Category: Documentaries

April 15 . Issue #139

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date April 15, 2022

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. In this week’s newsletter, music, books, documentaries and more …

1. The music of bassist Charnett Moffett was on my turntable this week. Charnett Moffett, June 10, 1967 – April 11, 2022, he made his first appearance on record with Branford Marsalis, Scenes in the City, at the age of 16, his playing turned some heads.

I was excited to see Charnett Moffett in a performance with the great pianist McCoy Tyner and some very special guests. A 2006 Toronto Jazz Festival concert that I will remember as one of the best I ever witnessed. And you can read my take on it ‘Enlightenment’ at The Live Music Report (writing as Paul J. Youngman).

2. My recent ARC, Advanced Reader Copy of Scratchy the Squirrel is now complete and my ARC manager has sent me a message: “Hopefully the experience was positive and we see you come back in the future for another ARC, or for any of our other popular author services!

As you may or may not know, one of the things we ask from our readers is if they want to leave any optional comments for the author about their book. Here are the comments left for your book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Thanks again!

Brilliant
Thank you!!!!!
I absolutely love everything about this book!
I enjoyed your story very much. I wish I had had your book when my own kids were early chapter book readers. They would have loved it!

I am very happy with the end result for Scratchy the Squirrel. If any readers would like to become an ARC reader for my next book you can sign up at Hidden Gems or simply drop me a line.

3. I have signed up for the Hot Docs Festival and I am looking forward to watching some of the amazing documentaries running from April 28 to May 8, 2022. This week I watched the award-winning animated documentary Flee.

4. My reading this week has been all about humour and the continuing adventures of the charming Isabel Dalhousie. The 5th book in the series by Alexander McCall Smith, The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday.

5. Should you be in the Collingwood area be sure to check the book store, Read it Again, on the main street and ask for my book, Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends.

So far, my new children’s early reader chapter book is selling on Amazon, Indigo and a few other high-end book stores.

Thanks for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them.

If you are looking for a great children’s book check out one of my books, including my new children’s early reader chapter book, now available at Indigo/Chapters Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Paperback version, on sale for a limited time.

Or one of my other children’s picture books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve. Or you may enjoy Samba in Brazil or the Brazilian/Portuguese version Samba no Brasil.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Children's Books Documentaries Music Awards

April 8 . Issue #138

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date April 8, 2022

Embrace the changes in your life. Release what you no longer need and welcome the seeds of new experiences.

Hello all and welcome to my weekly journal. This is the place to check-in and check out what I’ve been up to during the week. This week it’s mostly music with a dash of animated feature films and documentaries.

The featured photo is a collage of some of the fantastic illustrations created by Joshua Miller for my new children’s book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time For Friends.

1. The Grammy Awards – the biggest music awards show took place on Sunday. Jon Batiste, one of my favourite New Orleans jazz musicians came away loaded down with awards.

Other musicians who came out with Grammy hardware, are Esmeralda Spalding, Chick Corea, Christian McBride and Jazmine Sullivan to name but a few.

2. I have inherited a chromatic harmonica from one of my students. He can’t play it anymore and apparently never played it that much. I spent 2 hours taking it apart and cleaning it up with a quality disinfectant, it’s in great shape.

I have purchased a songbook, The Easy Jazz Standards Fake Book: 100 Songs in the Key of C.

3. The acclaimed Canadian conductor Boris Brott died tragically on Tuesday, the victim of a hit and run in Hamilton, Ontario. Rest in Power Maestro Brott.

All-day Wednesday tributes for Maestro Brott poured in to my radio station, the radio station I listen to in my Grey Highlands location Classical.Fm broadcasting out of Collingwood. On, on 102.9, the FM dial.

4. I’m back to teaching, in class and in the park. Great fun! My in class session was with a private student and we worked on Jo-do and Iai-do, short staff and Japanese sword.

The park training was for children, mother nature intervened and we ended up in a small studio/dojo managed by one of the participant’s parents. Basic martial arts training, mostly Shotokan karate techniques.

5. I watched the animated feature film Encanto this week and I thought it was awesome. Incredible animation, vibrant colours, wonderful characterization and an excellent soundtrack. Check out the behind the scenes video I share in the link above.

The show reminds me of a Broadway play, the timing, the staging and the singing are all reminiscent of something you might see on Broadway.

All of my books are now available and on sale at BookShop.org, (only U.S. shipping) plus you will support local bookstores with your online purchase.

I am hard at work on the next children’s book and would be eternally grateful if you could buy me a coffee. All donations are gladly accepted at my Kofi.com/pauly page.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.

Book Launch Party Children's Books Documentaries Reading

January 28 . Issue #128

Post author By Paul Yanuziello
Post date January 28, 2022

“Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” Thich Nhat Hanh (October 11, 1926 – January 22, 2022)

Hello all and a warm welcome to you. This week I spent time with one of my teachers, Thay, as he was known to his students. There are so many beautiful tributes to this great Buddhist monk – I share with you here a very special one, from Marilyn Lamoreux Photography.

1. My first encounter with the teachings of Thay was at a Toronto documentary film festival, for his new film ‘Walk With Me’. For me, this was the start of a great learning experience.

I spent time enjoying a beautiful four-part documentary about Thay and Plum Village from the good folks at Plum Village, entitled ‘Gone With the Wind‘.

2. You may have come to realize I love good documentaries. I found a few wonderful documentaries this week. Do you recall the recent challenge of a group of students from Thailand trapped in a cave?

They were rescued, thank goodness and the rescuers made a documentary about this amazing rescue. What else could you name the documentary, but The Rescue!

3. My ear candy this week came from an obscure source, yes another documentary. Summer of Soul by none other than Questlove, all about a music festival that coincided with Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969.

Some of the best musical performances I have ever heard are featured in this film.

4. Winter Book Fairs – I look forward to the time when I can get out to attend in-person events, to share my love of reading and writing.

In the meantime, I am happy to share with you this amazing promotion that features a fantastic array of children’s books; Great Kids Books, including my book Samba in Brazil. Enjoy!

5. Finishing a book and putting it out into the world is really satisfying. I certainly could not do it alone and there are many people to thank. I thank you all very much.

Most of them know who they are, but just to reinforce my appreciation I have added their names to the dedication in my new book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends.

The featured photo, an illustration actually, is by the illustrator of my book; the wonderful artist Joshua Miller.

Reviews are coming in and there is high praise for Scratchy – check out this 5 star Reader’s Favorite Review.

Thank you for reading, if you think someone you know would like to read my newsletter please share it with them. If you are looking for a great children’s book check out one of my books, including: Samba in Brazil; Paperback version, on sale for a limited time. And the Portuguese version, Samba no Brasil, is now available as a set.

Or one of my other books, Samba on a Snowy Day or the Brazilian/ Portuguese version Samba em um Dia de Neve.

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong and keep going.