‘The inner dance is the one that lasts.‘
– Patricia Furstenberg
Today it is with great pleasure to welcome back writer Patricia Furstenberg with a gorgeous post about how writing has helped her to discover her inner dance. Patricia and myself, through coincidence, discovered recently that we both share a passion for a particular painting thus inspiring her to write this piece. I really hope you enjoy.
Patricia Furstenberg is a multi-genre author who grew up in the Eastern Block. Her most recent book Silent Heroes (2019) is her thirteenth and is her first work of adult fiction.
[ Guest Post ]
I am not a professional dancer. But I love to dance and I dance every day, in my heart.
Did you know that there are multiple ways of dancing? Dancing in the moonlight, when you spot a new review of one of your books, it’s 5 am and you’re in your kitchen. Dancing when nobody’s watching, when a tune you adore plays on the radio while you’re cooking. Dancing to show your teen how cool Mom still is, when what you want to say is ‘I’m still young’. Dancing with hubby on New Year’s Eve and feeling glam and teary-eyed. And the dancing I love the most and still get plenty of, dancing with my fingers over the keyboard to the rhythm of the words that play between my mind and my heart.
A little while ago Dirty Dancing flared into a trend on Twitter. Something other than sport or politics was trending, a soulful event, Dirty Dancing was on the TV!
Dirty Dancing is the movie that introduced me to dancing and changed my perspective over many things. For example, that I can achieve anything I set my mind to, as long as I work hard and it doesn’t tickle… That sometimes, when fate calls, you go. Because it’s enough, one call, to set you on a new, exciting course… That I can look gracious carrying anything, be it a watermelon, two toddlers, or grocery bags. It’s in how you visualize yourself; how you carry your head and your arms, how you step following a rhythm that makes you smile.
The inner dance is the one that lasts.
It is a timeless feeling, I choose to believe. The way I see myself is what matters and what gives me strength.
This feeling resurfaced years later when I discovered Jack Vettriano’s The Singing Butler. Again, the grace lies in the step, in how you carry your arms and your head.
Red is not a colour I would choose for myself and my legs are far from being endless, yet I can identify myself with the woman in the painting. Although there is no music to lure me this time, the vast space surrounding her in Vettriano’s artwork is an invitation to live within the moment, but also to acknowledge the dreams awaiting in the horizon. And to remember chasing after them.
The Singing Butler inspires me to reach further, to dream beyond what is evident. Whatever happens in a day, glancing at Vettriano’s painting I feel as if there is one more dream waiting for me. Within my reach. All I have to do is visualize myself gracefully dancing towards it.
I do this by writing and the one tune that plays throughout all my books, be it children’s, poetry or contemporary war fiction, or dogs and their unconditional love.
I hope that you too dance to the rhythm of your song, be it by reading, blogging, or anything that gets that inner tune playing.
[ Silent Heroes ~ Book Description ]
How far would you go to save strangers in need? A group of Marines and their Military Working Dogs, MWD, are about to find out.
When Talibans descends in the village of Nauzad and discover girls can read, a woman accepts the blame. Her teenage daughter witnesses the sacrifice and swears revenge, her life and that of her brother becoming intertwined with those of the US Marines serving at a military base nearby. But the Taliban is infiltrated everywhere and friends or foes are hard to differentiate.
Silent Heroes is a narrative about the value of life and the necessity of combat; the terror of dying; the ordeal of seeing your loved ones and your platoon-mates killed in front of your eyes; the trauma of taking a human life.
Silent Heroes – Amazon UK
[ Bio ]
Patricia Furstenberg is a multi-genre author who grew up in the Eastern Block, which might explain why she found herself drawn towards war themes in some of her books.
Silent Heroes is her 13th book and her first work of adult fiction. Like in many of her previous writings Patricia had to include at least a dog among her characters.
Not many know, but Pat dissected human bodies during her medical studies which came in handy while she wrote Silent Heroes. She also observed a séance during her teen years. Perhaps she will use that experience in her next book.
Blog ~ http://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/
Twitter ~ @PatFurstenberg
Thank you, Mairéad, for your kind welcome.
Writing this was special 🙂 Glad it was for you.
I hope your Vettriano will bring you more moments ‘in tune’ for the remainder of the year.
🙂
Patricia I’m looking at it differently since first reading your words. Thank you for being my guest. x
🙂 Thank you for sharing this thought, Mairéad.
Thank you both for sharing this lovely, insightful post. It’s always good to find out a little more about people we admire and follow. I love the title of the post, too. Singing and dancing have also been a big part of my life – although, like You, Pat, not on any professional level. Silent Heroes is a wonderful story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Millie thank you so much for dropping by. It really is a gorgeous piece from Patricia. I’m delighted to hear you enjoyed it!
Thank you for your kind words, Millie, and for joining our little party. 🙂
Pat, you have some wonderful ways to describe writing and the author life. Thoroughly enjoyed your blog posts and Silent Heroes! Thank you Mairead, I just found another blog to follow. 🙂
Mark thank you so much for dropping by. Very appreciate your words!
Kind thanks, Mark.
You are in capable hands here, that’s for sure.