Work in Progress - Work Under Scrutiny

(please read the English translation below)

In Corporation. Typologies and Survival Guide I put the highlight on those that drain our energy and motivation. I am now working on texts to show the stories of those who suffer, as well. A small excerpt can be found below about the question receiver.

 

Please read below the excerpt translated into English:

 

The Question Receiver

Stop answering our question with a question!

Especially when we've sent you a zillion emails to remind you to answer to our question.

We are slowly, but surely reaching the end of our patience. Our lone neuron is already showing signs of sliding into a bottomless pit. ‘Help!’, it cries in a faint voice. If you don't care about us, at least take care of it, for it gets the job done.

Dreaming of Summer

 

Video Book Review

In her latest video on YouTube, Alexandra talked about how she liked my latest novel. If you're curious, you can watch her video below (starting from 14:30 - only in Romanian). Thank you, Alexandra!

The Testament

Wishful thinking - I will never experience again a toothache!

Working on it!

My Highness

Although I am in a somewhat open competition with my nephew regarding who is the heighest, I am rather  forced to collect my victories from interracting with others, as well. Okay, I admitted last year that my nephew had outgrown me, but that happened a year ago. People get busy, they forget, and we can play with that.

Today my next-door neighbor stopped me to ask if I'd been looking for him. That someone had told him a tall, young lady from next door had been looking for him. I grinned with delight, told him that I hadn't been looking for him, but that I was glad he found me tall, and curtsied.

The man looked at me for a moment in amazement, but said nothing. Then it dawned on me that (impressively!) not everyone is aware of my youth and height. And maybe they should be!

More Pink

Food for thought – No one can be just like me, anyway!

Vlad Lives On!

Today marks 103 years since Vlad Mușatescu was born. I’m so glad, dear master, that you came into this world and left us your books!

My 10reasons remain valid.

Ex Igni Natus – Alex Andronic

When I cry, I dissolve.

When I write, I rebuild myself.

I rebuild my flesh from paper,

I glue my soul with ink

until all that hurts becomes poetry.

(a stanza from the poem “Why do I write when I feel like crying?”)

 

Naturalness is the word to which I would summarize Alex Andronic's entire volume of poems. With one addition, that naturalness flows in two ways. You get the sense that the poet sat down, wrote the poems, and then they found their way to the reader. Far be it from me to think that they were written in haste, but the feelings, the images, the sensations show themselves to the reader with an extraordinary naturalness. And on the other hand, the reader accesses them marvelously simply. When things seem simple, there's a lot of complexity behind it, at least that much I know.

 

I found happiness

in the middle of an ordinary day,

in a corner of the beach

where clams swam

without fear of drowning.

 

I enjoyed reading Alex Andronic's novels (“Confused”, “Return to Myself” and “Remain to Me” ), and it was a delight to discover him now also as a poet. “The Puppeteer”, “The Coin of Love”, “The Shadow Show”, “Lemon Peel”, “What Would Time Say?” are just a few of my favorites.

It is natural to feel, although lately it seems to me that we are under pressure to hide ourselves, not to show that we feel, that we live, that we vibrate. I have enjoyed reading the volume “Ex Igni Natus” and savoring the uplifting thing that poetry does by making us remember that we are humans and that we feel.

And at the end, other stanzas, because you don't have to trust in the words I write, but in the lyrics:

 

A whispered voice slowly puts me down:

Success is not yours,

it's all a farce.

Every victory smells of deceit,

like a wax mask melting in the sun,

a cheap trick only I know.

 

My empty gaze,

in the mirror of doubt,

sees a foreign face, always someone else.

My successes are always happenstance,

accidents on wrong paths,

while the real me lies hidden behind the scenes.

(stanzas from the poem “The Shadow Show”)

‘The Corporation’ and ‘Laura Rise – Detained’

I am very glad to let you know that Ildiko has in her reading list my two latest books (non-fiction and fiction).

Written in The Stars

Work in Progress

(if you don't have a sniper's vision, find the excerpt below in English)

Every writer's dream is to make a living with writing. I'm modest. All I want is a little house in the Bahamas. So I'm working hard at my writing. And maybe so this little country will come closer to me.

Generally, writing inspirations seek me out when I'm busy with other things – sleeping, taking a walk, reading or showering. But there are some topics that strike me, and our encounter is so violent that I find it hard to think of anything else; and when this happens, I write as if possessed, as if I am struggling in the dark and searching for light or struggling for air. 

The engine, though, with these topics is always the same - the outrage. That's how ‘The Corporation’ came into being. The whole text is actually an outrage, and a call for others who feel the same to join me, with the aim of initiating the change.

Interacting with jobber-doctors (money-grubbers) and lackadaisical-doctors (bland, uncaring) served as inspiration for ‘Health Care Failures’, a non-fiction book about unpleasant experiences at the doctor's, about why it is important to ask for a second medical opinion and what to look out for when receiving a treatment plan.

The Argeș Magazine allowed me to publish an excerpt in its pages, for which I am particularly grateful (and special thanks go to Mrs. Simona Fusaru).

If you want to read the full issue (in Romanian), you can find it here. 

Below you can find the English translation of the excerpt that was published in the magazine:

Jobber-Doctors and Lackadaisical-Doctors

 

I’ve been living with the feeling of helplessness in dealing with doctors from various specialties over the last few years and if I could, I would have given anything to avoid the unpleasant experiences I have had. Talking to people, I discovered that I am not alone. That other people experience some things, as my dad would say, that boggles the mind. That others suffer too and feel terrified by their illness, terrified that they can no longer trust doctors and their advice. I have learned (from experience) or understood that it is better not to practice self-medication because then you can create even worse health problems. But in a world where there is this growing feeling that you are being ripped off or being treated just to pay good money, without any care for the patient or decency, how much trust can you put into doctors anymore?! In an increasingly ageing society in need of medical care, can we afford to lose faith in the health care system and hide the fact that some doctors are doing great harm, both to patients and to the health care domain?

I have been carrying this indignation with me for years and, unfortunately, it is growing, because around me doctors are no longer behaving as they should, but more like speculators or jobbers whose only aim is to build that villa with a swimming pool and not to give the best advice to patients. And in the end, the villa with the pool would not be a problem, except that it is already clear to me that they are not sparing their efforts only for themselves, but also for their future generations, and we patients are just good cows to milk.

A stinking and dangerous slime is spreading everywhere in medicine, and I am afraid we are all beginning to have the same reaction as we would regarding some corrupt politicians – they stole, but at least they did something for the community.

This book has as anti-heroes the doctors focused on making money, the jobber-doctors, and the blasé, uncaring doctors, namely the lackadaisical-doctors.

The heroes are the patients who have gone through more or less traumatic experiences and who have paid dearly and very dearly, i.e. at the expense of their health, for falling victim to the above categories of doctors, believing that they would consider the Hippocratic oath - which encompasses the moral duties of doctors in the exercise of their profession and which can be succinctly explained as Do no harm!.

……

 

Periodontitis

According to the statistics, 8 out of 10 Romanians suffer from periodontitis, being the sixth most common disease in Romania. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of cases of periodontitis in young people, although a few years ago this disease was only attributed to elderly people.

What is periodontitis?

Periodontitis is the inflammation of the tissue that supports and anchors the teeth. The disease is manifested through inflammation and infection of the gums, and in advanced cases, pus pockets can also develop, which destroy the gum tissue and affect the structure of the teeth, which begin to wobble and fall out. As there is often confusion between periodontitis and gingivitis, it is important to understand that gingivitis is a superficial inflammation of the gums that, left untreated, can lead to periodontitis.

There is an explosion of periodontal treatments, as well as naturopathic treatments, and here too, speculating on Romanians' fear and confidence that they can heal themselves, various miracle solutions are being promoted that can completely regenerate your gum tissue and solve advanced periodontitis. Of course, there are also marketing gimmicks. A simple Google search for herbal treatments led me to the product title tincture for periodontosis, but the product label clearly, albeit small, mentions tincture for gingivitis.

Another wonder-product I found is a gum-regenerating solution, but the product's English-language label claims that the solution is recommended to be used only after dental procedures (scaling, tooth extraction, etc.) for gum pain relief. So, scams go hand in hand everywhere, and if you are gullible or desperate enough, you try them all, sometimes causing more harm. I'm not discounting the importance of herbal treatments for certain mild conditions, but I understand that severe ones cannot be treated with hawthorn tea, for example.

We also learn about miracle solutions from TV commercials. For example, certain toothpastes that promise a cure, or in the case of periodontitis, this is impossible with just using toothpaste.

I was terribly amused by a dialogue from the Argentinian TV series "Envious", which I reproduce below.

Mom: She's beautiful now, but you'll see in some years that beauty doesn't last. You know, don't you?

Son: Mom, it's not about that.

Mom: Oh, but it is! You think everything stays in its place?! No. I'm telling you, everything goes down. All of it! You know what’s the only thing that goes up?! Gums!

 

Periodontal Flap Surgery

If we are talking about periodontitis that has already passed the incipient stage, dentists recommend periodontal flap surgery. This involves subgingival cleaning of dead tissue, tartar deposits and possibly pus pockets. Because this procedure is quite invasive, and the gums need time to heal afterwards, it is not recommended to do it too often, possibly every five years. But when money is at stake, what does the fragility of gum tissue matter?

 

Excerpt from ‘Health Care Failures’, a book about jobber-doctors and lackadaisical-doctors

In My Thoughts

 

Happy Easter!

The Man Who Forgot His Wife – John O’Farrell

I was delighted to discover his fabulous humor in "The Best A Man can Be", and since then I've made it a point to buy John O'Farrell's books with the confidence that comes from knowing that reading a book will give you exactly what you're looking for.

And it has. The pleasure of reading his books is masterfully underpinned by fine humor that can't help but put you in a good mood. "The Man Who Forgot His Wife" is just what the doctor ordered when you need a reminder to take things less seriously.

John O'Farrell's books should be in every reader's bookcase, for we all need to be reminded how important it is to laugh.

And now, a few excerpts.

 

“…

As the judge entered the room, I was struck by the fact that he was not wearing the traditional headpiece. ‘Oh, no wig!’ I heard myself blurt out. The judge heard and looked at me. Now I was suddenly worried that he was in fact wearing a toupee, and that saying ‘no wig’ might not have been the best way to get on his good side.

‘Divorce judges don’t wear wigs, Vaughn – it’s not Open Court,’ my lawyer whispered. And we both attempted a polite smile at the judge, but my willpower was not quite strong enough to hold eye contact with him and I glanced momentarily at the top of his lushly carpeted head.

… 

 

…

Maddy and I are on a train. It is before people have mobile phones, because no one is shouting, ‘I’m on a train!’

…

‘This is a passenger announcement … ‘ (Back then we are only ‘passengers’; it is before we are regraded as ‘customers’ so that we can be that much more indignant when we don’t get what we paid for).

…. 

 

…

‘Do I know what it’s like to lose my identity?’ she spat in disbelief. ‘Are you serious? Before I married you I was “Madeleine”. Not “Vaughn’s wife” or “Jamie’s mum” or “Dillie’s mum”. I existed in my own right as me. I was Maddy the photographer who earned her own money doing something she loved. But then suddenly there was no time for that and nobody wanted to talk to me about me any more. It was all, “What does your husband do?” And, “How old are your children” or, the double-whammy, “So will your kids go the school where your husband teaches” So do I know what it’s like to lose my identity? Yes, I do. Every bloody wife and mother has known that since the dawn of fucking time-’

…. 

“

Long May They Live!

First Impressions about My New Novel, Laura Rise – Detained

I jumped around the house filled of joy, while listening to the wonderful words Alexandra complimented my novel with.

You can watch starting with 14:35 (only in Romanian) by clicking here.

What’s your name?

I'm used to getting in trouble because of my last name, but the first name has never been a problem. Okay, I must admit, it happened once when someone insisted on calling me Iulia, mentioning that it's much easier than Emilia.

But it seems to get complicated with my first name, too. I was in a taxi and the driver asked me out of the blue.

‘But is your name really Emilia?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Is your name really Emilia?’

‘Yes, that's my first name. Yes.’

‘Oh, my name is Emanuel and I thought that maybe you didn't want to write your name as Emanuela and put Emilia, because it's easier.’

‘.... (or as a friend of mine would say, you can hear the crickets chirping!)’

About writing

 

Curiosities about my new novel ֦Laura Rise - Detainedʺ

You can read the script below, under the video.

Hello! I promised you some curiosities about my new novel ֦Laura Rise- Detainedʺ.

Every novel is an entity. It has its own story, but also curiosities, as is the case with this novel. Let me tell you some of them!

1. I didn't find out until after publication that there is a writer called Laura Rise. A dear friend asked me if I was inspired by her life. No!

2. The gorgeous cover 1 has the figure of a man and a woman, and this is harmoniously interwoven with what appears on cover number 4, the review written by a woman and one written by a man. It's a perfect circle, even by chance!

3. After I published the previous video explaining the motivation behind the writing of the novel, I also received compliments on the clothing chosen to match the novel's cover. That was also purely coincidental, but it's good to be fashionable. I am very curious to find out what curiosities you have discovered in my new novel, and if you'd like to find out more information or purchase a copy, please find the link in the first comment (https://www.bookworm.ro/product-page/laura-rise-detinuta-emilia-muller ).

A Recommendation from Friends

 

What does growing up look like

For a few years now I've noticed a change. Regarding colors. I stopped looking for or finding preferences for other colors. I still stick to yellows, emerald-greens and purples (mauves, for friends).

Instead, I'm very keen on fir trees. I delight in looking at them and have been itching to get them close. As much as I can. Actually, very little - with the help of a mug.

And delighting in this closeness, I sat and wondered if I had not reached maturity (there are some who are waiting for it, I still have reservations), if this certain steadfastness cannot be called that. What does maturity look like?

And I found the answer. When you order a mug, but you also buy another one, to keep it as a spare. You hide it somewhere good, so in case you break one, you can easily replace it. If that's not growing up, I don't know what is!

Review for 'The Corporation'

It's almost Friday, as the guys from the Morning Glory morning show say in order to lift up our spirits. If you're looking for a book to cheer you up and make you feel you're not alone, then 'The Corporation. Typologies and Survival Guide' is your pick.

Thank you so much, Alexandra, for your review!

Mister Aznavour

Photo source - imdb

I had come to love Charles Aznavour ever since I was a little girl and saw him in a TV show, Le Chinois (translated from the French, The Chinese), which I really liked. I had come to believe that you can only really ponder on something, and find the answer, if you roll a pair of metal spheres in the palm of your hand. My father is surely responsible for the fact that I learned that Charles Aznavour was not only an actor but also a singer. It only took him once to make me pay attention to the fact that the song on the radio was sung by Charles, and I became a fan.

I always listened to Aznavour with a sweet kind of melancholy, and I was assured that it was because he reminded me of my childhood, of a time when I thought that if I could find some metal spheres I was to be not only a famous detective, but also be able to accomplish anything I set my mind to.

Over the years, La Bohème would always remind me of my first trip to Paris (and Zaz's Je veux, of course!) and as the years went by, the lyrics were no longer just accompanying a beautiful melody, but also a meaning that spoke to me more and more.

Now, after seeing the movie Mr. Aznavour, written and directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, I love Aznavour even more. It's true, the movie is a masterpiece, the way the camera portrays the actors, the dialogue, the acting and the remembering or reference to his songs - not too tiresome or sensation-seeking - make it one of the best biographical movies.

Learning the story behind Je m'voyais déjà (it also touched me deeply to learn the story behind the song Emmenez-moi), I felt pure admiration for Charlez Aznavour's perpetual struggle in his quest for fame. To be able to believe in yourself when all you get in response (from critics, from the public) are constant invectives and constant repetitions that you have no talent, that you don't perform well on stage, that you don't have the right voice and so on and so forth, is very hard to do, almost impossible (who knows how many other artists couldn't go through with it and gave up!).

Tahar Rahim, the actor who masterfully plays Aznavour, has a wonderful line in the movie - from today I will work even harder, much harder until I succeed.

Of course, hard work can bring you success, but it doesn't guarantee it, that's where resilience comes in, to keep pushing and pushing even if those around you tell you to give up. And talking about success and resilience reminded me of a comment I received for this article - What do you do if your idea is just plain bad? Perseverare diabolicum est (translated from the Latin, to persevere in error is diabolical). Looking back at Aznavour's story, he had far more reasons to give up and he should have stopped long ago, but he persevered.

This is actually the point I make in this article, neither hard work nor resilience guarantees success. Perhaps what matters in the end is that you didn't let yourself down, you kept believing in yourself. Maybe the journey is the most important, and not necessarily whether or not you achieve what you set out to accomplish. Perhaps what needs to be first reaped from hard work are the laurels of one's own self-confidence.

Laura is here!

My latest novel has been printed and I am glad to finally hold it in my hands. Below the video, you can read the script in English.

Hello! I am Emilia Muller, the author of this beautiful book that was published at the Bookworm Publishing House. Today, I want to tell you the story about how I wrote this novel and what inspired me to write it.

‘Laura Rise - Detained’ follows Laura, an aspiring author who decides to make an experiment and publish her work under a male pseudonym, George Reza. But when the experiment takes a different turn, George is the one to enjoy the success instead of Laura. Thus, Laura must navigate a complex web of identity, creativity, and deception to reclaim her work.

The book explores also the challenges faced sometimes by women in the publishing industry. It's a story that resonates with anyone who has ever felt the need to hide their true self to succeed.

Writing this book was a journey of discovery for me. I delved into the world of publishing and explored the real-life biases and challenges that authors face, regardless of gender. It was almost therapeutical to write this book, and I think I wore myself out while writing it, but I am very proud of the final result, and here all of my thanks go to the editorial staff within the Bookworm Publishing House for their indications, but also the care they’ve shown towards the book, as a whole.

This story is close to my heart because it touches on issues of identity and authenticity that I believe many of us can relate to. I hope readers will find it thought-provoking and engaging.
If you're interested in learning more about my novel or want to purchase a copy, check the first comment. Laura and I thank you!

(the first comment - https://www.bookworm.ro/product-page/laura-rise-detinuta-emilia-muller )

Laura Rise – Detained by Emilia Muller

I am very happy to announce the publication of my new novel, Laura Rise - Detained.

What would you do to get published? Would you cheat? Would you murder? Laura decides to publish her work under a male pseudonym, George Reza. But George exists and he appropriates the works. What will Laura do to get them back? In addition to the question of usurpation, the book also includes a small analysis of the book market (the reader profile, differences in sales between books written by women and men), the relationship between the writers and their works, the quest for publication, the relationship with neighbors, and life in women's prison.

If I've made you curious, find here the pre-order link -

https://www.bookworm.ro/product-page/laura-rise-detinuta-emilia-muller

From friends

 

Life has unlimited transport network season ticket – Diana Popescu

Usually, we are annoyed or mad due to the interaction, through life, with other passengers. Nevertheless, Diana Popescu reminds us that life (just like public transportation) happens while we are busy making sure we don’t miss the next stop – according to the wishes and will of success of each of us, whether it’s health, money, that villa with that pool, and other complex wishes that make not the purpose of this post (and hence my mentioning only the mundane ones).

I imposed it on myself to go through the book patiently, a couple of chapters at a time. I enjoyed the recounted experiences that were classified by names of verbs in infinitive, which I felt as a recommendation to stop and pay more attention to things, generally.

I laughed, got mad, got sad or even emotional, but absolutely none of the stories left me indifferent. And hence the reading in slow motion.  

And as a means to recommend the book, here are some excerpts:

“…..

A very beautiful schoolgirl, with dark hair and wearing a ponytail so long that it reaches her waistline, gets on the bus together with a grumbling grandma.

‘Should I get my backpack off my back?’, asks the girl.

‘Leave it there’.

‘But I am hindering the other passengers…’

‘Don’t you worry!’

The bus is full. After the next stop, grandma becomes sulkier.

 ‘This fatty is really stepping on my nerves with his backpack!’

The girl asks again:

‘Should I get my backpack off?’

‘I have already told you to leave it there, why do you keep pestering me?!’

The girl gives up, perplexed. Sometimes one must educate oneself, in spite of the good family upbringing.

....

The truth is that it may be true, but it is still a lie!

Out of nowhere, we hear the voice of this man wearing a face mask as if a mustache. Utterly encouraged by his words, he continues, loud enough for anyone on the bus to hear:

‘Do you think that back in the days people did not get colds? Of course they did! And they would take it from each other, as well. And it did not end with that, even hens would get colds! Once a week, my mom would check the hens and see which one got the cold. And then she would kill it and boil it. The boiling cures everything!

...

”

I know I know nothing

 

Highlife

In 1930, Ghana became known for highlife, a music genre that was promoted by the trumpeter and saxophonist E.T. Mensah.

Below, you can find a music compilation that I am currently enjoying listening to.

Nature, whilst painting

 

The Return – Gabriela Dumitriu

Did I weave into this book, or is this book that has woven into me? It does not matter for we have become one.

I am always very proud to discover books of Romanian contemporary literature that make my soul soar. And this book, dear readers, is maybe the most valuable one in recent years.

Introspection, social, economic and relationship analysis, all these perspectives have been carefully considered by the author and wonderfully described so that anyone can understand them, but especially the author has done wonders by reaching meanings less or none at all explained before.

Like never before, I felt the urge to underline fragments from the book (but I hate doing that to books), and thus I stopped on time, otherwise I would have underlined the entire book. But then again, there are a couple of fragments that are remarkably written.

Here below, I will give just a tiny excerpt, to entice you:

‘…

And the sensation that all the people in this room are worried about her, not because they care but because they perceive her as a problem to be solved, presses down on her, making her feel buried underneath it.

….’

Texas

 

Wisdom

Nothing new with this – my sister and I were raised on proverbs.

Every time I speak on the phone with my folks, they proudly mention witty sayings from our folklore. I often laugh. But mostly, my heart fills with pride, for these sayings come to serve me as attire, masking reality when it seems to stubbornly display itself as ugly and unjust.

 

Don’t you worry, it will be warm in the summer.

I wait. And I hope, since my folks always taught us to be optimistic.

 

The ox has also a long tongue, but he only can utter moo!

Let nothing you dismay. What is big can be small in the eyes of others.

 

 

I just got lost

Every river that I tried to cross

Every door I ever tried was locked

Oh, and I'm just waiting 'til the shine wears off

 

You might be a big fish

In a little pond

Doesn't mean you've won

'Cause along may come a bigger one

And you'll be lost

Every river that you tried to cross

Every gun you ever held went off

Oh, and I'm just waiting 'til the firing stops

Oh, and I'm just waiting 'til the shine wears off

When

When I long for you, I sigh. What an ordinary gesture! And rather stupid. I unite this loss of you with boredom, when your existence was anything but boring.

When I long for you, I frown and I clench my lips, as if the air lost through them could erase you from my mind.

When I long for you, I have a heavy heart ‘cause all that it knows is to ask without listening to reason.

When I long for you, I am you. Absent/ present and sad/ cheerful. And I am embraced by that lovage and fresh stum smell, and I see that water glass that has brown circles on it (is this the reason why for years now I have surrounded myself with objects that have geometric shape patterns?!).

When I long for you, I cease to exist. This is the only way for me not to feel the loss. And I still haven’t got accustomed to losing. It’s only natural to lose, but I am stubbornly refusing to do so, and it hurts, it hurts too much this loss. And I’m longing. And this longing transforms itself into a blob of paint crushed by a brush onto a white canvas – I slowly spread onto the canvas, I cover it and lose myself into it, as well. I cover myself because it’s far simpler to lose yourself when you think about others.