allá de las fronteras de la selva donde pense no encontrar la huella humana. Dicen que mis antepasados habitaron aquí en un tiempo perdido, llegaron un día con sus cosas y un día partieron sin dejar mas rastro que sus huellas en el camino. Cuentan las malas lenguas que las injurias y los pecados de la gente, mantenidos por tanto tiempo ocultos un día llegaron al pueblo en forma de pequeños pasquines que decían a voz en cuello lo que corría en boca de todos pero que nadie sabia. Era la voz del pueblo, el alma hecha palabra y no le quedo mas remedio a la gente de este pueblo que enloquecer o huir dejando atrás lo que habían atesorado durante tanto tiempo. Cuentan que solo quedo en el pueblo el viejo padre Angel en su iglesia inundada de ratas y el alcalde con vastos terrenos que no tenia como atender. Al final las personas que habían abandonado el pueblo volvían a saquear lo que quedaba y seguir en la guerrilla contra el gobierno. Solo el alcalde quedo luchando por lo que jamas fue suyo y saboreando un poder que de poco servia, pues un poder sin sirvientes, es como es el río seco del que solo nos queda el recuerdo... (2) La historia es densa y me hace recordar esos pueblos del sur de los EE.UU de los cuentos de Faulkner. Se puede sentir el calor y la lluvia en cada pagina así como la opresión de un pueblo que al final se subleva de sus mismas ataduras y se vuelve contra si mismo y su autoridad en la persona del alcalde, que solo ve en la situación imperante una forma de aumentar su fortuna a expensas del estado, de la gente y del miedo. Es una historia excelente, parece un cuento largo o una novela corta. Los críticos dirán que es un cuento largo pero corto.

Luis Mendez

Three government officials have been murdered and a Ute may have been killed on a remote part of Colorado. Jurisdiction seems to overlap between Federal, state, local, and tribal officials with everyone tripping over everyone else except the killer, who seems to have gotten away with murder. Denver homicide detective Gabe Wager has no jurisdiction so he is assigned to solve the case and end the bickering. ....... Gabe quickly realizes that he not only has to uncover a killer's identity, he has deal with all the various police authorities who have one thing in common: the desire to boss their compatriots. This leads to a lot of chiefs and one worker, Gabe. He soon realizes that there are plenty of motives and subsequently suspects. However, if Gabe does not identify the murderer soon, he will either go insane from the constant bureaucratic bickering or be killed by a murderer, who wants him out of the way. ...... Rex Burns is a great mystery writer, who always provides an intriguing and exciting novel. His latest book, THE LEANING LAND, is a fun read that refreshes Gabe Wager by placing him outside his element. The various law enforcement agencies add a Catch 22 comedic remedy to solving the mystery. Anyone who bets on reading this novel, will win their wager. ......Harriet Klausner

Catalina de Erauso grew up in a Basque convent, but spent most of her days as a soldier in the Spanish army in the mid-1600s. This brief autobiography is not a typical tale of military exploits. Although brawling constitutes much of the action, this is the story of a female transvestite. De Erauso dressed as a man to escape from her convent in 1599. Keeping up the disguise for reasons that included an attraction to "pretty faces," she traveled to the Americas in 1603 and fought in the conquest of Chile. When finally forced to reveal her true sex, de Erauso attained brief celebrity in the Baroque world. In 1624, the pope granted her permission to continue her life garbed in male attire. A forword and an excellent introduction by the translators places this fascinating story in historical context.

One Hundred Years of Solitude tells the story of several generations of a Colombian family while supernatural occurrences and unbelievable events are described with unblinking sincerity. Marquez, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982, commands such mastery of language that his prose reads like verse. The beauty of his words wraps the reader inextricably into the fates of the Buendias. Their loves, their wars, their brutality, their death and dreams, are all told with Marquez's special gift of prose. One Hundred Years of Solitude is probably Marquez's finest work, destined to be a classic of world literature.

Anyone who lives in Southern California should own this book. And even if you don't live in Southern California, this is a wonderful companion for a vist to the Southland. Everyone goes to Disneyland and to the Getty, why not visit some of the lesser known but very interesting spots?

It is masterfully organized geographically to easily help you select a place to visit. Ms. Pomeroy's descriptions are witty and entertaining and entice you to want to visit every single place.

What a wonderful book!!

"I am the way, the truth and the life," Jesus says in John 14:6. That is what I expect to find in any Catholic catechism: the way - the how of being Catholic, the truth - the set of beliefs that the catechumen or candidate will ascribe to, the life - the promises that will belong to the baptized person as a result of belief and practice. And I am not disappointed in finding it in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. What the surprise is in the Catechism is that Jesus shows us the love of God. How reassuring to read the focus of the Catechism as "love that never ends."

However, though the Catechism begins with that statement in #25, it is easy to overlook it in the press of understanding the doctrines and the rules and the rituals. An interested non-Christian, concerned with the infrastructure of the church where he or she is considering membership, might easily miss the centrality to everything Catholic of the love that God has for His creatures. Most non-Christian religions do not have this emphasis or focus of love. Even the table of contents and titles of the sections of the Catechism itself move quickly to the creed, cult, and codes of Catholicism.

A catechist, instructing other Christians in the differences and similarities between Catholicism and various Protestant creeds and practices, might easily state this fundamental truth of God's love and then move quickly into the teaching of the faith, the handing down of specifically Catholic theology, practice, information, etc. A focus or emphasis on the personal love that God has for each of us is important and needs to be maintained in the presentation of all doctrine, all aspects of the Catholic practice. And that is what this little book reminds its reader.

It is pleasant, reassuring and uplifting to read on the dust cover of this book "The key to the Catechism is the mystery of the triune God - 'the love that never ends.'" As a focused and well-prepared instructor, even as a prayer warrior concerned about my students, interested in providing the right environment and content for conversion, I find it tempting to divert from catechesis on God's love in each of the pillars of the Catechism. Will the baptism or profession of faith of the new Catholic-to-be be properly supported by understanding of doctrine and rituals; will there be enough practice in prayer, sufficient support by intercessor and sponsor and godparent? However, it is not this re-presentation of the catechetical truths and codes that will save, nor even the support the faith of, the potential Catholic.

This book reminded me of the great need to echo the voice of Christ as He has spoken to His Church. The inner comparison, taking place within the inquirer, between Christ's voice and grace within himself or herself and the catechesis of Christ's voice within the setting of the Church, is the process of conversion. Recognizing the Shepherd's voice as the voice of love as well as way-truth-life will empower the inquirer toward conversion and prepare the soul for the joy of communion.

What indeed can a catechism offer for Catholics if not the universality of love of God? Surely, other creeds are easier to live, there are less codes to follow, less difficulties in being what that church might call "holy." The very love of God in calling us to live His very life is distinct and different from every other faith. It is, after all, union with Christ in His Church, in a common union with all the holy human saints of history, that is being offered in a Catholic conversion. Not a lifestyle, not a set of beliefs, not a set of practices. Nothing less than union in love with Love itself. That changes the focus of presenting Catholicism to an inquirer to "courting the catechumen" - we are proposing a marriage to the inquirer, through the truth, the way and the life outlined in the Catechism. That reminder throughout the book is what moved me as I read it.

I found this book of greater interest to thoses that require much more then the bare bones information regarding the effects of Cannabis. The medical aspects are indeed nessary reading for anyone who requires the effects on the body of using cannabis.

I believe that if anybody seeks to understand these effects, this book has the required information.

This compilation is a true example of the fine work of Mary Stewart. She is a master craftsmen in the field of literature, her books are interesting and enjoyable to read. The fine exhibition of her work is praiseworthy. Although now out of print, it is quite worth the wait if you buy this book through Amazon.com. My reccommedation: seek this book out!