Last Updated on May 3, 2011 by James Dziezynski
You might think my lack of blog productivity means I’ve been slacking in my writing or perhaps deeply engaged in some sweet, sweet video game that has consumed my every waking hour ala Civilization IV. Au contraire, mon frere ou ma soeur! I’ve been wrapping up the last of my essays for my second book so in essence, I’ve been busier than ever. And it’s tough to write good material while trying to conquer those pesky Mongols.
So yes, the second book has a title and it’s beyond mere development. Much like the recent Bin Laden news, you’ll just have to take my word for it. What I can say is there are hints of the writers who most influenced me in the pages: Edward Abbey, Carl Sagan, David Quammen, Richard Dawkins, Neil Peart and Stephen Hawking to name a few. More topically, the overarching theme for the book is the concept of borders.
And yes, I do manage to work border collies into the mix.
Getting back to the book itself, I’d noticed a lot of the topics I had written about were accented with some of the blues that were present at the time of writing. In reworking the concepts with a more authentic message, I’ve realized so many events beyond our control have a way of fencing in our joy. Tighten that space too much and joy begins to wither. Let it wither into fear and there you have Yoda’s spiel about descending to the dark side.
So getting to the point, the thing about internal, self-imposed borders is we always have an out. Within the limits of our reality, the scope of what we can accomplish is staggering. This isn’t as corny as “when one door closes, another opens” because other doors are always open. And quantum physics says you can go through many doors at the same time. In my case, writing a book that explores how the natural world’s inherent truth syncs or opposes perceived borders is absolutely fascinating. (IE I was sad so I listened to the Cure, I was happy so I ate an entire Fudgie the Whale).
I’ve crossed quite a few of my own borders in the three years this book has come into being. I’m eager to see how the final product comes together.
