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4 Responses on Hello world!

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  By Administrator at January 28th, 2010

  This is a test of the comment page for the blog for We All Hear Voices.

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  By Administrator at February 13th, 2010

  WE ALL HEAR VOICES the novel takes place in a small café in east Arkansas where Jack, the cook has the gift of synesthesia─a combing or union of the senses. He’s fascinated by the colors and sounds of the stock car races, goes to the dirt track across the street from the café and when he returns fixes banquet-like meals. The problem for Jack is that excessive stimulation causes him to hear angry voices and when he takes medicine to make the voices go away he can no longer cook. All of the other characters in the story hear voices but in their cases they hear the voice of their mother, their father or the God of Chance.
  For those with the gift of synesthesia it blurs the borders of ordinary reality that most of us experience. There are many different versions of the basic process but the most common is called grapheme synesthesia; in this condition the person with the gift sees letters or numbers in color. In the past the gift was thought to be very uncommon but with the advent of the Internet it has become obvious that this condition is far more common than once thought. Estimates as to its frequency vary from 1/20,000 to 1/20; it is probable that it is closer to 1/200. As a disclaimer I should state clearly that synesthesia is not a disease, defect or illness and there is no relationship between this gift and mental illness.
  Most authorities agree that it is far more common in musicians, composers and writers. Since the middle of the 19th century and the art of Kandinsky, synesthestes have played an increasing role in art and literature. Clearly, Duke Ellington, Leonard Bernstein, Franz Liszt and Rimsky-Korsakov had the gift. In recent times a number of contemporary artist and musicians also share this trait; John Mayer, the rock guitarist, is one such person.

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  By Bill Goodin at February 25th, 2010

  Congratulations on writing and publishing your first novel !

  I just learned of your book, and I read it in October ‘09. I also learned that you have been in practice in Benton all of these years. Sam, this short novel is excellent in so many ways, and I have greatly enjoyed it. I enjoyed your story,character development,insights,history, time-setting & subculture description. All excellent !!!

  Synesthesia is, indeed, a fascinating phenomenon and gift. Oliver Sacks taught me a lot more about it and shared many more stories than I had personally accumulated.

  Thanks for writing such an excellent endearing story and for sharing it with the world. I hope the play does well ! Keep on writing.

  I’ve written you a personal note in snail mail to your office.

  Best wishes,

  Bill

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  By sam taggart at March 10th, 2010

  Dear Bill, thanks for the nice comments. got a great review on Goodreads a FB site. think I am going to like this social network stuff. sam