Search Results

A DIARY Across the Peaks of the Western Balkans The ambition: 7 countries, 700 kilometers of walking, love, history, unity, hard work, good food, great fjalë. THE ILLYRIAN WAY Get your copy today! Nina, Nana Lullaby In The Press Book Description Shortly after a life-shifting diagnosis fractured the silence of everyday life, the author set out with her husband on a three-month pilgrimage through the wild heart of the Western Balkans. The Illyrian Way is more than a travel memoir—it's a deeply personal journey of grief, healing, heritage, and discovery. Crossing seven countries and three legendary long-distance trails—Via Dinarica, Peaks of the Balkans, and High Scardus—the pair embrace mountain solitude, cultural resilience, and unexpected joy. Packed with trail maps, intimate photos, local recipes, and luminous vignettes of alpine meadows, Sharr dogs, wild horses, and warm family tables laden with raki and homegrown fare, this book is a love letter to connection: to history, land, and strangers turned kindred spirits. It’s a mosaic of encounters—world travelers, village heroes, ancient ruins, and a search for the author's own Illyrian roots. With quiet strength and playful reverence, The Illyrian Way invites readers into a tender expedition that celebrates nature’s drama and human grace. Whether you're a backpacker, a dreamer, or simply curious, this journey will awaken your wanderlust—and just might guide you toward your own version of home. Get your copy today. From the author The Illyrian Way is a physical trail along mountain peaks, forests, and the Adriatic Sea. There are three established long-distance trails that I have stitched together for the hiker enthusiast to experience 7 countries in the Western Balkans in one go. These established trails are called Via Dinarica, Peaks of Balkans, and High Scardus. Altogether they make up over 965 miles of hiking in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. I personally walked 450 miles of it. The Illyrian Way is also a mental journey of discovering culture from the comfort of your own home through this book. It depicts a unique cultural blend of West and East, of Christianity and Islam, of communism and democracy, and of various ethnic identities, the larger two being Slavic and Albanian, that have shaped the region. It is so much more than a place you may associate with corruption, poverty, and conflict, due to mainstream media often focusing their reporting on grief rather than celebratory human stories. For me, The Illyrian Way is a spiritual journey , a pilgrimage into my own heritage. One in which I embarked on out of personal grief, history, and fear but that left me feeling hopeful, proud, and joyful. Read more... VIA DINARICA is ~1,000 km or ~620 mi trail system in the Dinaric Alps or Dinarides. The Dinarides are named after Mount Dinara (1,831 m), a prominent peak in the center of the mountain range on the border with the Dalmatian part of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trail begins in Razdrto at the foot of the Nanos plateau in Slovenia, and roughly follows the Croatian mountains of Velika Kapela, Velebit and Dinara. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trail passes through the Hercegovina region, and then through the mountains of Central Montenegro. The route ends in the Valbona valley in the Albanian Alps in Northern Albania. PEAKS OF BALKANS is a ~192 km or ~120 mi trail system in the Accursed Mountain Range, the southernmost subrange of the 1,000-kilometer-long Dinaric Alps range (Dinarides). The Accursed Mountains (in Albanian: Bjeshkët e Nëmuna; in Serbo-Croatian: Проклетије, Prokletije; both translated as "Cursed Mountains"), also known as the Albanian Alps (Albanian: Alpet Shqiptare), are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans. The official trail extends from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. HIGH SCARDUS trail is a ~362 km or ~225 mi trail system which leads through the untouched mountain world of the Western Balkan countries of Kosovo, Albania, and Northern Macedonia. The start point is in Staro Selo in North Macedonia and the end point is in Sveti Naum at Ohrid Lake also in North Macedonia. When hiking the High Scardus Trail you cross the mountain ranges of Sharr, Korab, Deshat, Jablanica and Galichica - one more beautiful than the other. The best time to hike the Trail is from mid of June to Mid of October. The sea level stretches from 700m to 2.764m - so a certain basic physical condition is needed - especially when hiking the longest stage with 8 hours and a length of 26km (stage 8 "Brod - Radika") but boy, is it worth it! The longest stage by altitude meters is stage 10 ("Strezimir - Radomire") with 300m up and 1.600m down (you cannot miss this one either). Below is a journey that combines VIA DINARICA & PEAKS OF BALKANS & HIGH SCARDUS trails and includes official and unofficial trails. A portion of the VIA DINARICA official trail overlaps with the PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail. Th e northwest Albanian region of the Accursed Mountains (Malësia e Madhe region) is NOT part of PEAKS OF BALKANS official trail today; however, it is well marked and is not something you should skip, as it will offer you complete authenticity . Trails along the Sharr Mountain Range and Korab Mountain Range are part of the High Scardus trail . They are not part of VIA DINARICA because these mountain ranges are not part of the Dinaric mountain range. The Sharr Mountain system is about 80 km or 50 mi long and 10–20 km or 6–12 mi wide and does NOT have an official trail system. The Korab Mountain system stretches over 40 km or 25 mi and does NOT have an official trail system. These mountain ranges offer the best cheese in the Balkans, are arguably the world and similar can be said about the views and the trails. Remote, raw, barely explored, but the natives are friendly and will give you a wonderful experience, every step of the way. Our journey across the PEAKS OF BALKANS Slovenia/Slovenija Lake Bohinj Mt. Vogel Lake Bled Mt. Triglav Mt. Viševnik Mt. Snežnik Cro atia/Hrvatska R isnjak National Park Mt. Risnjak Northern Velebit Premužić Trail Middle Velebit Split Senj Opatija Pag Island - Star Novalja Bosnia & Herzegovina/ Bosnia i Hercegovina B lidinje National Park Jablanica Mostar Sarajevo Umoljani & Lukomir Sutjeska National Park Montenegro/Crna Gora Durmitor Mo untain s Prokeletije Mountain Range and National Park -Babino Polje - Plav - Mt. Talijanka (Maja e Vajushës) - Grebaj - Karafili Peak - Vusanje - Kolata Peak Kosovo/Kosova Pejë Accursed Mountain Rang e and Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park - Maja Hajlës (Hajla Peak) - Gjeravica Peak - Marijash Peak - Guri Kuq Peak Prishtinë Prizren High Scardus Trail - Sharr Mountain Range and National Park - Korab Mountain Range Macedonia/Makedonija Sharr Mountain Range Ma vrovo National Park Jance and Galicnik Korab Mountain Range A lbania/Shqipëria Kora b Mountain Range Korab-Koritnik National Park Theth and Valbona National Parks Accursed Mountain Range - Maja e Harapit (Arapi Peak) - Vuk ël - Tamarë - Vërmosh - Lepushë - Bogë - G rykë e Lugjeve - Theth - Maja Jezercës (Jezerca Peak) - Çerem - Dobërdol Bogë Shkodër Lake Shkodër Tiranë THE ILLYRIAN WAY DAILY ITINERARY Start Now EC ME LEZET! Peaks of Balkans & High Scardus Trails along the Accursed, Sharr, and Korab Mountain Ranges spanning Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia Accursed Mountain Range Accursed Mountains (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna in Albanian and Prokletije in Serbo-Croatian), also known as the Albanian Alps, are a mountain group in the western part of the Balkans that are the southernmost part of the Dinaric Alps. Maja Jezercë, standing at 2,694 m (8,839 ft), is the highest point of the Accursed Mountains and of all Dinaric Alps, and the fifth highest peak in Albania. Accursed Mountain range extends from northern Albania (Malësia e Madhe, Theth National Park, and Valbonë Valley National Park) to southern Kosovo (Bjeshkët e Nëmuna National Park) and northeastern Montenegro (Prokletije National Park). They are ethnographically and sociologically diverse with many tribes living in the region as sheep herders; primarily, Hoti, Kelmendi, Shkreli, Kastrati, Gruda, Dukagjini, Shala, Shoshi, Nikaj, Krasniqi, Gashi, Kuci and Rugova. It includes the highest mountain in Montenegro and second highest in Kosovo. - Zla Kolata (2,534 m or 8,314 ft) part of accursed mountain range - Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft) part of accursed mountain range Accursed mountains are world renowned for its dense old growth forests and high biodiversity. The range was formed by the folding resulting from the collision of the African and Eurasian plates. After the Alps, these mountains are the most glaciated in Europe south of the Scandinavian ice sheet. They have very steep limestone slopes with abundant karst features. Its engulfed by active glaciers, glacier lakes, rivers, waterfalls, karst caverns, protected wetlands, wildcat, lynx, fox, deer, boar, wolves, chamois, falcons, brown bears, partridge, owls golden eagles, ancient black pine, hundreds of medicinal herbs, blue grass, glacial flora, beech, fir, maple, spruce, Petasites doerfleri is only found on the Jezerca peaks, and the Albanian lily Lilium albanicum and Viola ducagjinica are only found at the top of the Maja Radohimës slope, and last but not least, t he Accursed Mountains are also the only European area where the Tertiary relic Forsythia europaea grow. Fun Fact: Albania has 42 mountains that are 2,000m or 6,000ft and above . Sharr Mountain Range Sharr Mountains (Malet e Sharrit in Albanian) is a mountain range extending from southern Kosovo to northeastern Albania to northwestern North Macedonia. The sections in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia are national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). These mountains are among the highest on the Balkans, with ~30 peaks higher than 2,500 m or 8,202 ft and 70 above the 2,000 m or 6,600 ft. There are 70 glacial lakes along the range. The dog breed Šarplaninac (aka Illyrian dog) comes from this area. Sharr Mountain Range is NOT part of the Dinaric Alp system and therefore not part of the VIA DIN ARICA Trail but part of the High Scardus Trail. Count on this trail to deliver arguably the best cheese you have tasted in your life - the Sharr Cheese. Korab Mountain Range Southwest of Sharr mountains, Korab Mountain Range is a mountain range around the border triangle of Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo. It’s across three national parks (Korab-Koritnik National Park in Albania, Mavrovo National Park in Macedonia, and Sharr Mountains National Park in Kosovo). Great Korab or simply Korab peak stands at 2,764 m or 9,068 ft and is the highest peak in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. A kind of double peak, that of Korab II is about 150 m or 160 yds northwest of the peak within the Albanian territory. On the same ridge are two other peaks rising over 2,700 meters or 8,900 ft: Shulani i Radomirës and Small Korab or Korab III. Korab-gate (Albanian: Maja e Portës së Korabit; Macedonian: Korapska Mala vrata) is another peak about 2 km or 1 mi to the southwest. A few hundred meters south is another peak, Maja e Moravës. Fun Fact: Korab is the highest mountain in Albania and the fourth-highest mountain located entirely in the Balkan Peninsula, standing at 2,764 meters or 9,068 feet. The official trail systems extend primarily from northeast Albania to southern Kosovo and northeastern Montenegro. It does not include the other half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, nor the Sharr or Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The information above is to promote the official extension of the current trail to include ther half of Accursed Mountain Range in northwest Albania, the Sharr and Korab Mountain Ranges in Albania, Kosovo, and Macedonia. List of top 60 Accursed peaks Maja Jezercë (2,694 m or 8,839 ft; in Albania) Gjeravica (2,656 m or 8,714 ft; in Koso vo) Maja Grykat e Hapëta (2,625 m or 8,612 ft; in Albania) Maja e Radohimës (2,570 m or 8,432 ft; in Albania) Maja e Popljuces (2,569 m or 8,428 ft; in Albania) Maja Briaset (2,567 m or 8,422 ft; in Albania) Maja e Hekurave (2,561 m or 8,402 ft; in Albania) Rodi e Kollatës (2,556 m or 8,386 ft; in Albania) Maja e Shënikut (2,554 m or 8,379 ft; in Albania) Maja Tat (2,543 m or 8,343 ft; in Albania) Gusan (2,539 m or 8,330 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Zla Kolata/Kollata e Keqe (2,534 m or 8,314 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Marijaš/Marijash (2,533 m or 8,310 ft; in Kosovo) Dobra Kolata/Kolata e Mirë (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Albania and Montenegro) Rosni Vrh/Maja e Rosit (2,524 m or 8,281 ft; in Montenegro) Žuti kamen/Guri i Kuq (2,522 m or 8,274 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Visens (2,517 m or 8,258 ft; in Albania) Maja Kokervhake (2,508 m or 8,228 ft; in Albania) Rops/Maja e Ropës (2,502 m or 8,209 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Shkurt (2,499 m or 8,199 ft; in Albania) Maja Reshkullit (2,496 m or 8,189 ft; in Albania) Maja e Malësores (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Albania) Karanfili (Veliki Vrh, Kremeni Vrh, Maja Gurt e Zjarmit) (2,490 m or 8,169 ft; in Montenegr o) Maja e Ragamit (2,472 m or 8,110 ft; in Albania) Maja Bojs (2,461 m or 8,074 ft; in Albania) Koprivnik/Kopranik (2,460 m or 8,071 ft; in Kosovo) Maja Vukoces (2,450 m or 8,038 ft; in Albania) Veternik (2,410 m or 7,907 ft; in Albania) Shkëlzen (2,407 m or 7,897 ft; in Albania) Maja e Thatë (2,406 m or 7,894 ft; in Albania) Pasji Peak (2,405 m or 7,890 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Maja Bogiçaj (2,404 m or 7,887 ft; in Albania and Kosovo) Hajla (2,403 m or 7,884 ft; in Kosovo and Montenegro) Rusulija (2,382 m or 7,815 ft) Streoc (2,377 m or 7,799 ft) Tromeđa (2,366 m or 7,762 ft) Žljeb (2,365 m or 7,759 ft) Maja e Kakisë (2,360 m or 7,743 ft) Liqenat (2,341 m or 7,680 ft) Rrasa e Zogut (2,305 m or 7,562 ft) Hajla e Vëranocit (2,281 m or 7,484 ft) Junik (2,280 m or 7,480 ft) Maja Stogut (2,246 m or 7,369 ft; in Albania) Maja e Elbunit (2,231 m or 7,320 ft) Deçan Mountain (2,200 m or 7,218 ft) Maja Harapit (2,218 m or 7,277 ft) Maja Trojan (2,190 m or 7,185 ft) Pogled (2,155 m or 7,070 ft) Maja Dramadol (2,120 m or 6,955 ft) Beleg (2,102 m or 6,896 ft) Maja e Ershellit (2,067 m or 6,781 ft) Maja e Vjelakut (2,014 m or 6,608 ft) Hajla e Shkrelit (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Madhe (2,011 m or 6,598 ft) Maja e Grebenit (1,864 m or 6,115 ft) Lice Mountain (1,799 m or 5,902 ft) Maja e Veleçikut (1,725 m or 5,659 ft) List of top 30 Sharr peaks Titov Vrv (2,747 m or 9,012 ft) Mal Turčin (2,707 m or 8,881 ft) Bakardan (2,704 m or 8,871 ft) Borislavec (2,675 m or 8,776 ft) Velika Rudoka (2,660 m or 8,727 ft) Bistra – east summit (Peskovi) (2,651 m or 8,698 ft) Bistra – west summit (2,641 m or 8,665 ft) Small Rudoka (2,629 m or 8,625 ft) Džini Beg (2,610 m or 8,563 ft) Lake Peak (2,604 m or 8,543 ft) Karabunar (2,600 m or 8,530 ft) White Lake Peak (2,590 m or 8,497 ft) Maja e zezë (2,585 m or 8,481 ft) Big Vraca (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Guzhbaba (2,582 m or 8,471 ft) Isa Aga (2,555 m or 8,383 ft) Black Peak (2,536 m or 8,320 ft) Kobilica (2,528 m or 8,294 ft) Piribeg (2,524 m or 8,281 ft) Ljuboten (2,498 m or 8,196 ft) Maja Livadh (2,497 m or 8,192 ft) Zallina (2,493 m or 8,179 ft) Small Vraca (2,483 m or 8,146 ft) Kara Nikolla (2,409 m or 7,904 ft) Maja Koritnik (2,393 m or 7,851 ft) Tumba Peak (2,346 m or 7,697 ft) Gemitash (2,183 m or 7,162 ft) Kalabak (2,174 m or 7,133 ft) Crnkamenska Kula (2,117 m or 6,946 ft) Šerupa (2,092 m or 6,864 ft) tri-point List of Korab peaks Great Korab or Korab (2,764 m or 9,068 ft) Korab II (2,751 m or 9,026 ft) Shulani i Radomirës (2,716 m or 8,911 ft) Small Korab or Korab III (2,683 m or 8,802 ft) Korab-gate (2,727 m or 8,947 ft) Maja e Moravës (2,718 m or 8,917 ft) Daorson - capital of the Illyrian tribe Daorsa 300 to 50 BC Ošanjići Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A creative portfolio dedicated to showcasing the beauty of Albanians through photography. Click here to start on the visual journey. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives A collective of researchers from different generations, ethnicities, and backgrounds in Kosovo. OHI's main activity is its publicly available and researchable multilingual digital archive that presents life stories of people from varying angles. Albanians have a long and unique relationships with oral history. Curiosity may take you on a lifetime journey peeling the onion of intergenerational transnational memory one layer at a time. Capturing beauty through unique perspectives Balkanism is a dynamic digital platform and publication focused on Balkan identity, history, culture, diaspora experiences, and social rights issues.

Art They've been punishing us for 2000 years for eating the apple. - Dea Shkupi Video Amy Sherald - It’s more than just the corrective narrative. It's gotta be about humanity first. Video Rose B. Simpson - I can stand in my femininity and still feel that power. Video Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn - We're taught history based on certain agendas. I'd rather explore it through my personal lens. Video Gorilla Girls - You can't stop artists. Even if they don't become superstars, you can't stop them from doing their work. Hello Hello Hello Hello Unleash Your Best Unleash Your Best Unleash Your Best Unleash Your Best The worst days can make the best art The worst days can make the best art The worst days can make the best art The worst days can make the best art Share your art today Got your own art or someone else's that you love? Please share!

Interactive Experience Interactive Experience Interactive Experience Interactive Experience Reach out if interested

Three Generations Three Generations DF 01. 19. 2019 Somewhere, everywhere, anywhere Lives a story of women and their paths of a better life they were obliged to dare The first, locked her five in a room, to spare them And gave birth to her sixth in a shallow pail With five mountains crowning the home at the hem Her husband, not dead-beat but beat nearly dead Icy wind whipping across his herd of hungry sheep Later, he would weep at the sight of six in his bed Maybe this is what broke the present from the past He no longer fetched ice from the peaks for treats 45 km south, this summer was different from the last Nineteen summers later, she served rose water to me After I plucked the newly planted flowers From her quarter hectare garden that became my identity The second, spent her greatest youth in that family garden With grapevine covered terraces, justly unfit for patriarchy But if my feet were bare, on cement, he did not pardon To bear someone’s sacrifice that was bigger than their dream And to gracefully redeem the wrongs of the past for new ones In this fantastic new life, she chose to leave, to adapt, and to lean Perhaps she did not carry grace and he never drove for peace Leaving her three for a plane, at night, with her breasts barely dry from the milk of her third, to find him job searching in the streets Oh, but what a wonderful new world she found for her three to be In a fantastic life, one in which a lady finds her own glass slipper, and Liberty is represented by a woman, shipped across the sea, like me The third, did indeed embrace the luxury to enjoy life Between worlds, biases, chances, ladders, and ceilings With no harsh births, no patriarchal spouse, no strife She wept quietly when she could spare the time to see The fantastic person he wanted, she wanted, they wanted The woman she is, was, and the one she should be To bear someone’s sacrifice that was bigger than their dream And to gracefully redeem the wrongs of the past for new ones In this fantastic new life, she chose to question, to love, to glean And she reaps new memories, now in her acre garden With cucumbers plucked by her pet white Labrador Whose presence and delight became her new tartan The third spent her greatest years, weaving old flora in with the new With the muscle memory of the second, it unforgivably resembled The Nirvana of the first, where these new roots grew

This is the jungle This is the jungle D F 0 9 . 1 1 . 2 0 1 9 This is the jumbo jungle where I see an educated savage Boasting, berating, babbling, belittling causing chaos and demanding damage This is the jumbo jungle It’s an electric forest, a beehive A bed made of thorns and flowers A river flowing long and deep along ravenous and redundant powers This is the jumbo jungle Where the fog reveals suffering of a penniless barefoot girl who impressed a money man And their son who knew too less to take care of his orange tan This is the jumbo jungle In which I live and breathe An immigrant with opinions I am both scared and strong I care for water, the earth, and you I am conflicted, I am relentless and I long for the simpler world I knew

Explore Explore Explore Explore Reach out if interested

03 03 03 03 02 02 02 02 01 01 01 01 ... ... ... ... B E L O N G I N G HIVE LOOKING FOR VENERA VERA DREAMS OF THE SEA THE HILL WHERE LIONESSES ROAR DISPLACED YOU WON'T BE ALONE ZANA THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD NO MAN'S LAND QUO VADIS, AIDA? SWORN VIRGIN THE ALBANIAN VIRGIN IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY BOTA HONEYLAND DARA OF JASENOVAC SLOVENIJA, AVSTRALIJA IN JUTRI VES SVET VAZVISHENIE SECRET INGREDIENT TRAIN DRIVER'S DIARY HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! Have any special movies to share?

Spread the fjalë

Relieved Relieved DF 12.2022 Snap! With each passing moment, I leave behind the one place I knew I am looking up as I am falling down, becoming resistibly aware of separation, of the glue that bound while I sprouted and grew Then slightly changed and dew soaked, I am suddenly scintillating away Swoosh! I tumble through air waves from a butterfly’s flapping wings And re-find my balance on the crown of a golden rod, now gray Delicately rebloomed into a patch of puff balls on top of browning twigs I am looking down as I see their leaves fall, becoming resistibly aware of nature’s cycle, of the glue that bound while we sprouted and grew Then slightly changed and sun soaked, we are suddenly scintillating away Sway! Seed heads scattering, up then down, like falling stars, separating and falling like me. We sway together but apart, and the ground is near With every sway, my first encounter of separating and falling keeps fading In my journey of tumbling, I found others, and I found me, but not fear I am looking down as I near the sweet leaves of grass, becoming resistibly aware of the ignorance I once had, of the everlasting glue that bound them and me Then slightly changed and out of time, I am on the ground and of the ground, I am in peace. But I am only a leaf.

Culture Culture Culture Culture Reach out if interested

Great books don't just describe the world; they change how we perceive it. Sometimes the greatness of literature lies in its ability to shake us out of our comfort zones. Justin's Bookshelf What criteria do you personally use when reviewing a book? Justin: Situational, depending on where I am physically and mentally. I need to be in the right headspace to read books. Typically, I don’t like to read light-hearted, fluffy books, once that are feel good books. They’d have to be thought provoking. I like well-written fiction with a meaning or moral. Historical fiction is also appealing. Primarily, I read nonfiction because I want to learn vs solely reading for entertainment. I like to read books that are obviously smarter than me, that challenge me. Rooted in fact but with strong philosophical arguments. I like to read books that sink in deeply so that I remember the main messaging vs the overall story. This is a list of books that are meaningful and challenging. I wouldn’t recommend them to everybody as it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If books and how you feel about them were a person, who would it be and why? Justin: Al D’Andrea, my high school economics teacher because I used to love he’d speak – he told very good stories, he was intelligent. Anytime he told a story, personal or professional, I would listen with full attention. N O N F I C T I O N 1.The Dancing Wu Li Masters — Gary Zukav explores modern physics through Eastern philosophy, showing how scientific discoveries challenge traditional ideas of reality and consciousness. •In one word: Elevated •In one sentence: There’s a lot to explore and connect with in this universe that most of us normally do not think about or comprehend but we should try. 2.The Seat of the Soul — Gary Zukav argues that human evolution is moving toward spiritual awareness, emphasizing intention, responsibility, and inner growth. •In one word: Inspirational •In one sentence: Human evolution is a much longer game and timespan than what we see and perceive on a daily basis. 3.Where Good Ideas Come From — Steven Johnson explains how innovation emerges from networks, collaboration, and slow-building ideas rather than sudden inspiration. •In one word: Accessible •In one sentence: What we think we know about those people and invention that have defined humanity is incorrect. 4.The Siege of Shkodra — This historical account recounts the Ottoman siege of the Albanian city, emphasizing resistance, sacrifice, and national identity. •In one word: Epic •In one sentence: The toughness and resilience of the Albanian people goes back as far as has been recorded. 5.The Art of Peace — Morihei Ueshiba presents aikido as a philosophy of harmony, teaching that true strength comes from compassion and nonviolence. •In one word: Sad •In one sentence: If more people read and followed this, the world would be a better place. 6.Sapiens — Yuval Noah Harari surveys human history from early ancestors to modern societies, examining how biology, culture, and belief systems shape humanity. •In one word: Important •In one sentence: Humans are unique and we owe ourselves and the earth, the responsibility to not take that for granted and to be responsible and accountable with it. 7.A Place of My Own — Michael Pollan reflects on designing and building a small writing house, blending architecture, creativity, and the meaning of personal space. •In one word: Cozy •In one sentence: Take your time to do things well. 8.The Century of the Common Man — Henry A. Wallace argues for democracy, economic fairness, and global cooperation as defining forces of the modern era. •In one word: Forgotten •In one sentence: History is littered with the carcasses of beautiful and harmonious ideas and movements. 9.The Next 100 Years — George Friedman offers geopolitical predictions for the 21st century, suggesting global power will shift through recurring historical patterns. •In one word: Smart •In one sentence: If we continue to be okay with saying ‘humans just do human things’ then this terrifying book will continue to be correct (which talks about the constant battle for power and viewing the world as a fixed pie of resources). F I C T I O N 10.The Bridge on the Drina — Ivo Andrić traces centuries of Balkan history through the life of a single bridge, revealing how personal lives are shaped by political and cultural upheaval. •In one word: Genius •In one sentence: There’s no such thing as the ‘good-old-days’. 11.Infinite Jest — David Foster Wallace’s novel interweaves addiction, entertainment, and ambition in a fractured future where pleasure becomes a form of control. •In one word: Crazy •In one sentence: Life is not fair. 12.Revolutionary Road — Richard Yates depicts a suburban couple whose dreams of escape collapse under conformity, disillusionment, and emotional isolation. •In one word: Inevitable •In one sentence: No person is an island. Much of our culture is more communal than we think, sometimes. 13.The History of Sound — This work explores memory, love, and loss, often focusing on how sound and storytelling preserve human connection across time. •In one word: Cerebral •In one sentence: Great story telling takes skill, patience, and forethought. 14.Chronicles in Stone — Ismail Kadare’s memoir portrays his childhood in wartime Albania, blending personal memory with the weight of history and myth. •In one word: Personal •In one sentence: We should all try to see things through children’s eyes and use that as our moral compass and guide. That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong. - F. Scott Fitzgerald Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul. - Joyce Carol Oates Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. - Ezra Pound A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. - Franz Kafka Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic. - Carl Sagan A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one. - George R.R. Martin Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become. - C.S. Lewis Literature always anticipates life. It does not copy it but molds it to its purpose. - Oscar Wilde Literature... isn't a hiding place. It is a finding place. - Jeanette Winterson Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity. -G.K. Chesterton Without literature, life is hell. - Charles Bukowski Books are a uniquely portable magic. - Stephen King Have any book titles or reviews to share?

It's the same old song I t’s the same old song DF 09. 01 . 2019 It’s the same old song In the morning I hear him singing Late nights too on the front porch I hear him singing The shadow he cast on the sun Long years between us But with my mom, he is one And I hear him singing... Across the valley and to the river I see her stepping in I always walk to her to hold her tender Cuz she loves from within I hear him singing ... Yea woman of mine Rise and shine Shine my day Be my light Give me a memory I won’t lament He chose her everyday How could he ever love again I will always miss dreaming my dreams with you You are mine and hers alright I should have always loved you right, yes, you are mine and hers alright NEW YORK, NEW YORK DF 05. 01. 2020 NEW YORK, NEW YORK CARS WHOOSHING BY AND ACROSS LIKE BLOOD IN A RUNNER’S VEINS WHEELS TURNING AND HORNS BURSTING LIKE A MELODY FROM ROOSTERS WITH CANES POP. AND THERE’S A MAN FINGERING A CHAMPAGNE CORK HE IS A DIRTY HIPSTER AND A BOSS BUT THOSE THREE WOMEN HOLD THE REIGNS LOCK, THEM UP. THEY KNOW OF DORKS AND OF THEIR STAINS. BUT. THEIR OWN GLOSS IS OVER TEETH IN ALL SORTS OF PAINS THEY DO NOT FLOSS EVEN FROM PORK ON A FORK OH! AT THE TOP OF THE ROCK OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK Haiku Resources 1. Wales Haiku Journal 2. Haiku Foundation -> Haiku Dialogue No title 01. 21. 2023 A curious pause between two apt Delphians who don’t know themselves. No title 01. 21. 2023 Far away from home, the robin flies alone, low with a broken wing. The Oracle of Delphi pronounced Socrates the wisest of Greeks; and Socrates took this as approval of his agnosticism which was the starting point of his philosophy: ‘One thing only I know’, he said, ‘and that is that I know nothing’. Philosophy begins when one begins to doubt — when one begins to question the accepted wisdom of tradition. Particularly the one’s cherished beliefs, one’s dogmas and one’s axioms. Delphian inscription: To be curious about that which is not my business, while I’m still in ignorance of my own self, would be ridiculous. And therefore I say farewell to all of this, but about myself. My best friend, Oscar With you, I don’t walk but I dance across meadows And traverse the forest w ith ease Even today you are here with me I jump from one rock to another to avoid the mud that may be lingering in between the soft looking patches of grass Oh, the rocks, even boulders, that you stepped on and over like lily pads when you were little No obstacle existed, and no pool of water was too small for a belly dip lock and step together, you made me happy No time with you was ever lonely or dull But old age came for you much faster than for me my dear friend Your paws are now resting gently on the floor that you used to wipe clean with your tail And I’m here meandering on my own Following in your footsteps, practicing curiosity and thrill I’m trusting you, like you always did me My tears fall and I walk up the waterfall, looking for that time with you, that togetherness you taught me with grace, I walk and I look, and I made it to the top, higher than ever before. Because of you. Without you.