Saudades of a Nightingale
Happy Spring!
It has been a while since I have posted and a lot has happened since December not only personally and professionally for me, but also globally. I hope that you and your dear ones are staying healthy and safe.
Spring is a time of new beginnings and before I move on to today’s announcement, here is a brief re-cap of the last few months… As you can see from my previous posts, I published a Laughter Journal as well as Savoring with the 5 Senses: A Chocolate Tasting Journal. I had the privilege of teaching my chocolate history and making class at Saint Mary’s College where my students made recipes from my cookbook: Confections of a Chocoholic. For a sneak peak of some of these goodies, check out my Instagram feed.
As we continue shelter-in-place, we are all looking for things to do that are not just cooking, chores and yard work, am I right? Check out a list of ideas from yours truly.
If you are in the mood to journal or meditate while being inspired by quotes related to laughter, then get my Laughter Journal here.
If you identify as a chocoholic and eating chocolate is more your jam, why not organize a chocolate tasting at home with your dear ones or gather a group of friends for a virtual chocolate tasting. Never hosted a chocolate tasting? Order Savoring with the 5 Senses for a how to.
Prefer to make chocolate goodies? The recipes in Confections of a Chocoholic are a great way to experiment with low sugar, paleo and often vegan foods and drinks from breakfast to dessert and everything in between. Yep, there are savory recipes too. Not a cook or baker, but know a chocoholic who adores the kitchen? Why not send a gift for to celebrate Solstice and beginning of Summer to let your dear one know that you are thinking of her or him?
Prefer to curl up with a book? Check out my newly released Saudades of a Nightingale.
Saudades of a Nightingale explores the question: What does it mean to be a “silent minority”?
My collection of poetry, which includes a performance piece, reflects a bi-cultural experience in the United States exploring topics such as the Luso-American experience of appearing “American” while preserving foreign cultural and religious customs. The Portuguese are known for saudade: a deep state of profound longing for something lost while maintaining hope for the future. As an Azorean-born poet who immigrated to the United States as a child by way of war-torn Angola, the voice presented in Saudades of a Nightingale bears the weight of that longing, not just for the individual but also for the family unit using a rich tapestry of poetic forms to wrestle with expressions of identity and culture. While its Luso-American focus is strong, Saudades of a Nightingale honors the experience of anyone who has ever felt alone in a crowd or struggles with feelings that they don’t “belong” speaking to the outsider in us all.
So while we grapple with the recent changes to our cultural and social expression, why not explore these poems, saudade and your own sense of belonging from a different perspective.
*** eBook SALE: both Saudades of a Nightingale and Confections of a Chocoholic will be on sale from Sunday, May 31 - Sunday, June 7, 2020 in honor of my Mae’s birthday as well as the Day of Portugal. Get your copy earlier for the best price. ***
