VOL. 5 NUMBER 2 DEC. 2006

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VOL. 5 NUMBER 2 DEC. 2006

Volume: VOLUME 5 NUMBER 2 DEC. 2006 (10th Issue)
Edited by: Dr. Santosh Kumar
Binding: Paperback
ISSN: 0972-6004
Availability: In Stock (Ships within 1 to 2 days)
Publisher: Cyberwit.net, India
Pub. Date: Dec. 2006
Price: $20

From The Editor

Welcome to the Taj December 2006! The aim of Taj is to promote Art and Poetry for Peace & Brotherhood across diverse nations. This issue contains an extensive selection of most notable artwork, poems and short stories created by artists from all over the world. The artists whose works appear in Taj are selected because of their innovative style, and their faith in limitless freedom of expression devoid of superfluous ornamentation, empty verbiage and hollow generalities. The most important thing for a creative artist is to posses some inward Platonic reality to face the dark unspirituality and 'homelessness' of the postmodern ethos. The most obvious and inescapable aspect of the poems, artwork and short stories included in this issue is to convey the idea that there are as diverse ways of creative expression as there are individualities.

Terrorist attack on July 11, 06 by seven bombs on the train network in Mumbai, India killed more than 170 people and injured 500. These trains carry about six million commuters daily. It reminded me of Hardy's famous statement: "Happiness is but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain" (The Mayor of Casterbridge). Hardy advises us in his another novel: "Our plan should be to move onward through good and evil-to avoid morbid sorrow even though we see ugliness in the world; to do good cheerfully, following Spinoza, battle with our evil star and follow out our ideals" (Tess of the D'Urbervilles).

It was a matter of great joy to me when Joseph Aprile along with his wife, a resident of Seattle, Washington, visited my residence, Allahabad on May 22, 06. We discussed a lot of things like modernism, postmodernism, the problem of selling poetry and art, contrast between works of art and real life etc. Aprile is an extraordinary creative artist. His poems, novel Awakening from a Distant Dream and short stories anthology At the Fringes of Experience 'explore the many facets of the human experience'.

Hearty congratulations to Orhan Pamuk (b. 1952) for winning Noble Prize 2006, the first Turkish author to achieve this honour. His novels Yeni Hayat (1995) and My Name Is Red have been translated into more than forty languages. My Name Is Red is 'a fantasy and a philosophical puzzle'.

As many of you will know, I have been trying my best on the enrichment of Taj, by selecting only those writings, which add to credibility and prestige of the journal. It is a pleasure to acknowledge, with a very deep sense of gratitude, the help, cooperation, generous support and kindness of all the authors and artists.

SANTOSH KUMAR
Chief Editor

Contributors

ARTWORKS
Albert Russo
Alex Nodopaka
Alexandre Maller
Bianca Elena Cudalbu
Carliss Mora
Cathie Brock
Debra Anne Brechbiel
Debs Higginson
Elizabeth Pujalka
Erne Turtle
Frances M Buss
Francie Aguilera
Fred Chuang
Ginger Lovellette
Jason Ferguson
John Kirwan
John McMillan, LL.B
Karunesh Kumar Agrawal
Liz Parkinson
Louie Levy
Marguerite Carstairs
Paul Ross Sandilands
Rachel J Wong
Robert Rutoed
Sherri Carchia-Dailey
Steven Love
Susan Kelley
Tatiana Pahlen
TheaterOfCrueltyNoh ASSAKRA
Wendy Bandurski-Miller

REFLECTIONS
Erica Johansson
Louie Levy
Robert D. Rice

LITERARY CRITICISM
Adam Donaldson Powell
Martin Jacobsen
Myron Joshua
Santosh Kumar

SHORT STORIES
Alan Danzis
Alyce Lomax
Andrew McIntyre
Arlene Sanders
Barbara Anton
Behcet Kaya
Brian Alan Lane
Calisto Mudzingwa
Chris Melo
Crystal D. Arbogast
David Quinn
Deborah Clearman
Donna J. Howard
Ed Higgins
Eddie Bruce
Eric Diamond
Eric Tessier
Fernando Arrojo-Ramos
Fran Shaw
Gary Alexander Azerier
Gregory Mc Guinness
Howard Scott
Jack R. Hodge
Jack Swenson
James G. Skinner
James Ross
Janet K. Brennan
Jeffrey DeLotto
Jerry Craven
Jim Ganley
Joanna Valevich
John Cuetara
Juliet Carol Aharoni
Karin Butts
Kimberly Raiser
Marcelle Heath
Margaret Foley
Math Osseforth
Matthew A. Kaufman
Mike
Noah Ruderman
Philip Keogh
Rani Drew
Richard H. Heagy
Robin Grove
Stephen E. Shepherd
Tatiana Pahlen
Terry Clark
Tom Atterberry
Vera Searles
Vince Rogers
X&Al Danzabel

POETRY FROM FRANCE
Albert Russo

POEMS
Adam Donaldson Powell
Alan Morgan
Alice Parris
Andrea Hera Cook
Andy N
Ashley Sweatt
Bill Roberts
Bob Gotti
Burton Danet
Carl Palmer
Catherine Berg
Cheri Fry
Cyril Wong
D Everett Newell
Debbi K Brody
Del Senkbeil
Dimitris P. Kraniotis
Eustace M. Bellille
Fichtl Betti
Floriana Hall
Fran Shaw
Greg Edwards
Hirsch Lazaar Silverman
Howard Camner
Ian Kenneth Cawley
Jan Oskar Hansen
Jerry Bradley
Dr. Joan Marques
Joseph Josephides
Judy Sandoval
Julie Jordan Scott
Julious Keys
Karen A Sperry
Kyle Ferguson
L. Ward Abel
Laurence Overmire
Levi James Baldwin III
Louie Levy
Lynda Ortiz
Margriet Homma
María Cristina Azcona
Michael Estabrook
Michaela Sefler
Melanie Simms
Patricia Wellingham-Jones
Rebecca Guile Hudson
Richard Peabody
rob walker
Robin Grove
Rose Marie Streeter
Robin Pommier
Ruth Anne Boothe
Sandra Fowler
Sarah Elizabeth Rose
Shelagh McKenna
Stephen McAllister
Tammy Ho Lai-ming
Tatiana Pahlen
Tiffany Young
Tom Atterberry
Trish Shields
Victoria Valentine
W. S. Mayo

GEMS OF THOUGHT

REVIEWS

The Synoptic Gospels of Albert Russo, A Review of The Crowded World of Solitude, Volume Two; The Collected Poems, Reviewed by David Alexander

Helicon by Santosh Kumar, Cyberwit.net, India 2006 pp. 62 $9 Paperback, ISBN: 81-901366-8-2 Reviewed by Janet K. Brennan

Different Worlds - A Virtual Journey ed. Santosh Kumar, Cyberwit.net, India 2006, $25 Paperback & Hardback, ISBN: 81-8253-064-4 (pp: 168), Reviewed by Janet K. Brennan

AUTHOR INDEX