Categories
Reading Spring

March 31. Issue #152

My Monthly Journal

I share my new translated book, thoughts on music, life in Costa Rica, and more this month. The featured photo is of a baby humpback whale I spotted off the coast of Ballina Marine Park.

1. My first book in The Samba Dog series was recently published in French. The paperback is available on Amazon.com. Samba par une Journée Enneigée. Any French speakers who would like to review the book, please get in touch, and I will get you a complimentary copy. info@paulyanuziello.com

2.I am saddened that Wayne Shorter, one of my favorite saxophone players, has passed Mar 2, 2023. RIP Maestro.

Fortunate to have seen Wayne Shorter Quartet on a couple of occasions. The last time was in 2017 at Koerner Hall in Toronto: My report was published in Latin Jazz Net. Below is a link to that report.

Wayne Shorter Quartet Live @ Koerner Hall

For decades Wayne Shorter wanted to make an opera. He actually inspired me to write a stage play; I’m still working on it. He managed to get his opera, “Iphigenia: A New Opera” finished with the help of Esperanza Spalding, Frank Gehry and others. Check this review of the performance from the LA Times

A link to a YouTube trailer: https://youtu.be/6FQsnpkIxKE

“Nothing is what I’m try to keep and go forward with. Nothing. Thank you.”

Those were Wayne Shorter’s parting words to the audience at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica on Friday night after the Southern California premiere of his opera “… (Iphigenia).”

That nothing is not nothing. It is nothing made out of something. It can be the imagination at play, beyond explanation,” Shorter explained.

3. Whale watching in Uvita at Ballena National Marine Park. During our tour with Aventura Uno Tours, we witnessed spotted dolphins, Humpback whales; we went snorkeling and viewed an underwater marine habitat sanctuary.

Our guide, Maurizio took us in search of waterfalls and hiking trails in a land resembling my idea of paradise. I highly recommend Aventura Uno.

4. A treat for lovers of children’s picture books, my first published book, Samba on a Snowy Day is part of a Spring Reading Marathon. This promotion starts on April 15, 2023 and runs through May 14, 2023. Save the link for some fantastic reading material

Did I mention the illustrations by Joshua Miller in this – book 1 of the Samba Dog series, a trilogy of Samba’s adventures, wonderful. A short review from Readers Favorites:  “5 Stars – Samba on a Snowy Day, is a sweet story about the snowy adventures surrounding a little girl and her Bernese puppy. The story is colorfully illustrated. The language is simple, appropriate for a young reader. A fun read.” Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite – 5 Stars

5. My report on a Flamenco show in San Jose, Costa Rica. See the full published report at: That Canadian Mag.

I returned to Toronto just in time to catch a show at the Jazz Bistro. The legendary drummer and vibraphonist Joe Chambers. Some great Canadian musicians joined him for a great performance. Check my report, About Last Night.

Thank you for reading; if you think someone you know would be interested in my newsletter, please pass it along.

All of my books are now available at your favorite bookstores; support local bookstores with your online purchases. Make sure you get out and about but do stay safe. Visit a book store, or the library and pick up some books. If you’re looking for a great early reader chapter book get my book Scratchy the Squirrel: A Time for Friends. Or one of my picture books, Samba in Switzerland, Samba on a Snowy Day or  Samba in Brazil.

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

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Copyright © 2023 Paul Yanuziello, PNJ Services, All rights reserved.

Categories
Books Free E-Book illustrators New Year Reading

Newsletter 19

Newsletter 20/20

 My first newsletter this year and I am offering you all a free gift. Happy New Year! In this weeks newsletter I let you know about five things that interested me and I thought may be of interest to you too.

1. Happy New Year to all, 2020 –  and my prediction, I see a free E-Book in your Epiphany stocking. A book for the children in all of us, my book, Samba on a Snowy Day for you, or for your children. I have joined a group of children’s book authors and we are sharing our books. Follow the link Children’s Books Give Away and get my book, it’s yours – as simple as that.

2. I was asked to recommend books as a part of my author platform at BookBub. My recommended books, DrSeuss (Theodor Geisel) The Cat in the Hat and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I shared my recommendations on my social media Facebook page. In this day and age of  algorithms wouldn’t you know that by the next day I had this popping up on my Facebook page.

the cat behind the hat!

  The algorithm worked I found out something that actually interested me and off I went to the Liss Gallery to check out the exhibit, the cat behind the hat. As a keepsake I picked up this beautiful coffee table book The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss. The exhibit at the Liss Gallery is excellent and I highly recommend it.

The Secret Art of Dr. Seuss

3. New years and resolutions, I’m sure the gyms and fitness places will be filling up with folks jumping on the resolution band wagon. Nothing wrong with that and I wish all those folks well. Resolution: a firm decision to do or not to do something. Goal: the object of a person’s ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. I have decided that for year 2020 I will be setting goals, there is a difference. Resolution is so final. I resolve to quit smoking by such and such a time. This resolution plan almost never works, you have set the bar too high. When you don’t reach your desired goal you get frustrated and likely give up. At least that’s what happened to me all those years ago when I tried to quit smoking. This year I have set goals in specific areas of my life. A financial goal, a health and wellness goal, a relationship goal, a spiritual goal and a personal goal. 

4. My favourite moments of 2019, finding a new dojo to practice and teach at, Shingikan Dojo. Connecting with old and new friends and spending quality time with family. Time spent surrounded by nature, up north in Gravenhurst, living off the land, exploring and swimming everyday. Continuing to pursue my dreams of writing and teaching martial arts and last but certainly not least, being with the one I love, Nina; Wife, partner, mother of our children and my best friend.

5. On the topic of love, I have been entertained recently by a show on Primevideo – Modern Love, it is an excellent show. I have only viewed the first three episodes, great story lines and wonderful acting in each of the episodes. And for your listening pleasure a little Wayne Shorter, Emanon. Wayne Shorter is one of my favourite musicians and someone whose performance I have been fortunate to have witnessed.  I have also written about his performances on a couple of occasions under my pen name Paul J. Youngman, check out my take on his Toronto performance at Toronto Music Report

Thanks for reading. If you like what you’ve read forward this to someone you think will enjoy it. Remember to check out my book, Samba on a Snowy Day available at your favourite book store. A fun children’s book for children to read to adults or the other way around. Check out my blog, follow the link, sign in. Get the weekly newsletter in your inbox, no spam I promise.

Copyright © 2020 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.

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Categories
Children Activities Entertainment Gravenhurst Karate kids Martial Arts Music Muskoka Nature Photography Reading Summer Uncategorized

Newsletter #4

Hello all! I am back from my up north adventure. Northern Ontario is really quite beautiful in the summer. I managed to go for a therapeutic swim every day, mostly during the early morning, there is nothing quite like it after a strenuous work out.

I visited an outdoor museum aptly named The Tree Museum and as fall is fast approaching, I’m planning a return visit to take in the art amongst the trees, in falls full colour spectrum.

My Northern Sanctuary
Lake Muskoka

Some things that interested me this week, and I hope will be of interest to you too.

Here are my five items, links or suggestions that should get you some inspiration.

  1. A tree museum? Who could come up with that idea. It’s the brain child of Founder and sponsor: EJ Lightman. Curators: EJ Lightman and Anne O’Callaghan.With internet services restored I found this information at their home on the web,  https://www.thetreemuseum.ca/ “An Outdoor Art Gallery of Site Specific Installations”
  2. Along the same train of thought, nature, I have picked up on Greta Thunberg and her strike for climate change. Ms. Thunberg is a 16 year old who started a protest movement. Since December, teenagers across Germany inspired by the 16-year-old Thunberg’s climate fight have been marching weekly instead of sitting in classes. I’m all in, and looking for ways to contribute my time and effort. Greenpeace has some advice for the September 27th Strike For Climate Change here: https://www.greenpeace.org/canada
  3. A musician who inspired me to write about music, Wayne Shorter, check out my review of one of his recent concerts https://torontomusicreport.com/featured/wayne-shorter-quartet-live-in-concert/   and another musician whom I admire for her incredible talent, Esperanza Spalding http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/ are working together to create a new opera, something that promises to be very special, http://www.octopustheatricals.com/iphigenia I must get tickets to this.
  4. My reading continues with an author I recently discovered, Alexander McCall Smith and another series he has penned. The Sunday Philosophy Club, set in Edinburgh, Scotland and featuring the protagonist Isabel Dalhousie. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and considering a visit to Edinburgh.
  5. Karate classes have started, I’m teaching children and adults at www.smadojo Shingikan Dojo in Maple, On. I’m also instructing children at a community centre in the city of Markham, as well as one in the town of Stouffville.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you’ve read forward this to someone you think will enjoy it.

Please subscribe to my newsletter below. Just enter your email address and you're in! Join all my other subscribers who get my news, my writing, and interesting links delivered to their inboxes on the last Friday of each month:

 

Copyright © 2019 Paul Yanuziello, All rights reserved.