Welcome to our Indie Spotlight series, in which TNBBC gives small press authors the floor to shed some light on their writing process, publishing experiences, or whatever else they'd like to share with you, the readers!
Judyth Shamosh shares some insight on what went into the making of her book The Physics & Poetry of Eastern Herbal Medicine.
A Journey into Unknown Territory
My book had its beginning ideas fifteen years before it was
published. It would nudge and prod me to write down the ideas that would appear
in my mind. I was busy working then and would put those ideas in a file, but
the flow of where the book was coursing (and conveying me along) eluded me. I
would put the thoughts down and revisit the seeming disjointed notions from
time to time. It would call me back to drop in on it again and again. I began
to chart the dots, like towns on a map, of the course the book presented and
the frontier it might lead us to. Eventually the book’s journey began to come
clear but I still had no idea of the destination the book was bearing us to.
Somewhat like a philosopher, I enjoy taking two or more
seemingly disparate ideas and inter-relating them in a novel way to bring a
more expansive view of the topic. Being originally trained as a scientist but
working as an alternative health practitioner in Eastern medicine presents a
unique point of view. So, I took my love of quantum physics, combined it with
my love of Eastern medicine and packed them on the journey. All the ideas of
how these two fields intertwine began to emerge into something original and
unusual. It was a new vista, a new frontier; something no one had ever talked about
or wrote about before in depth. After all, physicists are not herbalists, and
herbalists are not scientists. But I am.
However, I also write perceptive poetry (or so I am told).
Therefore, not only did I bring along the blend of physics and the poetic
philosophy of Eastern medicine together, but I added the melodies of my
synthesizing poetry about these modalities into the mix which has never been
done before. And it worked! I titled the journey “The Physics & Poetry of
Eastern Herbal Medicine.”
The learning experience of trusting unfolding creativity,
the cosmic light of my imagination, has gratefully remained to illuminate my
life. I continue to journey the uncharted courses of cosmic creativity into
unknown territory.
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Judyth Shamosh, Ph.D., Systems Herbalist has been a clinical practitioner since 1994. Founder of Greenfingers Herbal Medicine Clinic, she practices Ayurvedic, Classical Chinese, and Western herbal medicines and teaches apprentices. She has served on the governing council of the American Herbalist’s Guild, Arizona Herb Association, and RainStar University College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and been adjunct faculty of the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. A yoga instructor and poet, she also was an assistant curator for the Phoenix Art Museum and worked in geology and archeology.
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