It has been far too long since I have posted. In this inexcusable time of absence I traveled to Europe, gallivanted in California and
enjoyed some other wanderings here and there. My first book I’m Trying Here has been out almost
three months and is having moderate success on the e-book circuit. But now it is time to move forward.
I have been working on several projects and have simply been waiting for one to
take some form of momentum.
My moment of clarity has arrived, and I am 11 pages into my
second novel. It will be a cross-breeding of genres type of book. It will be a
true account of my experience visiting Auschwitz in Poland. Part of it will be
historical context, the other part will be motivational/philosophical i.e. what
can we learn from studying or experiencing tragedy? What benefit can come from
learning about evil and hatred? These are questions that have hibernated in my mind for years, and now I wish to better articulate my inquires, and posit them for all who
wish to read. I don’t want to give away
too much yet in terms of motifs and plot structure, but like I said, above all
it will be about the Holocaust, and my personal dealings with history. Below I
will mention a few salient experiences from my trip to Auschwitz.
I have read dozens of books on the Holocaust, and about
concentration camps. There are few things I don’t know about the general
history of the Nazi regime and their accompanying plans of horror and destruction.
Alas, there is no way to prepare for entering these camps. There is no way to
understand the gravity of the events taken place without walking in the paths
of history, and experiencing it with your senses. Listening to things about
life and the world is important, reading about these things is imperative, but
being there, experiencing them is an unparalleled sensation. A man can learn a
lot by listening to a suave Casanova ramble on about dating, maybe even more so
by reading a book on the subject. But you will learn exponentially more by
asking girls out yourself, or by going on a double date with this putative
master of dating. This principle holds true for almost any area of learning.
Experience, and presence trumps all else.
At Auschwitz, where literally millions of innocent people
died decades ago, I myself paid money to enter the horrid gates. At the entrance,
engraved atop in iron with ironic morbidity are the words Arbeit Macht Frei (Work sets you free. Our tour took many hours, and yet I
was rather upset that it ended so quickly. The camps are vast and
overwhelming. I was maniacally taking pictures and trying to take in the moments,
all the while trying to imagine the impossible hardships of those who walked
those barracks, gas chambers and fields some seventy years ago.
Certain things touched me in a way that will resonate with
me forever, in a way no book could ever provide. The exhibits that displayed
the things that the Nazis seized from the Jews and other prisoners upon arrival
were absolutely harrowing. I knew they would take all of their personal items,
their shoes, their glasses, their prosthetics, and even their hair, but seeing
it up close, behind glass was something that left my stomach unsettled and my
eyes full of water. Specifically the hair; the hair that was violently shaved
or cut off by Hitler’s henchman was hard to look at. You could see tiny
ponytails and little piles of hair that were clearly that of children. It made
my heart churn and weep.
I could go on for pages, but I will save my narcissistic mutterings for my book.
All I know is that visiting those haunted grounds changed me in a beautiful and
existential way. And though you may not ever have the opportunity yourself, I hope you can have similar experiences that change your view of the world, and inspire you to do good, to do better.
I am working hard on this book and hope to have it finished
within the next few months. Thanks for the support, and let me know if you have
any questions. As the book progresses I will post periodical excerpts like I
did with my first work. Cheers & adieu.
