A Sojourn among the Avatars of Wisdom

“A Sojourn Among the Avatars of Wisdom” is a rare, quadruple-use book. The narrative serves:

1. To entertain: From the space shuttle’s fiery launch, to the International Space Station’s celestial perch, to earth’s tethered bounds, an astronaut attempts to change his life.
2. To impart wisdom: The counsel of the world’s greatest sages is woven into the narrative, which can be of benefit to those who seek their wisdom.
3. To employ various literary devices:
   1. Symbolism
      1. There is no greater symbol of change than the launch of the space shuttle that accelerates from zero to 17,000 mph in a little over eight minutes.
      2. Lightning arcs through a network of clouds, which represents thought.
      3. The night of the launch represents ignorance and the light portrays knowledge: “The shuttle, rocketing northeast over the North Atlantic toward dawn over Europe …”
   2. Irony
      1. The lack of gravity (resistance) makes us weaker, not stronger.
      2. Although the orbiter is engineered to accelerate and decelerate quickly, individuals who attempt too much change in a short period of time risk injury or death.
      3. The space shuttle’s computers enable the spacecraft to achieve orbit whereas people employ a machine-like approach to flesh and bone to reach new heights, which doesn’t work.
   3. Foreshadowing
      1. “Perhaps of greater concern is that the space station is listing about ten degrees to starboard” signals that the narrative has changed its orientation as well.
      2. “If your falcon got any bigger, I’d bet it would attack us,” which foreshadows a future attack.
      3. Leslie tells Chris, “It’s all downhill from here,” which signals that the protagonist is about to be laid low.
4. To pay tribute to Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, a mid-19th century art movement, and his “Voyage of Life” series of paintings, whose scenes are rendered in my book as follows:
   
   Childhood: “Below them (as viewed by Chris Cole in an aircraft), a lone sailboat plies the lake’s serene waters.”
   Youth: “As the two head outside, Chris beholds towering citadels of condensation borne by summer breezes, floating silently across the sky.”
   Manhood: “Chris pauses to watch one such vessel (a grassy boat) hurtling downstream, which narrowly misses some large rocks until it rounds a bend and disappears from view.”

The central character in the narrative, Chris Cole, is linked to Thomas Cole through the latter’s quote, “Over all, rocks, wood, and water, brooded the spirit of repose, and the silent energy of nature stirred the soul to its inmost depths.”

The word sublime, used in the narrative, is one often associated with descriptions of the Hudson River School paintings.

There are very few quadruple-use books in the world. Accordingly, that’s what makes my story special!