Featured post
Artshub Reviews
I love the Festival of Perth in all its manifestations - the Festival proper, the Fringe Festival, and the Writers Festival. However, I ...

About Me
- Satima Flavell
- I am a writer, editor, reviewer and dance teacher based in Perth, Western Australia. You might enjoy my books - The Dagger of Dresnia, the first book of the Talismans Trilogy, is available at all good online book shops as is Book two, The Cloak of Challiver. Book three, The Seer of Syland, is in preparation. I trained in piano and singing at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. I also trained in dance (Scully-Borovansky, WAAPA) and drama (NIDA). Since 1987 I have been writing reviews of performances in all genres for a variety of publications, including Music Maker, ArtsWest, Dance Australia, The Australian and others. Now semi-retired, I still write occasionally for the ArtsHub website, and I still teach dance at Trinity School for Seniors, an outreach program of the Uniting Church in Perth.

My books
The first novel of my trilogy, The Talismans, is available as an e-book from Smashwords, Amazon and other online sellers. I do have paperbacks of The Dagger of Dresnia at the low price of $AU25 including postage within Australia. I also have a short story, 'La Belle Dame', in print - see Mythic Resonance below.
Book two of the trilogy, The Cloak of Challiver, will be available again shortly.
The best way to contact me is via Facebook!

Buy The Talismans
The first two books of The Talismans trilogy were published by Satalyte Publications, which, sadly, has gone out of business. Book one, The Dagger of Dresnia, is up on the usual bookselling web sites as an e-book, and I have a few hard copies to sell to those who prefer Real Paper. Book Two, The Cloak of Challiver, will be available soon.
The easiest way to contact me is via Facebook.

Buy Mythic Resonance
Mythic Resonance is an excellent anthology that includes my short story 'La Belle Dame', together with great stories from Alan Baxter, Donna Maree Hanson, Sue Burstynski, Nike Sulway and nine more fantastic authors! Just $US3.99 from Amazon.
Got a Kindle? Check out Mythic Resonance.

For Readers, Writers & Editors
- A dilemma about characters
- Adelaide Writers Week, 2009
- Adjectives, commas and confusion
- An artist's conflict
- An editor's role
- Authorial voice, passive writing and the passive voice
- Common misuses: common expressions
- Common misuses: confusing words
- Common misuses: pronouns - subject and object
- Conversations with a character
- Critiquing Groups
- Does length matter?
- Dont sweat the small stuff: formatting
- Free help for writers
- How much magic is too much?
- Know your characters via astrology
- Like to be an editor?
- Modern Writing Techniques
- My best reads of 2007
- My best reads of 2008
- My favourite dead authors
- My favourite modern authors
- My influential authors
- Planning and Flimmering
- Planning vs Flimmering again
- Psychological Spec-Fic
- Readers' pet hates
- Reading, 2009
- Reality check: so you want to be a writer?
- Sensory detail is important!
- Speculative Fiction - what is it?
- Spelling reform?
- Substantive or linking verbs
- The creative cycle
- The promiscuous artist
- The revenge of omni rampant
- The value of "how-to" lists for writers
- Write a decent synopsis
- Write a review worth reading
- Writers block 1
- Writers block 2
- Writers block 3
- Writers need editors!
- Writers, Depression and Addiction
- Writing in dialect, accent or register
- Writing it Right: notes for apprentice authors

Interviews with authors
My Blog List
-
Speculative Fiction Showcase: Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 20... - Speculative Fiction Showcase: Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for April 20...: It's time for the weekly round-up of interesting links about speculati...1 hour ago
-
A To Z Blogging Challenge 2018: R Is For Gillian Rubinstein - Gillian Rubinstein writes for children and teens. You may have heard of her under her pen name of Lian Hearn, under which she wrote the Japanese-themed T...2 hours ago
-
The complexity of medieval Soberton (1) by Carolyn Hughes - When, several years ago, I embarked upon writing the first of the " Meonbridge Chronicles", I read a lot of books in preparation. Most of the books were fil...3 hours ago
-
View From a Hotel Window, 4/19/18: Minneapolis - It’s a very vertical view today, because I’m downtown in a major American city. I like it! Tonight: 7pm in the Har Mar Barnes & Noble! Be there! Or don’t b...9 hours ago
-
Books by Tessa Bailey, Sabrina Darby, & More! - *The Vixen and the Vet* *READER RECOMMENDED: The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery is $2.99 at Amazon! Several books in Regnery’s Modern Fairytale series...11 hours ago
-
Teresa Dovalpage - Teresa Dovalpage was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966. She earned her BA in English literature and an MA in Spanish literature at the University of Havana, an...14 hours ago
-
Rome: the Paradise, the grave, the city, the wilderness - The following is an abridged extract from The Rome We Have Lost by John Pemble and discusses how Rome, the eternal city, the centre of Europe and, in man...15 hours ago
-
Flog a Pro: would you pay to turn the first page of this bestseller? - Trained by reading hundreds of submissions, editors and agents often make their read/not-read decision on the first page. In a customarily formatted book m...16 hours ago
-
Cover Reveal: Bookburners Season 4 - In which we showcase the cover of Bookburners Season 4, the latest season of the critically acclaimed urban fantasy serial about a secret team of agents ...16 hours ago
-
Easy Ways to Sell Signed Copies of Your Novel Online - *By J. Kathleen Cheney, @jkcheney * *Part of the Indie Authors Series * I’ve been in this author game for a while, and it still surprises me when someon...17 hours ago
-
Digital archiving: ‘Context is everything’ - What’s the difference between an archive and a data warehouse? How are digital archives different from other collections of data? Perhaps the most signific...18 hours ago
-
“I want my time with you” – and quite right, too - Tracy Emin’s new art installation at St Pancras station has hit the news, as her work always does. I have no expertise with which to Read the full article...20 hours ago
-
To Move Is to Live Is to Move - I walk five miles every day, using a Fitbit as a pedometer to keep myself honest. People praise me for this, telling me how virtuous I am to get all this e...21 hours ago
-
Marion Deeds - We were very pleased to have author Marion Deeds join us on the show to talk about her work and her interests. I started by asking her what her favorite th...22 hours ago
-
Victorian Home, Climate and Weather, Salmonella - I guess I didn't check properly, and it appears that what I was watching on Tuesday evening was Part 2 of Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home. Which I am...22 hours ago
-
Ready Set Discover Logan now available at Bookshops - Ready Set Discover Logan now available I’m thrilled to pieces Ready Set Discover Logan received *5 STAR Reviews and is now available at Bookshops in Bri...22 hours ago
-
Flogometer 1051 for Danielle—are you compelled to turn the page? - Submissions sought. Get fresh eyes on your opening page. Submission directions below. The Flogometer challenge: can you craft a first page that compels me ...1 day ago
-
How to Write a Series for Your Blog (and Why You’ll Want To) - Have you ever written a series of posts for your blog – a set of posts that are deliberately linked together? If you haven’t, I hope I can convince you t...1 day ago
-
Preview- First chapter of Skyfire - Hi all This might be of interest to some of you. This is a preview of the first chapter of Part Five of the Dragon Wine series, called Skyfire. I thought t...1 day ago
-
Preview- First chapter of Skyfire - Hi all This might be of interest to some of you. This is a preview of the first chapter of Part Five of the Dragon Wine series, called Skyfire. I thought t...1 day ago
-
Urban Fantasy tab added… - In a similar vein to The Book Review Directory, I’ve been sent freebies from authors in this genre. I’ve downloaded one and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve dec...2 days ago
-
New Medieval Books: Suger and Blood - Looking for something medieval to read? Here are five new books about the Middle Ages to check out...2 days ago
-
Another talk with Laurie Anderson - One of the people I love talking to most in the world is Laurie Anderson. Laurie Anderson is an experimental musician, avant-garde composer, storyteller, ...3 days ago
-
SFTV 101 - SFTV 101: 1952 to 1980 For anyone interested in the history of science fiction, fantasy and horror on television, here is a list of episodes recommended...4 days ago
-
#305 - Question: The pivotal scene in my manuscript is the rape of the main character. My last beta reader said she had nightmares for two days about the story and...4 days ago
-
The Abduction of Elizabeth de Burgh, February 1316 - The third and youngest of Edward II's de Clare nieces, who were the daughters of his second eldest sister Joan of Acre and her first husband Gilbert 'the R...4 days ago
-
Top 5 Concept Mistakes Writers Make - Concept IS Story Concept aka ‘premise’, ‘controlling idea’, ‘seed of the story’. Whatever you want to call it, that concept is the FOUNDATION of your sto...4 days ago
-
Publishers Weekly Includes Two Vanity Publishers in its List of Fast-Growing Independent Presses - *Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware* Once again, Publishers Weekly's annual overview of fast-growing independent publishers features not only in...6 days ago
-
Me, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, Tongue Cancer, and Jason Fung, MD - Something you might not know about me. Back in the early 2000’s, I was fat. Not chubby. Not “just need to lose a few pounds.” Morbidy obese. The point at w...1 week ago
-
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME AND A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE - What's the difference between me (and other professional writers) and a professional athlete? You know, like those talented young folk now showing us their...1 week ago
-
Unpublication - I’ve been slow to provide purchase links for my new hard-SF short story collection, Wide Brown Land: stories of Titan. There’s a reason for that: two days ...1 week ago
-
A Hike on the Wild Side by Gail Gaymer Martin - Sometimes it’s hard to face that certain times of life, we can’t do what we might have done ten years earlier. Living in the beauty of Arizona and surrou...1 week ago
-
Normans, Angevins and Britons - The History of the Honour of Richmond, Part 1 - Richmond Castle, situated on a cliff above the river Swale in northern Yorkshire, is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture since it has not be...1 week ago
-
When a Comma Isn’t Enough - Punctuating interrupted dialogue is a confusing topic for both writers and editors, but there is a definitive answer to the question, "how do you punctuate...1 week ago
-
Review: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening - [image: Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening] Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie M. Liu My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely stunning combination of artwork, ...1 week ago
-
Selling Your Original Art? Get Ready For These Comments...And More - John Buscema, Hulk preliminary. Not my art, so don't ask me if you can buy it. Selling, and buying for that matter, original comic book art shouldn't be di...1 week ago
-
Steampunk Fly Girl - This is another one of my vintage digital photos, I call her Steampunk Fly Girl. I suspect she was actually dressed this way for riding in a motor car, but...2 weeks ago
-
Suspended in Dusk 2 - My story in the first Suspended In Dusk anthology was called “Shadows Of The Lonely Dead” and it won an Australian Shadows Award, and was reprinted in a ...2 weeks ago
-
Free Farseer Poster - I know why you are here. You want to pre-order the Farseer coloring book from the Dabel Brothers, and get the free poster. The free poster is different fro...2 weeks ago
-
April Fool's Day - I'm not a fan of pranks. In my opinion in general they tend to be cruel and hurtful and I really have no wish to watch someone being embarrassed. With the ...2 weeks ago
-
Welcome to WEP - Write...Edit...Publish APRIL challenge -- ROAD LESS TRAVELED - Of course the classic Robert Frost poem, *The Road Not Taken*, comes to mind with this prompt which went some little way in inspiring our choice. *What ...2 weeks ago
-
What we are seeing today is actually the second renaissance of indie bookselling, not the first - Publishing and digital change consultant Bill Rosenblatt — always worth paying attention to — pointed his contacts last week to a podcast from NPR celebr...3 weeks ago
-
The Despenser Inheritance - This link will take you to an interesting (but complex) article by Professor Hicks about the Despenser inheritance. You will see from it that Warwick "the ...3 weeks ago
-
Despenser Inheritance - This link will take you to an interesting (if complex) article by Professor Hicks about the Despenser Inheritance.3 weeks ago
-
Hummingbird Cake Recipe - This recipe brings together a few recipes I found online and combined/tweaked. It has a lot of ingredients, but it’s pretty easy to make, and fun. I migh...5 weeks ago
-
Edward III - *Frances, our Fearless Leader, has written an appreciation of a little known play, Edward III. Now accepted as having been written at least in part by our...1 month ago
-
New Yoga demonstration video - Hi Friends, I just returned from Sri Lanka where I attended the 3 day Global Mindfulness Summit. During the conference part of my participation was narrati...1 month ago
-
Writers [on Writing]: Hilmer Wolitzer - This is from the final page and final paragraph of the collected essays of *Writers [On Writing]* from *The New York Times*; and seems a fitting way to end ...1 month ago
-
Buying my books - So I have taken to Lulu - who originally assisted with the publication of The Woodcarver's Son . Anyone wanting to buy a copy of either the Woodcarver's S...1 month ago
-
Taking (off) the Pith - I’ve reached a quiet decision. Steampunk is marvelous; I love it, and I have greatly enjoyed my many and various excursions therein, both fantastic (e.g. m...1 month ago
-
Interview: Kevin Craig - Novelist, poet and playwright Kevin Craig, long known as KTC on Absolute Write, set some time aside for an interview, just days after release of his sixt...1 month ago
-
We're all living in the wound. Here's a way we can begin to heal together. - Never in my life have I felt such an urgent need for Something Good to happen for America. This is my contribution to a visionary discussion: I am consta...1 month ago
-
Here's an article based on an exercise I led in Active vs. Passive Writing course - https://novelrocket.com/2018/02/inhabiting-the-prose.html/ FEBRUARY 5, 2018 BY NOVELROCKET Inhabiting the Prose [image: author prose tips]by Patricia Brad...2 months ago
-
On Indefinite Hiatus - (Which I pretty much have been from this site for a while already, but for real now.) You can find most archive content through the On Writing page, and li...2 months ago
-
Amazon Ranking and Bestseller Lists - What's the Deal? - It's really hard to draw conclusions in the self-pub marketing game. After almost ten years of self-publishing on Amazon, I still don't know why some ebook...2 months ago
-
-
Coming Events In Germany - *Q and A* Tuesday 27th February 8.00pm DTK-Wasserturm Kopischstraße 7, 10965 Berlin, Germany *Lunebuch Bookstore* Interview Thursday 1st March 8.00pm Ba...2 months ago
-
Writer brain is back! - So, there’s this thing I call writer brain. That’s where, out of nowhere, characters start chatting with each other in my head … or plot solutions pop up w...2 months ago
-
Slave owners in the family tree - My mother, Judith Anson Robinson, did much of the family interviewing, letter writing, ordering of books and microfilms from genealogy libraries, and tra...3 months ago
-
More Regular Dance & Gymnastic Blog Posts - Although I am very active on both Instagram and Facebook uploading and sharing images from photo sessions, my poor website seems to be neglected. I am goin...3 months ago
-
A Decade of Reading: 2008-2017 - I’ve been a voracious reader my whole life, but it wasn’t until 2008 that I started cataloging my reading journey. Ten years later and I’ve just ticked ove...4 months ago
-
Review: Corpselight by Angela Slatter - Verity Fassbinder might have gone up against Archangels and Weyrd murderers before, but now she’s on a course that might just see her out of her depth – mo...4 months ago
-
Interview for Annie Douglass Lima's new book The Student and the Slave! - Take a look at this exciting new young adult action and adventure novel, *The Student and the Slave*, now available for purchase! This is the third book i...5 months ago
-
Poem (2): For Fear - For Fear As I fear to bend and break The grass upon which I walk ... As I touch not the lustrous bubble For fear of ending its fragile life; As I fear to t...5 months ago
-
Literary Executors: Why you don’t want to be one, and how to know if you need one - So. A writer friend asks you to be their literary executor. You’re not exactly sure what a literary executor does, but you know you should feel honoured: a...7 months ago
-
Promo for a promo - Check this out - it's my crowdfund campaign to fund an extra scene in my Cyrano film. The film is based on my novel *Pyrotechnicon: Being a True Account of...7 months ago
-
I’m teaching a fact-checking workshop in Seattle on November 4th - I’ll be teaching a fact-checking workshop in Seattle on Saturday, November 4th for the Northwest Independent Editors Guild. This will be a practical how-to...7 months ago
-
First comes painting, Then comes sketching - While enjoying my new acrylics hobby, I started a painting and decided I wanted to include a dragon statue in one of them. There was, though, a hurdle I ha...8 months ago
-
2017 Ditmar Winners Announced - Over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, spec fic fans gathered for Continuum 13: Triskaidekaphilia. Continuum is always a great convention, and this year it was...10 months ago
-
Writing about the Crusades and talking about a "meddlesome priest" - The Middle Ages are in the news again, so here is a roundup of recent news articles. We start with three good reads from historians talking about the crusa...10 months ago
-
The One and the Many – every Sunday - My first serious girlfriend came from good Roman Catholic stock. Having tried (and failed) to be raised as a Christian child and finding nothing but lifele...10 months ago
-
The ancient parish of Aghallow and the territories of Muinterbirne and Largie in county Tyrone, 1609/10 - My main objectives for studying the Manors of Kinard [later known as the Caledon estate] and Ballymagran are to determine the geographic extent and to tr...11 months ago
-
A Shameless Plug Ian Likes: Bibliorati.com - A little-known fact is that I once had a gig reviewing books for five years. It was for a now-defunct website known as The Specusphere. It was awesome fun:...1 year ago
-
Recommended reads of 2016 (part two) - Following on from my previous blog post about my favoured reads from the last year or so, which was my first blog post for some time, here is part two. I h...1 year ago
-
Book Review - Nobody by Threasa Meads - Available from BooktopiaThe subtitle for this work is *A Liminal Autobiography*. Liminal: 1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. 2...1 year ago
-
A whole 'nother year-and-a-bit - Well, we have let this blog slip, haven't we? I guess Facebook has taken over from blogs to a very large degree, but I think there is still a need for blo...1 year ago
-
2017 Potential Bee Calendar – & ladybirds and butterflies - Bees on flowers – all sorts of flowers (& bees) – and lady birds and butterflies. There were hundreds (literally) of photos to choose from. This is a small...1 year ago
-
And Father Dragon said "let there be a planet...." - *Lo and behold, Dragon made a planet!!* Oh, I'm so very proud of myself so forgive me if I brag a little bit - way too much. I'm in the process of learni...1 year ago
-
What is dyslexia? - *" **The bottob line it thit it doet exitt, no bitter whit nibe teottle give it(i.e ttecific lierning ditibility, etc) iccording to Thilly Thiywitz ( 2003)...2 years ago
-
Maken Melodye on #WhanthatAprilleDay16 - Goode Friendes and Readeres of thys Litel Blog, Yt doth fill my litel herte wyth gret happinesse to invyte yow to the thirde yeare of a moost blisful and p...2 years ago

Favourite Sites
- Alan Baxter
- Andrew McKiernan
- Bren McDibble
- Celestine Lyons
- Guy Gavriel Kay
- Hal Spacejock (Simon Haynes)
- Inventing Reality
- Jacqueline Carey
- Jennifer Fallon
- Jessica Rydill
- Jessica Vivien
- Joel Fagin
- Juliet Marillier
- KA Bedford
- Karen Miller
- KSP Writers Centre
- Lynn Flewelling
- Marianne de Pierres
- Phill Berrie
- Ryan Flavell
- Satima's Professional Editing Services
- SF Novelists' Blog
- SF Signal
- Shane Jiraiya Cummings
- Society of Editors, WA
- Stephen Thompson
- Yellow wallpaper

Blog Archive
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Interview: Steven Gilshenen



Steven Gilshenen is a fellow Satalyte author, one with an unusual mission or two! For years, he sought Wuxia (Kung Fu Fiction) in the English language but could find little to satisfy his thirst, so he began creating his own story of a Shaolin Warrior Monk and a Wudang Taoist Warrior. The result isThe Tigers of Wulin series, the culmination of old legends, talks with Shifu (teachers) and research into the Martial Arts in hopes of not only sharing Wuxia with the English speaking world but also of conveying the lessons within these legends. Book one, Mark of the Shaolin, is available from Satalyte and other online booksellers.
By the request of the current Head of He Family Taijiquan in China, Steve has also written the first English language book on this style of Tai Chi. It will also be released by Satalyte Publishing later this month. And as if this wasn't enough, he's written a stand-alone novel, Cloud Hands, also published by Satalyte.
Here are the questions I asked Steve, along with his replies.
1.You've been living in Japan for a decade now. What made you decide to move there?
I have a 13 year old half-Japanese son. Since culture is something I value greatly I didn't want him to grow up not knowing that side of who he is and I couldn't teach it properly to him. Japan became home (I came here in 1999 and have been back in Oz for about 3-4 years total over the years since), but Australia will always be my true home. When the big earthquake happened a lot of friends fled, and I don't question their decision, but I made the choice and stayed. I'd been here when times were great, I felt I should stay even when times got rough. Over three years have passed since that terrible time and a return to Oz for good is in the near future.
2.You had a Damascene moment when you realized that Taijiquan (Tai Chi) was something more than 'punch-kick-block'. Can you describe what triggered this change in your attitude?
It was not so much one moment as a progression of seeing I was not good at the punch-kick-block stuff no matter how hard I trained. It just wasn't the right fit for me. I met a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine going by the English name of John Chen in Sydney through my job and he instantly recognized I had breathing problems (due to my dad's experience with Agent Orange) and offered to teach me Qigong breathing exercises to help. The results, utterly amazing, happened pretty quickly and he began teaching me what he called the Dragon Game, something I later found out was Qinna, a method of locking an opponent's joints and manipulating their balance/posture. Unfortunately, the doctor returned to China but the seeds had been well and truly planted by this time that there was a lot more to Martial Arts than I knew. Since each body/personality type has the right fit for them as far as Martial Arts go, I knew I was lucky to find mine and began private lessons in He-Style Taijiquan. That was twenty years ago last April and I haven't sought out any other Martial Art since. When you find that perfect fit, grab a hold and enjoy the ride.
3. Many people are unaware of the different purposes of Taijiquan. Can you say something about it as a meditative training system and as a martial art? Are they both studied at once or do pupils choose to do one or the other?
What we see as Taichi around us today is a relatively modern evolution, compared to the ancient method. Originally there was no distinction between health, spiritual method or fighting system. Whatever your purpose for learning Taijiquan, it is a moving meditation and the health benefits will come. They're are undeniably amazing! But, if someone was to learn Taijiquan as a Martial Art from a knowledgeable teacher those benefits are increased considerably. I was fortunate in that my first exposure to Taijiquan came when I was around five and never saw it as anything other than its complete form of health and Martial Art. I can't speak on any one else's training program, but within my school we learn it as a Martial Art, a complete system, that happens to also give miraculous health and spiritual benefits. I personally see this as following the way it was always meant to be, but that does not mean another way is not correct nor beneficial. A little of something great is better than a lot of nothing.
4. Most people would not even think to look for fiction based on a martial arts discipline, yet you have long been interested in it. What sparked this interest in the first place?
Monkey Magic! I grew up on that show. Then I started learning Martial Arts at six but fell in and out like most Aussie kids until my late teens. I'd always loved reading, especially fantasy, but never really understood how the characters fighting didn't really differ in their methods. To use fantasy as an example, elves are slender of body and long lived (and therefore their methods would most likely be highly developed with a deeply structured instruction system) while dwarfs/dwarves are short and stocky. The philosophy and art of both would influence their combat methods as well yet it wasn't really covered anywhere I read to the degree I was looking for. Over the years I had found novels with some Martial Arts in them but I felt it didn't carry the essence of the various systems when detailing fighting or even the learning process the characters would go through sufficiently. So at 16 I started writing my own about a young Shaolin Warrior Monk in training and his Wudang Wandering Taoist buddy that is now the Tigers of Wulin series.
Writing Martial Arts themed stories is not so different from other genres. Rather than have a fight within a story, the fight is the centerpiece. But at the end of the day, the story is the most important factor. I did have a 20,000 word fight in one book that had to be cut WAY down (obviously). It can't be just one long fight from start to finish!
5. One of your stated aims in writing Tigers of Wulin was convey to a Western readership something of the philosophy and teaching of Taijiquan. How well do you think you have succeeded in this aim? Has it aroused interest among readers?
For me writing is a component of teaching. Sharing these morals, these values, is part of what I hope to do within my classes as well. I benefited greatly from them and have the duty to pass that on. Being over in Japan, and my books read in English speaking countries (other than a few in Japan and China), I haven't had many opportunities to talk with readers so I can't say confidently it has had that desired effect yet. Those I have spoken to have appreciated that component of the story, though. The next book, Cloud Hands, has a lot more of the healing and spirituality side of Kung Fu in it so we'll have to wait and see how that goes. I have studied Traditional Chinese Medicine in the past and consulted with Adam O'Mara, an acupuncturist friend, so it will be interesting to see how that is aspect is received. There are some simple acupressure methods detailed in the story which may be of interest to readers too.
6. Your new book, which is more of a text on the History, Theory, Form and Applications of He-Style Taijiquan, is now available for pre-order. Do you see it as filling a gap in the literature about martial arts in English, and if so, in what way does it differ from other handbooks on the subject?
Actually, the next book is Cloud Hands - the Origins of Taijiquan. But in a sense it is a companion to the manual you mentioned, as both are on He-Style Taijiquan. It is because of that manual that the Tigers of Wulin series and Cloud Hands even exist. See, this style of Kung Fu is not widely practised. It is difficult to find information relating to its history and theory, was almost impossible twenty years ago. To help my students access this info I wrote a little guide for them but also had it checked by He Youlu, the Head Representative of He Family. He asked me to turn this guide into the first ever English language manual on the style. Lineage and respect are of paramount importance to me so when the Head of your system, a man that is a true Martial Arts Master in every sense and one who has given you so much, asks you to do something, you get it done! While there is ample in there for people interested in the history and theory of any style of Taijiquan/Kung Fu, it is mainly for the purpose of sharing this little known style with the English speaking world, especially the students of it that haven't had access to this information before. As far as differing from other manuals, I'd have to say I have never seen a book covering the physical movements of an entire system (Form, Push Hands, applications) in such detail before on any style. I have to add, this content was only made available due to the kindness and sincere devotion to sharing from the He Family themselves.
7. Since Mark of the Shaolin is book one of Tigers of Wulin, no doubt there will be at least one further volume. How many books do you think there might be in the series?
The Tigers of Wulin series is nine books long, with room for a few off-shoots if readers want to know some of the side stories. Currently, books 2 to 5 are sitting in the Satalyte Publishing office, Book 6 is pretty much complete on my IPad. The plan is to release Book 2 - Swords of Wudang - on 25 April 2015, to coincide with World Taichi Day, as the Wudang Mountains are the legendary birthplace of Taijiquan. Originally it was due out now with Book 3 - Scroll of the Drunken Fist - coming in December but I just had to get this story (Cloud Hands) and the manual out to people. After a lot of begging I managed to persuade Stephen at Satalyte to let me get these two out this year. That said, Swords of Wudang is probably my favourite story that I have written, or a close second to Cloud Hands. It sounds like a big task writing nine connected stories but really it isn't considering I've been creating this story for over 20 years now, drawing in history and myth. In Martial Arts, there are always connections between styles if you dig deep enough, and hopefully I have provided a clear path to seeing that with these books while keeping it entertaining enough to not read like a textbook.
8. Do you plan to write stories on topics other than Taijiquan?
I can guarantee everything I write will be a Kung Fu story in some way! Whether they are based in old days China or not, my stories will always have the themes of Wuxia in them. The reason I write is a little different to most: I see it as an extension of my teaching as I said above, something I have dedicated my life to. Martial Artists spend years honing their skills, training when their family are sleeping or their friends are out having fun. But I do not believe the benefits they acquire, whether health, spiritual or self defence, should be exclusive to any one group of people. If I can share the benefits I have received to even one person who may not want to learn a Martial Art, then I have become succeeded in my goal as a writer. Already I have seen the little difference I can make and it powers me on. David Greenland of Emerald Dragon Martial Arts in Australia put me onto a great cause, that of building an orphanage at the Shaolin Temple, and I am donating a portion of sales towards this project. I have been blessed with guidance and support from so many throughout the Martial Arts and I hope I can give back and share this with others.
Thank you, Steve! I hope that your books convince many more people of the benefits of your art. And I hope you raise lots of money for the orphanage, too.
Steve has also interviewed me - you can read the result on his blog at
http://stevegilshenen.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/interview-writers-satima-flavell.html
Reactions: |
Another nice interview



Helen was on two panels with me at the Natcon in Melbourne, and we also shared a reading slot. Here were are, discussing our glorious prose before an appreciative and surprisingly large audience! Most of them, I noticed, sat near the back, no doubt ready for a hasty getaway, but in fact only one left early, and that with an apology!
Reactions: |
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Belly Dance memories


My Facebook friend Kevin has another set of questions, this
time about belly dancing! Answering them has been an interesting exercise, as it’s
been many years since I was a performer.
1. What was it like when you performed for the
first time?
In a word, scary! As a ballet and modern
dance performer, I was used to dancing on a stage, not in a restaurant setting.
Being able to look into the eyes of individuals in the audience and to hear the
murmur of voices under the music was weird! What really got me was having to
compete with food and drink. Usually, you can’t, and any club or restaurant performer has
to get used to that. There is the odd occasion when some people will become engaged
by the performance and actually stop eating, but that’s unusual.
2. What have been some of your most favourite
moments throughout your career as a dancer?
The odd time when people paid more
attention to the performance than the food! And those rare occasions when some
kind of magic happens and you know the audience is with you, fully engaged in
the music and the movement. Those times make a dancer remember why she dances.
3. What have been some of your least favourite
moments?
Oh, dear – there have been lots of those!
Again, they happen to everyone now and then and create embarrassment even when
I think about them fifty years down the track! Getting my veil tangled up with
an earring was mortifying. I struggled to remove the earring while
continuing to dance, eventually discarding both veil and earring. Another worrying thing was hostile musicians
who deliberately played too fast or too slow, or kept playing long after I’d
given them the signal to finish. I don’t know what it’s like now, but in the
sixties musos were often resentful of dancers, who got paid a relatively high
fee for a short act. What the musicians didn’t consider was the hours dancers have
to spend making and repairing costumes, or the time and money they spent on hairdressing
and make-up.
4. Where would you like to be (as far as your career
goes) in 5-10 years (or more) from now?
As I am now in my seventies, I may not even
be around, and if I am and can still dance, I hope I shall still be attending
classes and workshops.
5. What was it that attracted you to the
culture and/or world of belly dance the most?
When I was about fourteen, I saw the film Zarak, in which Anita Ekberg performed a
sensual dance for her lover. I watched for opportunities to learn more about
that kind of dancing – I guess I was about nineteen when I started to learn,
though. The glamorous costumes, of course, held a lot of appeal!
6. Would you have chosen to become a belly
dancer had you known then what you know now?
Probably. It’s a job that has a limited
lifespan, since there are always younger dancers waiting to step up and take
your place. As long as you accept that, and are happy to change careers when
you get older, there's lots of fun, good money, and many happy memories to be
created along the way.
7.
Who would you say has the biggest source of
inspiration for you throughout your career?
I am continually inspired by other dancers.
My current teacher, Ayesha, is typical in her generous sharing of information
and technical skill. Belyssa Radzivanas and Keti Sharif, who have done so much for belly dance in Australia,
Egypt and many other countries, are also people I thoroughly admire. So is the
wonderful Farida Fahmy, a dancer-actress of my own generation who became a dance
ethnologist as well as a fine teacher.
It’s interesting to see how belly dance has
changed over the years since I started out. My routines as performer were
always based on one or two choruses of slow music – ‘Miserlou’ was a favourite –
culminating in a floorwork section that was quite acrobatic, involving
the splits and backbends. (After one gig, I wound up at an outpatients department with a splinter in my bottom!) Then the music would change to a fast number – my favourite
was ‘Ya Mustafa’. This would get the audience clapping in time and usually led
into a nice round of applause. The whole act would take less than five minutes,
although sometimes a dancer would do two spots in the same floorshow. Today's routines don't follow that pattern, and as a result modern routines might have more artistic integrity as they set a mood and stick to it. There is also more respect for ethnicity, compared to the cabaret style I learnt and performed.
Ah, memories!
(Picture courtesy http://dance.lovetoknow.com/Belly_Dance_Clip_Art)
Reactions: |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)