Raewyn Alexander Writing

Intriguing this morning, to see someone writing about the Adam and Eve story as if it were absolutely true, rather than a symbolic story outlining the beginning of human life.

We could say that the beginning of human life was when we could talk. We evolved to the point where we could make language, and talk to each other. Then as now, women spoke more often with more people, and using more words, than men did usually, we may imagine as anthropologists.

First, before my blog today, a reminder - I'm a social scientist, and my learning included my study of anthropology, four different languages, Tikanga me Te Reo Maori, French, German, and English, plus creative writing, intercultural communication, international communication, organisational communication, creative thinking, news and media, creating documents and books, computer applications, strategic use of language, analysing human cultures, and much more. My degree is in International Communication, I'm also an author, novelist, poet, journalist, non-fiction writer, blogger, publisher, artist, and performer. You can see my work on Read NZ, and other websites, often too in libraries or bookshops, some written work will be in our exhibition end of November into December this year, 2023.

Now, I see all God or Goddess beliefs as manifesting a powerful, real-to-many metaphor for life, important and helpful. Flawed at times, but humans are far from perfect with anything we do. Indeed too, life is still a mystery, and we aren't sure where life comes from, exactly.

Yes, so we may personify life itself, to try to understand this better, in a magical or spiritual manner, "believing in more than what is plainly seen". We have done this, making spiritual symbols since human life began, recognising we don't know everything, always.

I wrote this piece elsewhere online and am expanding the ideas here.

People need to make stories and to create symbols, to understand daily life, bigger pictures, unseen everyday acts like recipes for "making that cake", terrible mysteries also need explanations, plus plain facts, and each other, etc. So we do that all the time, creating stories.

Life is magical or lovely or puzzling, or scary, and more, stories show us this. It is possibly a good idea not to necessarily get too carried away with the stories alone, by themselves though. Practical matters like why a story was created are important.

Also, in every day life needs must get considered, carefully. We must eat, drink, have shelter, education and good company, we work for those too, plus much more. The plain stories also need attention, our daily routine is also a story.

Yes, and human beings first evolved as homo sapiens, in South Africa, as Kalahari Bushmen, so-called. That area used to be a lush garden for an extremely long time, but there was climate change.

Then the gorgeous garden turned into a desert,.

So it would've felt like being banished from a wonderful perfect place, the Garden of Eden was gone.

The snake in the story, is maybe alluding to the part of the brain, called the lizard brain, basic instincts, that probably developed more with evolution. This allowed some homo sapiens to act quickly "on instinct" in danger, and maybe to make signals like talking too, our first language was shouts, alarm noises surely, humming like songs, and clicks.

It looks like the first person to talk in detail was a woman, surmised due to the fact, we are all 30th to 50th cousins of each other. We are all descended from this one woman, DNA shows this.

You have to think that her advantage was that she could talk, and she taught her children to talk too.

None of this makes any religious story any less by the way, life is still a fantastic experience and a mystery, and we need good moral guidelines. Some people want religion, okay, good, as long as no one gets hurt or exploited, but others do not have to believe in anything they find too incredible.

Religious tolerance is tho' a sign of a decent society.

Now, yes, early people who could talk were at an advantage, we must agree, yes? That's the curious clicking sound that the Kalahari Bushmen used to make, the very first human language.

Sadly they're now no longer, the Kalahari Bushmen, the world changed too much for them to live in it successfully. Their language has been recorded, but they are no more. This language of theirs, is the first ever human language, recorded but now never spoken by the Kalahari people, as they've sadly gone.

So anybody who could talk talk was at an advantage, we can believe, thinking about back then of course. Much easier to plan and make good hunting plans, to design better shelter then houses, to make careful journeys etc. We must agree talking is a huge advantage, surely? If you've ever tried not talking for a day, you would notice the issues without it.

Of course any talking people could also tell stories, which is how Eve, as the first women with speech came to be called in Christian religion, told the story about who they were, and how they had to leave the garden now, etc. But every culture has a "beginning of people" story. That's because we all came from the same people. Shared language, especially stories, and behaviours, also ideas and planning methods, all follow patterns we may trace back.

DNA is hard science proof too we're all related, lately shown.

We all evolved from Kalahari bushmen. But we turned into different cultures, "how we behave, what we believe", depending on where we lived, how and what we did next.

This evolution and diversity took thousands and thousands of years.

We believe, as anthropologists, mainly women in early times, did about 70%, (or most) of the collecting of food, roots, bark, fruits, nuts, and leaves. So women would've noticed the food was dwindling. They noted the climate change, and women figured everyone needed to go away from the desert that was forming, to find better places further north.

Bad news, so you have to imagine that a snake would've told her that, snakes were not good, and she was telling you bad news....
OR maybe the snakes tho' were leaving, the area, and did "tell" her that in a way, she noticed the snakes were all leaving?!

You had to also take in the knowledge, and believe it, Eve said, get out of the "garden of eden" now, it wasn't safe.

Some people would've blamed her, Eve for the actual climate change trouble, because some people leap to conclusions, hearing a story. They see a change, then another change and they relate the changes to each other as people, (you said it, you made it happen). Superstition is specious or silly, based on nonsense reasoning, but we do it.

We know now, any huge change like a tidal wave or storm may be way out of human control, when it happens. BUT not everything dangerous is irreversible. We may put out fires, we may build dikes against floods, and can plant trees against global warming.

We can change some things, But It's Harder once trouble gets going with enough strength. Our own climate changes now here, a Climate Emergency now, and yet still people are flying away on holidays, in jet planes which are creating the trouble, in large numbers flying around.

The most planes ever recorded were in the air recently, and we had the two hottest weeks ever recorded too.

Now here I sit typing, a woman telling you a recent current event story. Some of you will say that I'm evil or stupid, or blame me for saying this about planes, and not want to believe me. You're caught in a state of entropy, believing you cannot change, it's too difficult.... So it's easier to blame someone else for saying something "wrong", and pretend everything is fine, not to worry.

IF people were in Adam and Eve times, by then burning scrub etc., to clear land to plant, and burning other things, all the time for various reasons however, they'd cause climate change.

Fires were created to scare out game from grasses or trees, and fires also quickly made clearer land for crops, plus fires helped people stay warm and they cooked upon them. At the same time, people were taking down trees, taking away ground cover, removing branches that had fallen which would normally become mulch, for those fires.

Plus they would've burnt dried animal dung as well. Some people burnt enormous amounts of land so they could use it to plant crops, by the way, and it often would've got out of hand too. Then lightning would sometimes create fires anyway, carelessness also caused fires of many kinds.

Plus if they had a large amount of animals tamed and breeding, their emissions would've added to climate change in that area.

So people back then, plus some natural causes like lightning setting fire to savvana more often, with land cleared, may've caused a climate change. The the southern end of Africa, previously a beautiful garden, an amazing bountiful place, turned into a desert, we do know this.

Women do still use more words than men too, by the way. Women are often the ones who notice things too, more, about everyday life, because we're so involved with households even now. Quite often child-rearing, shopping, talking at length together, planning household schedules, plus working for pay in many cases, women are closely involved with so much. We therefore have to know lots of different language, to use in different places, and lots of words for many things.

We're still blamed for bad news, as well, quite often when it wasn't our fault, we're only passing on a message. Women are still seen as less likely to get annoyed with you, if you tease us, or deride us or belittle us. So even if Adam back in the day did see the climate change problems, that Eve told him about, if he kept quiet and said she told him everything that a snake told her, it was easy to blame Eve and the snake wasn't it?

Many of my books, articles and stories, or poems, blogs etc., are about difficult things too by the way, I tell people odd or wild stories often with warnings in them, for instance. Many people think I've lived them all! They seem to think, I can't possibly have observed them, nor made them up! No woman would be so clever!? Is that their thinking?

But if a book has "novel" on the cover, that's a made up story, even if it is realist in form.

True stories also sell MUCH more than fiction, usually, so I'd be better off telling the truth if it were so. My novels and stories are not true, (unless I'm writing journalism, or plainly non-fiction).

Anyway I can understand how people decided to blame Eve, for the bad news, because people still behave that way. Many people still make up lies about a woman, who tells a a scary story, or a difficult story. I know, I have lies told about my stories and myself, all the time. No one much wants to credit me with cleverness, imagination, and skill, "only a woman" you see?

Some will now read this and say someone else wrote it for me, for instance, if they think it's any good! That's their game....

I don't write for misogynists, climate change deniers, saboteurs and so on however, only for discerning, well read folk, often creatives with great ethics practised daily. May we flourish!

You can see my work on Read NZ, and also other websites.

I assist people with their own writing too, editing, ghost-writing, and workshopping. Do ask me about this. Thanks for reading.

Fine Surprise - Indian ink drawing photobooth image only See original in our exhibition at Wah-wah Gallery Nov into Dec 2023

"Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a “win at all cost” mindset to have a champion’s mentality."

I wish certain truly selfish people in the arts would learn ethics like this too, and stop narcissistically sabotaging others!

To say that I’ve seen mixed reviews about our decision to share the win would be an understatement. While part of me doesn’t want to entertain the negative comments, I would like to help enlighten those that are calling us “cowards”, “shameful”, “pathetic” etc. I know you can’t make everyone happy in this world, but in an effort to help people understand the sport that I love so much, I would like to explain my mentality in that moment. The pole vault is not an endurance event. We have a short window of jumps. Once the fatigue sets in, it not only becomes more difficult, but dangerous. The sport has seen everything from athletes just landing funny with minor tweaks, to horrific accidents. We had jumped an entire competition, vaulting for almost 4 hours in 85 degree heat. The competition ended, and we were exhausted. A World Championship is incredibly emotionally draining-even more so than a regular competition. My step (the point where I jump off the ground into the takeoff) to vault safely has to be in almost the exact same spot every time, give or take a few inches. My last few jumps, that takeoff step was moving further and further out, giving us real data showing my fatigue even with adrenaline. To walk away healthy and with a gold medal, while celebrating with my friend that had jumped just as well, was a no-brainer. Part of the reason we’ve reached the highest level is by listening to our bodies, and knowing our limitations. We decided that in this particular moment, sharing glory was just as good as earning it outright. I understand that people want to see a clear winner. It is the exciting part of sport. But in this instance, it was without a doubt the right decision, and one that I will never regret. Contrary to popular belief, you do not need a “win at all cost” mindset to have a champion’s mentality.

My daughter Geneva AM also writes, and wrote this song. NZ on Air funded the whole process.

A film crew made a documentary about the work. Recorded with the amazing assistance of her clever brother, audio engineer Johnny Five, this superb song's already loved by so many.

GENEVA AM - IHO (Short Documentary Story) (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) taps into the wisdom of te ao Māori during her pregnancy, leading her to have a calm and successful birth. Through her ...

Happiness - exhibition and writing workshops this summer.

I've created a series of detailed drawings. They'll be exhibited and in silent auction, in an exhibition called, Happiness, this summer, 2023-2024.

Why exhibit my art? Here's why -

“ The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”

― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council

Drawing and painting, Indian ink on A4 Cartridge paper In the Wintergarden Hothouse, and Abstraction, also, Selfie outside Blue Haven and my studio Zine Hope 2019

Here’s a poem called ‘The Last Bee’ for World Bee Day.

My Life is a Garden, memoir in progress, reading four. I'm reading my memoir in stages. A wilderness garden helps stop flooding, good, lately!

I'm happy to help you edit your work, remember. etc. Video, facebook, this link!

https://www.facebook.com/raewyn.alexander/videos/636018975219104

Years ago, when I was invited to be part of the Tauranga writers' Festival, I met Dame Fiona Kidman; such a kind, clever person, and an excellent writer. I suggest you take note of her erudite answers to these Read NZ questions, so truly useful to any writer.

I'm also privileged to be featured on the Read NZ web-pages. Do see there, a checked, succinct history of my writing background.

Meanwhile, this video is Writing 101 in a nutshell!

Flash Files - Dame Fiona Kidman Welcome to Flash Files, the companion to our formal Writer's Files where we get the scoop on reading and writing from some of Aotearoa's favourite creatives ...

Thanks Phantom Billstickers, publishing me huge, in public in America. Some of my work's published in books there, but never like this!

Poem itself is also in latest BMP online. Doug Poole editor, thanks so much, all concerned.

http://www.blackmailpress.com/RAlexander45.html

I was interviewed a while back about my work, and this was published online, thanks to Paula Green.

https://nzpoetrybox.wordpress.com/tag/raewyn-alexander/

raewyn Alexander – Poetry Box Posts about raewyn Alexander written by Paula Green

Whooo Fri 26 Aug., Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, FUNDED my Poetry While You Wait! Excited! Thanks Phantom xx

Ahaha

Kia ora, here, sure I'm busy now and then, but with time to assist with your editing, ghost-writing, plans for publishing, or promo-plan re your work.

What are your writing projects? My International Communication degree (2004), and decades of experience as a published writer, enable me to help boost your profile and improve your work. Ask me.

https://www.read-nz.org/writer/alexander-raewyn/

| Read NZ Because Reading Changes Lives

Latest project, a memoir about my life with gardens. This shall lead to the creation of my large wilderness garden, here at Blue Haven, Tamaki Makaurau Auckland.

This is my video reading aloud of the first pages. Comments welcome.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZU1oP6hfFLkwOpQUYQgeUPeupdxWW8X0/view

I'm the kind of writer who thinks about what I'm going to write quite deeply, and for a while, sometimes years. I usually have about eight things that I'm writing.

Then I write the work, and then edit that work.

Then I edit the writing again after reading it aloud.

Then I leave the writing for a day or two, then I go back and I read it again aloud and edit it again.

I do this until I think it's a good piece of work. Next I submit it somewhere if it's short, or add it to a file if it's a book.

For a comic, I draw the drawing first. While I'm drawing, I edit and change what I'm going to write, in my thoughts. This can take a few days.

So by the time I'm ready to write the caption, or character's speech etc., on the comic page, then I know what I'm going to write.