The Unicorn, The Mystery — a Zoom #reading on December 28th

I’m very excited to announce that my new novel The Unicorn, The Mystery was recently published by Adelaide Books (New York/Lisbon). It is available where books are sold online, through your local bookstore, and can be ordered through your local pubic library.

Unicorns are real. (The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.) They are known to go away in times of strife. I hope they are coming back soon.

The book can be ordered through the Big Blue Marble Bookstore by clicking here.

On Monday December 28th at 7 to 9 p.m., I will be reading virtually with Louis Greenstein at the Big Blue Marble Bookstore. Louis will be reading from his new book The Song of Life (Sunbury Press 2020). The Big Blue Marble Bookstore is in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia but thanks to technology you can attend the reading from almost anywhere.

To register for the free reading, go tohttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-novels-from-janet-mason-louis-greenstein-tickets-130732591701 In The Unicorn, The Mystery, we meet a unicorn who tells us the story of the seven tapestries, called “The Hunt of the Unicorn” from the 1500s on display in “the unicorn room” in The Cloister in Manhattan, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The tapestries tell the story of what is still called an “unsolved mystery.”

Experience a magical, medieval world through the eyes of a unicorn and the heretical young monk who is enthralled by her in The Unicorn, The Mystery by Janet Mason. Hunters are out to capture and perhaps kill the unicorn. The monk’s devotion may turn out to be the unicorn’s rescue or downfall.  Like a beautiful tapestry, the novel weaves together theological debate and unforgettable characters, including queer nuns and their secret cat companion. Mason blends myth and history to conjure up a spellbinding vision.

–Kittredge Cherry
Publisher, Qspirit.net

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Happy Thanks Living — #VeganThanksGiving

For this Thanks Giving — or ThanksLiving — we had a delicious dinner of Do No Evil turkey (proceeds go to support a farm animal sanctuary), organic yams, and cranberry sauce. Earlier we had a kale salad and split an individual nondairy “cheese” cake.

I commented that veganism is the diet of the future and some day people will look back in disbelief that “farm” animals were once considered food.

Both my partner and I love to eat and neither of us feel deprived.

There’s a growing movement of people who have gone to a healthy plant based diet for health reasons. For more info on the health benefits that I have experienced, click here:

https://tealeavesamemoir.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/world-vegan-day-freedom-for-humans-and-animals/

There are other reasons to go to a plant-based diet, which include a healthy planet and the animals.

From a Buddhist perspective, it makes sense that what is good for the animals and the planet is good for us.

to learn more about my recently published novel — The Unicorn, The Mystery, click here:

https://tealeavesamemoir.wordpress.com/2020/11/22/the-unicorn-the-mystery-now-available-from-adelaide-books-amreading-faithfullylgbt/

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The Unicorn, The Mystery now available from Adelaide Books — #amreading #FaithfullyLGBT

I’m excited to announce that my novel The Unicorn, The Mystery was recently published by Adelaide Books (New York/Lisbon).

In The Unicorn, The Mystery, we meet a unicorn who tells us the story of the seven tapestries, called “The Hunt of the Unicorn” from the 1500s on display in “the unicorn room” in the Cloisters (at the westernmost tip of Manhattan), now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The tapestries tell the story of what is still called an “unsolved mystery.” The story is set in an abbey in France not far from the barn in the countryside where the tapestries were discovered. Pursued by a band of hunters, the unicorn is led along by observing birds (some of them chirp in a language that the unicorn understands), smelling and eating the abbey flowers and fruits (including imbibing in fermented pomegranates), pursuing chaste maidens (there is one in the tapestry) and at times speaks to other animals such as the majestic stag.

In The Unicorn, The Mystery, we also meet a young monk named Apolo who tells us his story. Once he was pure of heart, so much so that he saw the unicorn several times (most notably as a lad and then as a young monk). But when he comes to live in the abbey, he gets swept up in the politics going on around him. His betrayal starts when he tells the Priest he meets with regularly that he saw the unicorn.  The priest scoffs and says that the unicorn is both a mythical and pagan animal.  But then he suggests that if Apolo can prove the unicorn does indeed exists, that it would be worth his while. Apolo subsequently plots with the sundial wrist-band wearing Bishop who is eager to trap the unicorn to please the King. Realizing his error in betraying the unicorn, Apolo leads us through a labyrinth of the Middle Ages, including story, myth, philosophy, numerology and alchemy. Can he regain his purity and at the same time get ahead?

Three short fiction excerpts of the The Unicorn, The Mystery were shortlisted for the Adelaide Literary Award 2018 (short stories, Vol. One).

I also included some excerpts of The Unicorn, The Mystery in my talks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia. You can watch the YouTube videos or read the text of these talks by clicking on the links below.

By the way. unicorns did exist according to the bestiaries passed down from ancient Greece and unicorns are mentioned by name in The Hebrew Bible.  They can be seen depicted in images of collections from the Middle Ages when people commonly believed in the existence of unicorns. As my monk narrator says to a skeptical priest, also his Latin teacher,

God believed in the unicorn.

Click here to find about more about the excerpts from The Unicorn, The Mystery that were shortlisted in The Adelaide Literary Award.

The #Unicorn, The Mystery shortlisted for The Adelaide Literary Award — #amreading #literaryawards

The following excerpts were part of my talks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration:

A recent UU talk on origins of The Unicorn, The Mystery:

You are the hero of your own story — #UU #amreading #magic

Here is my debut of The Unicorn, The Mystery:

The Unicorn, The Mystery, a novel debut by Janet Mason — #UU #amreading

This excerpt is from Poetry Sunday:

“Love can lead to goodness” — reading from Sappho and The Unicorn, The Mystery — #Poetry Sunday, a #UU tradition

This excerpt features the Egyptian cat goddess, Goddess Bastet:

Gardening and the Egyptian #cat goddess Bastet — a #novel preview

The Unicorn, The Mystery is sold where ever books are sold online and through your local bookstore. You can also order it through your library.

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November is National Vegan Day — working with the next presidential administration

November is National Vegan Month. Now that we have a new administration in Washington D.C., I’m hoping that there is more action and awareness about healthy plant-based diets and the positive impact that they have on people’s health as well as the cruelty that is inflicted on the animals and the benefits to the planet. My hope is that Senator Cory Booker (who is a vegan as well as a Rhodes Scholar and an excellent politician) is appointed to a position in the White House where he can make a difference.

Going to a plant-based diet, which I did for health reasons at the advice of my acupuncturist, saved my life. You can read about the health benefits here https://tealeavesamemoir.wordpress.com/2020/11/01/world-vegan-day-freedom-for-humans-and-animals/

And I am not alone — hundreds of thousands of people are experiencing the health benefits of going to a plant-based diet. The vegan movement is growing! But many more people can benefit from it.

I’m thought you might like this very short YouTube video of Dr. Neal Barnard talking about the commitment to working with the next administration to spread the word about the benefits of a health plant-based diet.

Meanwhile, happy Vegan Month!

Remember, everyone’s a little vegan (if you eat veggies) and even small changes make a difference.

How the Next Administration Can Prioritize Health | Dr. Neal BarnardNow that the election is over, there are many questions about what the next four years will hold. More than ever, many of these questions center around health. Dr. Neal Barnard is at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., to talk about what this will mean for our efforts to promote health, good nutrition, and ethical research. — About …www.youtube.com

Save me and save yourself!

To learn more about my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (published by Adelaide Books New York/Lisbon), click here.

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We Did It! — #BidenHarris2020

What a difference a day makes!

I was meeting with the Unitarian Universalist lay leaders this morning when I heard my partner Barbara drumming loudly and whooping for joy.

Apparently, I didn’t know how bad the last four years were — until I experienced the elation of the day.

We went out driving around to join the Biden Harris parade of beeping and waving. On nearby Germantown Avenue we ran into an old acquaintance who gave me red, white, and blue crepe paper streamers which I flew from the window. Thank you America! We’re back.

People lined the streets and climbed the light poles. Our favorite slogan was “Philly Saves The World!”

Here are some of my favorite signs.

To learn more about my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (published by Adelaide Books New York/Lisbon), click here.

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World #Vegan Day — freedom for humans and animals

Today, November first, is World Vegan Day!

My partner and I had been thinking of going vegan for several years out of our compassion for the animals. Then, a year and a half ago I needed emergency surgery and a week later had to go back to the hospital again with a very bad infection. Subsequently, I became extremely skeptical of the medical establishment.

I started seeing an acupuncturist who suggested that I go to a vegan diet to avoid further instances of kidney stones (the reason I had surgery). I went vegan a year ago and I thought I would tell you about some of the unexpected benefits

No more heartburn

No more exzema (I had a small amount and learned that this can be related to underlying conditions)

Alleviation of minor arthritis

Weight loss. I had struggled with excess weight for most of my life. The vegan diet has more fiber in it leaving you feeling fuller. I lost about thirty pounds in my first year.

Increased mental acuity

Greatly reduced allergies

The feeling of contentment inside of me

An overall sense of well-being

Happy World Vegan Day!

From a Buddhist perspective, I no longer feel the sufferIng of the animals in my body. It makes sense that what is bad for the animals and the planet is bad for the humans as well.

A turkey being rescued from an inhumane life and taken to a sanctuary.

Happy World Vegan Day!

To learn more about my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (published by Adelaide Books New York/Lisbon), click here.

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Happy Halloween! — #Halloween #amvoting #UU

Barbara McPherson doing Samhain chant. – YouTubeBarbara McPherson doing Samhain chant.www.youtube.com

Happy Halloween — as the veil between life and death thins and as our thoughts may turn to the scary things that may be ahead of us, I wanted to bring you this wonderful Samhain chant written and performed by my partner Barbara McPherson and some images of my favorite Halloween scenes on our block.

To learn more about my novel THEY, a biblical tale of secret genders (published by Adelaide Books New York/Lisbon), click here

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