Fascinating explanations of mysterious events in ancient history, although the evidence is shallow and the argument is...
Arguing for the existence of demigods in ancient human history, this eschatological discussion considers the fate of civilization while outlining the path humanity must take for its journey “back to Paradise.”
In Petti’s reading of ancient history, antediluvian gods aided humans in their renunciation of ego and devotion to faith. Along with his argument for the original existence of Paradise, he predicts that modern humanity will return to a state of paradise if our destiny is fulfilled. He proposes a literalist reading of the biblical flood by comparing an assortment of ancient, cross-cultural tales that make reference to events similar to the story of Noah’s Ark. Petti suggests that many of the mysteries in ancient history cannot be justified by popular scientific explanation, and they’ve been misunderstood by the dominant modern ideologies. His study of the Great Pyramid, for example, reveals an ancient structure that is, based on our modern understanding, perhaps too perfect to have been constructed by Egyptians. Other supposedly unexplainable feats of ancient civilizations—the heads on Easter Island, Olmec structures, etc.—lead Petti to conclude that our comprehension of history is both limited and flawed; therefore, we must continue the search for “Truth.” He proposes that the Great Pyramid is in fact the vessel referred to in the Bible as Noah’s Ark, which transported the gods of a failed paradise into the new world, where their goal was to lead humanity once again to a state of paradise. Petti goes on to propose that these demigods aided a number of other ancient civilizations, leading them to achieve feats that would be impossible for humans today. Unfortunately, much of Petti’s analysis falls victim to his presentation of personal interpretation as fact; it remains underdeveloped as a convincing proposal for alternative history. The nature of the content doesn’t allow for much evidence, and his attempts to apply inductive logic to biblical history ultimately deflates. As a result, the audience for this book remains narrow.
Fascinating explanations of mysterious events in ancient history, although the evidence is shallow and the argument is highly subjective.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2012
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Two Sense Publications
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Downbeat but often engaging poems and stories.
A slim volume of largely gay-themed writings with pessimistic overtones.
Poe (Simple Simon, 2013, etc.) divides this collection of six short stories and 34 poems into five sections: “Art,” “Death,” “Relationship,” “Being,” and “Reflection.” Significantly, a figurative death at the age of 7 appears in two different poems, in which the author uses the phrase “a pretended life” to refer to the idea of hiding one’s true nature and performing socially enforced gender roles. This is a well-worn trope, but it will be powerful and resonant for many who have struggled with a stigmatized identity. In a similar vein, “Imaginary Tom” presents the remnants of a faded relationship: “Now we are imaginary friends, different in each other’s thoughts, / I the burden you seek to discard, / you the lover I created from the mist of longing.” Once in a while, short story passages practically leap off of the page, such as this evocative description of a seedy establishment in Lincoln, Nebraska: “It was a dimly lit bar that smelled of rodent piss, with barstools that danced on uneven legs and made the patrons wonder if they were drunker than they thought.” In “Valéry’s Ride,” Poe examines the familial duties that often fall to unmarried and childless people, keeping them from forming meaningful bonds with others. In this story, after the double whammy of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hits Louisiana, Valéry’s extended family needs him more than ever; readers will likely root for the gay protagonist as he makes the difficult decision to strike out on his own. Not all of Poe’s main characters are gay; the heterosexual title character in “Mrs. Calumet’s Workspace,” for instance, pursues employment in order to escape the confines of her home and a passionless marriage. Working as a bookkeeper, she attempts to carve out a space for herself, symbolized by changes in her work area. Still, this story echoes the recurring theme of lives unlived due to forces often beyond one’s control.
Downbeat but often engaging poems and stories.Pub Date: Nov. 16, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5168-3693-2
Page Count: 120
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: March 5, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A volume of poetry that shines when focused on the author’s experiences of race and culture.
A collection speaks in part to the poet’s Mexican-American heritage.
In these multifaceted poems, Mexico-born, Houston-raised Salazar (Of Dreams and Thorns, 2017) explores general human themes like love and war in addition to specific experiences as a person of color. The book begins with a sensual meditation on desire, featuring luscious descriptions of a lover, from lips “moist like youth” to the body’s “softest velvet” slopes. The poems shift to odes to cultural icons like the Tejano star Selena and Mexican-German painter Frida Kahlo as well as occasion pieces honoring his brother’s 40th birthday and a friend’s mother’s memorial service. The author hits his stride when he delves into identity. In “I Am Not Brown,” he contemplates the societal implications of skin tone and his inability to fit into the rigid category of Caucasian or Latino. “For white and black and brown alike / Are slaves to history’s brush strokes,” he writes. “Grateful for the Work,” perhaps Salazar’s loveliest poem, catalogs the day of a laborer, starting with an early morning awakening and following him as he toils in 100-degree heat, enjoys tacos from his lunch pail, buys beverages from a child’s lemonade stand, and returns home to an equally hard-working wife. The author then makes an abrupt turn toward Syria in a series of poems that condemn that country’s president, Bashar Hafez al-Assad. They serve as a rallying cry for Syrians and grieve for the murdered masses. Salazar’s closing poem, “Sons of Bitches,” is a clunky rant about a 20-year-old immigrant shot in the head by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent. The gratuitous violence and political theologizing are ill at ease with the intimate, personal experiences that preceded them, such as the fablelike “A Mexican is Made of This,” in which Salazar beautifully describes the “rainbows, bronze, backbone, butterflies” that his people embody.
A volume of poetry that shines when focused on the author’s experiences of race and culture.Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9991496-3-8
Page Count: 166
Publisher: Bronze Diamond Productions
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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