Deadwood, OR (PRWEB) December 17, 2015
As their 18th year in independent publishing approaches, Wyatt-MacKenzie in Deadwood, Oregon, is releasing some of their most important, inspiring, and influential books yet. Simultaneously, 2008 author Gina Bennett has become a prominent name in the war on terror with feature roles in two documentaries airing on HBO and SHOWTIME.
Poetry
"The Everywhere Oracle: A Guided Journey Through Poetry for an Ensouled World" (Nov. 2015) by Caryl Ann Casbon is described as "original, deceptively simple, and easily accessible, these poems celebrate the mysterious unfolding of the inner life and point towards the guidance, clarity and meaning to be found in our everyday encounters,” by Parker J. Palmer, author of "Let Your Life Speak," "The Courage to Teach," "A Hidden Wholeness," and "Healing the Heart of Democracy."
ForeWord Reviews describes, "'The Everywhere Oracle’s' uniqueness as a book of both poetry and spiritual guidance is most certainly its greatest appeal. Those looking for a fresh way to approach self-help would do well to engage with this volume, as would any group or circle working to manifest soulfulness in the modern world ... The accompanying questions—and the self-knowledge they inspire—greatly enrich the experience of Casbon’s poetry.” Available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1942545088
Casbon is an ordained Interfaith Minister. She taught in the Graduate Studies Department at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon for 13 years. She has been working as a leader, mentor and program designer for Circles of Trust™ Retreat Programs for the last 20 years. Casbon received the Lifetime Anamcara Award.
Memoir
"Witness to Spirit: My Life with Cowboys, Mozart & Indians" by 94-year-old Robert Staffanson, founder of The Billings Symphony and the American Indian Institute, is "... not a mere memoir. It is an important, unforgettable book full of wisdom that, once read, will leave you changed in the way you think about America. It is a reminder for us all of the spiritual transformation that can only happen when we have the courage and moral conviction to open our minds, ears, and hearts,” states the introduction by Todd Wilkinson, author of "Last Stand, Ted Turner’s Quest to Save a Troubled Planet."
National Book Award Winner Barry Lopez, author of "Arctic Dreams" and "Of Wolves and Men," reviews: “Bob Staffanson’s journey from rural Montana to a prestigious conductor’s podium in western Massachusetts is remarkable; the culmination of his life in decades of service to the highest ideals of human achievement, working with Native American elders, is profound. By turning his back on racism and materialism, he has given us, in 'Witness to Spirit,' both wisdom and a modern example of an exemplary life.”
Terry Tempest Williams, author of "Refuge," "When Women Were Birds," and "The Hour of Land" reviews: “Robert Staffanson has created a story that honors his own evolution from cowboy to symphony conductor before abandoning wealth and fame to work with indigenous people and learn the ways of wisdom. Gratitude is the word that remains after reading 'Witness to Spirit.'”
The Country Bookshelf on 28 West Main Street in Bozeman, Montana has "Witness to Spirit" on their shelves, and it's available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/1942545223. In December, author Robert Staffanson appeared at the Portneuf Library in Idaho and the Bannock County Museum. A Montana book launch is scheduled for January 22, 2016 at The Bozeman Library. The December Bozeman Magazine reviews: "it is courageous ... it is jaw-dropping." Ed Kemmick, Montana reporter, editor and columnist deems Staffanson: "the most interesting man in Montana. Hell, he might be the most interesting man in America."
Education
There’s never been a more chaotic and tenuous time in our nation’s educational story. "Unwritten, The Story of a Living System: A Pathway to Enlivening and Transforming Education" (Jan. 2016) by veteran educators Lori L. Desautels, Ph.D. and Michael McKnight, "urge teachers and policy makers to join them as they revise the story of education," as quoted in ForeWord Reviews Jan. 2016 issue, calling the book "a path teacher leaders can follow.” Desautels and McKnight believe that we can begin to create wholeness and connection within our schools, and help students to thrive, mindfully and by design. Available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/194254510X
Lori Desautels, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Marian University in Indianapolis teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Desautels is currently applying educational neuroscience research, and social and emotional learning, two days a week directly in the 5th grade and 7th grade classrooms. Michael McKnight, M.A. is an education specialist for the Department of Education in New Jersey. A former special education teacher, he is currently an adjunct professor at Stockton University teaching special education.
Terrorism
Wyatt-MacKenzie's 2008 "National Security Mom" author Gina Bennett is featured in a "MAKERS: Women Who Make America" (PBS/AOL) Video Series — http://www.makers.com/gina-bennett — a collection from footage shot for the HBO 2013 "MAKERS: Women in War" Documentary, which included clips of Bennett and began with her voice-over.
SHOWTIME premiered "The Spymasters" on Nov. 28, 2015, a documentary about the 12 living CIA directors, and it also included Bennett—not in the title, not in the promos, not on the website—but in a way that the Wall Street Journal noticed, calling her "the lone woman in the show and its most forthcoming witness." After watching "Spymasters," Salon magazine was convinced that Bennett was "the obvious model for Jessica Chastain’s Zero Dark Thirty character." The LA Times was thoughtful in assessing, "There's Gina Bennett, a senior counterterrorism analyst in the unit assigned to Osama Bin Laden—and a mother of five—who contends that our willingness to 'become something that we're not' is a greater threat than terrorism itself." Newsweek was quoted, "The show’s two hours move quickly. Too bad it isn’t a miniseries." Watch for updates at http://www.nationalsecuritymom.com.
"The Everywhere Oracle: A Guided Journey Through Poetry for an Ensouled World" by Caryl Casbon (Nov. 2015); 108 pps, full-color, Paperback ISBN 9781942545088, $17.99; illustrations, indexed.
"Witness to Spirit: My Life with Cowboys, Mozart & Indians" by Robert Staffanson (Dec. 2015); 260 pps, full-color, Hardcover ISBN 9781942545224, $42; Paperback ISBN 9781942545217, $24; over 50 photos, indexed.
"Unwritten, The Story of a Living System: A Pathway to Enlivening and Transforming Education" by Lori L. Desautels, Ph.D. and Michal McKnight, M.A. (Jan. 2016); 216 pps, Paperback ISBN 9781942545101, $17; indexed.
"National Security Mom" by Gina Bennett (Nov. 2008); 180 pps, Paperback ISBN 9781932279795, $14.95; indexed.
Eighteen Years in Independent Publishing
Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing, Inc. was founded in 1998. Located in Deadwood, Oregon, this award-winning indie and its publisher, Nancy Cleary, have become known for providing an unparalleled author experience. Wyatt-MacKenzie authors have appeared in TV segments, documentaries, magazine articles, major blogs and newspapers all over the world.
