Amy Christensen's review, "Atchley's book a guide for family historians," in the February issue of the Active Lifestyles section of the Idaho State Journal provides an excellent overview of We, The Shamans. Her opinion is that "...For anyone whose goal includes a well-written family history, "We, The Shamans"... is just about the best plan you could ask for." Click on the pdf link,Download amy_peterson_rev.pdf to read the entire review.
James Frey's apology may be profound, but it doesn't excuse his excesses. Here's what he said a few days ago. "I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require. I altered events and details all the way through the book. . . . I made other alterations in my portrayal of myself, most of which portrayed me in ways that made me tougher and more daring and more aggressive than in reality I was, or I am. . . . My mistake, and it is one I deeply regret, is writing about the person I created in my mind to help me cope, and not the person who went through the experience."
As I point out in We, The Shamans there is a single commandment that must be followed when writing creative nonfiction, "Thou Shalt not create history." And, that works both ways. To leave something out that we know is true is as egregrious as embellishing or adding to the facts. As writers, if a story isn't good enough to attract the attention that we think it deserves, then so be it. Ours is not to alter the facts, but much like a newspaper reporter, we can only go where we are led by those same facts.
James Frey may be licking his wounds of deception, but they are being amply salved by the additional income garnered from all of the free publicity. Unfortunately, he is being rewarded for his notoriety. Oh well!
Last weeks' Island Park News carried a excellent full page review of We, The Shamans. You may read it all by going to the following link: Download shaman_eliz_review.wpd or Download shaman_eliz_review.doc
We writers of creative nonfiction, we tellers of stories, we shamans of our clans to be heard and read must, as Lee Gutkind says, "deliver a message." As I point out in We, The Shamans, "Compelling, page-turning, hard-to-put-down books contain elements of adversity, conflict, frustration, love, and hate."
"But," you say, "that is easy to do when writing fiction. My families stories are different."
Different? I doubt it. We don't live in a perfect world. Those very elements are present to some degree in all of our lives. We Shamans must be careful not to overlook the very human weaknesses that afflict us all. In doing so the stories we tell will be much more compelling and yes, they will also deliver very real examples of how we should, or should not, live out lives. Depending on the story and how well written, who knows, you might even win recognition for your efforts.
Chan, your book is a delight! It has given me direction to write my own story. Joyce Johnson
The printer, Friesens Book Division, exceeded our expections in reproducing the book cover artwork. Reproduction of Judith's Greystone tones and sharpness of image is oustanding as is also the embossing of the title and sunburst. Officially, the book published (first day of sales) December 20, 2005.
The cover for We, The Shamans was taken from an original acrylic painting titled If These Walls Could Talk by Judith Atchley. Her original paintings, as well as the Giclèe reproductions reside in many worldwide art collections as well as in galleries and museums. This painting was built up layer by layer over a two-year period in order to achieve a three-dimensional effect. In creating this painting, she also incorporated some of the original plaster from the old deserted house. In keeping with the theme, the frame is made of old barn wood. When looking at this picture you feel as though you could reach right in and move the door. Judith says, this painting has deep meaning for her and believes that it reflects what the book is all about. Wow! If only these walls could talk, what tales would they tell? Obviously, these walls can’t talk, but you can and you should record your family stories.
You should not choose a cover for your book until you have read and re-read your book many times. Only then will you have a feel for what your cover should convey to the reader. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words and "they" say that you need a good cover to catch the readers’ eye.
I wrote this book for a group of individuals that I loosely refer to as "Shamans" (The first "a" in Shaman has three pronunciations: as in "father", as in "shame", or as in "am"). Through the centuries and in various cultures around the world, "Shamans" were many things. For the purpose of this book, I prefer a description of Peruvian Shamans which describes them in part as knowledgeable men and women who were also the storytellers of their communities. And, as keeper of tribal history handed down verbally through the ages, they were also the historians of their time.
In today's world, we Shamans-armed with computers-are capable of recording the lives of our ancestors like never before. And unlike the Shamans of old, we can share our stories with tribes in far away places. We don't tell our stories to the beat of a drum, the rattle of a gourd, or the ethereal wail of a flute. We record them for all eternity in books.
The premise I used in writing We, The Shamans, is that you have had little, or no experience in writing. That you would like to write a family history but don't know how to begin.
My mission is to demystify the process and to instruct the reader in how to writ an exciting story instead of a dull family history. Some folks have a knack for story telling, while others struggle endlessly. Either way, putting the story down on paper is a learned skill, and as in most things, with practice comes improvement.
Your mission should be to get started. You just might surprise yourself!
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