Saturday, July 28, 2012

Success Spotlight : Jonathan Greenhause


Jonathan contributed two pieces to New Sun Rising: “Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall” and “Ueno Park”.

He speaks to us about his work below.
What was the inspiration behind your pieces?
I was traveling through Japan and, in the case of the first poem, was awestruck by the sight of what had once been the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.  Only a skeletal shell of it remains to serve as a reminder of what was unleashed that day.  Along with the horror, there was also an eerie beauty about the scene, how nature reclaims these places of destruction.  The second poem arose from a visit to Ueno Park, which is akin to New York City’s Central Park: An enormous oasis of designed nature in the heart of a metropolis.  
Why did you decide to donate this to charity?
Like most people, the tsunami left me feeling powerless.  Being so far-removed physically and thus unable to remove debris and search for survivors by hand, I came across New Sun Rising and found a form in which I could offer my small modicum of assistance. 
What sorts of works/genres/ materials do you normally produce?
I’m primarily a poet.  In the past, I dabbled in novels and short stories, but not much came of that.  I’ve simply gravitated towards poetry over time and am very happy I have.
What attracted you to this? 
Upon hearing about New Sun Rising, I thought it very serendipitous:  Here was someone searching for contributors to help in the wake of the tsunami, and I had written a fairly large group of poems about Japan a few years earlier.  I couldn’t think of a better place for these poems to appear in. 
Who are your models or those you draw inspiration from?
Everyday people.  Family members.  My wife.  A lot of my inspiration also comes from nature and from simple daily observation.  And of course, other poets have been a huge inspiration for me, but to name all of them would take up several pages at the least.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on a series of poems exploring the relationship between time and space, though they tend to range freely across all subject matters.

Where can I find some of your other works?

Friday, July 27, 2012

Interviews with our Contributors

The contributors featured in New Sun Rising are drawn from a wide spectrum within the creative industries.

Brush painters, graphic artists, songwriters, oil painters, photographers, poets, flash fiction writers, haiku and tanka.

They were all drawn into the project with a similar mindset - to make a difference to the plight of the people in Japan through their donation of their work.

Whilst its been over a year since the disaster, the people in Japan still need our assistance and continued thoughts. New Sun Rising has been available on Kindle for a short time now, with plans well underway for the print version to be published before the end of the year.

Over the next two months, we will be celebrating our contributors continued successes within their chosen fields, by hosting a spotlight on their achievements, awards and work in progress.

Please visit our site often to learn more about what inspires our contributors and what their future plans hold.