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A NATIONAL
INTERVIEW
with KARA Jones
3/2002
About the
Interviewer: Kara L.C. Jones is Editor-In-Chief of KotaPress and Board
Member of MISS (Mothers in Sympathy and Support/Mission for Infant
Survival and Stillbirth) Foundation. Kara Jones lives on Vashon Island
near Seattle, Washington where she and her husband started KotaPress as
a memorial to their son.
Details of this in-depth interview follow:
Q: What is CronesUnlimited.com?
Mary: CronesUnlimited.com is a web site used to promote the wise
stories, poetic songs and essays of energetic elders, who have shed
stereotypes and ego desires. Since young people so often lack good
mentors, CronesUnlimited.com hopes to honor such leaders and mentors,
who stand in their own truth and are ready to re-ignite curiosity and
empower others, by cooperatively publishing their life-long experiences.
CronesUnlimited.com believes that only elders acquainted with the shadow
self can help others appreciate the challenges, opportunities and
possibilities that come with diversity. By confronting death, darkness
and depression the human spirit is transformed. Only through emotional
maturity and spiritual insight can we fully appreciate the roles we play
as partners in the creation of a greater whole.
Q: What is "A Crone's Crossing"?
Mary: "A Crone's Crossing" is a 200 page collection of national
and international award winning prose, poetry and essays by Mary
Fogarty. "I was put to the test," she says, "but it never came in the
form I expected. I invited teachers, mentors, spiritual guides and
healers of my community, wise Crones and Sages in their own right, to
assist me with the writing of this book.
Dr. Greg Candela, a professor of creative writing at the University of
New Mexico for the past 30 years, writes in his review, "Driven by
powerful passion and imagery-grounded in person and place, "A Crone's
Crossing," is an American book. However, before this generation of
women, the lone figure, the wanderer, the orphan with no past, the
powerful individual, had been, almost exclusively, a male figure. Like
Walt Whitman, Mary Fogarty is a pioneer: vigorous, innovative,
inclusive, and a tireless self-promoter. In this context, Ms. Fogarty is
a woman recreating herself-from the nurturing, self-effacing mother and
wife into an independent artist.
"Like the typical American male hero/artist, Ms. Fogarty is a rebel
against authority, an outsider. Unlike that male hero/artist, she draws
strength not only from what she is capable of doing, but also from her
past, memories that abide and must be rediscovered and raised from the
dead. For Mary Fogarty, that past resides most strongly in her Polish
Babka, Grandmother Valeria. As she told me, 'I frequently visited Babka;
throughout my childhood in Wisconsin, I wanted to know what she knew.'
"The author also represents the journey of this most populous of
American generations into its aging; her writing, then, addresses the
rediscovery of her grandmother at a time when she is a grandmother.
"To conclude, Mary Fogarty, among the new American "women as artists,"
does not, cannot take her journey of re-creation alone. I invite you to
take another look at the cover photo. Then, take this journey, women and
men, with the author. You will find, I think, that the vividly rendered
details from Mary Fogarty's Polish-American and Midwestern roots, her
tentative and tenacious femininity, and the power of her words will
resonate. Who takes up this book, takes a woman."
Q: How did you get started as a
writer?
Mary: I have been writing since the fifth grade. Often at the
risk of getting whacked, I hid under my bed quilts with a flash light to
write thoughts in my journal about my experiences. For me writing was a
way to handle inner turmoil and create fantasy worlds.
Q: What is your mission with
CronesUnlimited.com?
Mary: The mission of CronesUnlimited.com is to honor mature
authors (men and woman) by offering a creative vehicle for
self-expression. Crones Unlimited, a cooperative press, publishes the
writings of extraordinary elders who have lived fully and powerfully.
Their writings are crowned with ageless wisdom and achievements that can
transform everyday experiences into a resonating voice, which speaks to
the radiant body/mind of others.
Q: What do you mean when you say
"Crones" and "Sages"?
Mary: Crones in this case does not mean "withered old hags," but
"hagias," a Greek word for 'holy ones' or 'crowned ones' who served
their communities as mentors, teachers, healers and spiritual guides.
Crones, Sages, Noble Elders are different names used to refer to the
emotional maturity and spiritual insights that come with long-living.
Wisdom Keepers, as Navahos call their elders, achieve a state-of-knowing
through those small, necessary deaths -- career failures, divorce, the
loss of a loved one -- that become opportunities for rebirth.
Q: Was there a Crone or Sage who
influenced your artistic or personal life, who modeled for you what it
meant to mentor others and raise awareness about Crones and Sages?
Mary: Absolutely. My Polish Babka, Grandma Valeria, at 17 years
of age came to the United States in the 1890s on a rusty old tanker from
Gdansk, Poland. "I leave all I know," she said in broken English. "I
leave my family cause not want to marry Polish Pig." She did not have a
formal education, but Babka was strong willed and very street wise. As a
child I remember wanting to look magical like my Babka, project a
commanding fury, know what she knew.
In my book, "A Crone's Crossing" I wrote a poem for Babka called
"There's a Crone in My Kitchen." It received a Poet Laureate Award by
Cader Publishing, Ltd. in Spring, March, 2000. An excerpt from the poem
starts:
"You do not
have to be like your mother.
You are not destined to act like the women
before you. More than beauty,
inherit their strength, and resilience.
Become the person you decide."
Q: How do all your artistic
processes, writing sculpting painting, contribute or combine to create
the visions you have for CronesUnlimited.com and for your own personal
artistic path?
Mary: Maybe it is the process more than the end-result that I
find noteworthy. Growing up during the social upheavals of the 1960s, I
married and toured the United States, Europe, Brazil, Poland, Finland,
Australia and New Zealand. My exposure to a rich variety of cultures as
an exchange student and later as a world traveler provided opportunities
to discover my own vehicles for self-expression as a writer, sculptress
and painter.
I often invited graduated Crones and Sages into my life who encouraged
me to embrace challenge. Adding challenge to my adventurous spirit, I
learned about the power, joy and fulfillment that comes from mastering
diversity. Through Crones Unlimited, I want to offer that kind of power,
joy and fulfillment to others and to help them find their own creative
path, their own unique spirit.
Q: Our Kota site started after
the death of my son. My mother and many other elders have been of great
comfort to me since his death. My mom and I were both comforted to find
organizations like AGAST for the support of bereaved grandparents. Do
you find that raising awareness about CronesUnlimited.com is putting you
in touch with other elders who are doing support work, too?
Mary: Oh, indeed. One of the strongest figures is Dr. Gregory
Candela, the professor I mentioned earlier who wrote a review on my
book, "A Crone's Crossing." As a dedicated teacher, Dr. Candela, has
mentored and turned lives around with his ability to teach, empower and
make others re-think and re-invent themselves.
You are another person, Kara L.C. Jones, Dakota's Mommy, who has
impressed me as one who has found a powerful vehicle for LOVE.
Ultimately our ability to serve others comes back a thousand fold in
different forms. Supporting, empowering and serving others comes back as
ADMIRATION, the greatest currency we can give and receive from each
other.
In one of my poems I
write:
Know that who I
am,
lives in your LISTENING,
your authentic ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
in your respectful ADMIRATION.
ADMIRATION is the most
sought after income in the universe.
The admiration we attract to ourselves,
is the truest measure of our existence.
Q: Again in our Kota experience
after the death of my son, I found this huge breakdown in communication
with my husband's mother and with my own grandmother. They both had come
from a generation where you "picked up yourself by your boot straps and
went on, never talked about the child again, had another as soon as
possible" etc. They still cannot accept that we named our company after
our son so that we could keep his name alive to us. Do you find in your
work with CronesUnlimited.com that many people feel isolated from
generation to generation?
Mary: On some levels, Kara, we can isolate ourselves by choosing
not to let go or to move on. Maybe your husband's mother and your own
grandmother simply wanted you to get past the pain of loss so that you
could do what you are doing now. My Babka was a "pick yourself up"
generation. I thought she did not understand, but with a mischievious
smile and her willfull way she did.
To answer your question: Yes, people feel isolated from generation to
generation, because so often the young choose their own paths, prefer to
learn their own lessons, and are not open to or willing to hear or
listen to the advise of elders. Sometimes it is simply a breakdown in an
ability to listen and to communicate well on both sides. Maybe that is
why history so often repeats itself?
In fact, one of my poems from my book, "Passions," is about a mother who
grieves for a son she knows is with her for only a short time. This work
won international recognition from Writers' International Forum.
I believe this work speaks to all generations; mothers, fathers,
brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, grandmothers, grandfathers. As the
mother in this poem points out, when "--a journey into the light of your
own heart begins, the journey itself becomes its own reward." (more
)
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Shh! A Child is
Passing Through
When evening falls and the daylight fades,
I put my child to sleep.
For a moment I stand next to his bed, close my eyes,
see his smile and hear his laughter.
I thank God I've had him for one more day.
Like most moms who love their children,
I long to tell my story because my son,
has something special to share.
Justin is all boy.
He lives with his Father and me
in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Like any five-year-old, he rides his tricycle,
sings and dances about,
and sometimes gets into mischief with Chocolate,
a neighbor's brown lab.
At birth Justin had a defect that left his intestines suspended
outside of his body.
Several operations corrected the fault,
but other complications made it difficult
for his small body to function normally.
As parents we fear our son
has come to visit us for only a short time.
One day when Grandpa Ben came to visit,
Justin sat at the dinner table
where the family had gathered to pray.
"Bless this milk and this bread," he started,
"and bless me special if I wet my bed.
Make my family good like Grandpa Ben
and fix cousin Tony's cold.
Put hair on Uncle Harry's head
and make the thunder stop when it rains.
Bless my mom and my dad
and let myself always belong to me.
Let everybody in my family matter.
Thank you God. Amen."
Before he had finished his prayer,
everyone at the dinner table sat in silence with tearful eyes.
Wise beyond his years,
Justin possesses a gift for touching people in ways
that bring strong adults to an understanding
of love for themselves and for others.
Last week Justin went to the hospital
with me for my yearly physical.
Being a curious child, he tried to enter another room.
"Stay away from that room," I cried.
Not paying attention, he entered the room anyway.
On the other side,
a child younger than Justin stood starring in the shadows.
He was bald.
Justin looked around and saw
that all the children in the room were bald.
He had entered the Lovelace Cancer Ward
where children were being treated with chemotherapy.
It didn't take long for Justin to make friends.
With his bright red truck under his arm,
he walked up to one of the children and touched his head.
"We have the same kind of hair cut," he said with a smile.
Then Justin walked up to another boy without hair.
He looked into his eyes and turned to me,
"I think that boy wants my red truck," he said.
"But it's your favorite toy," I reminded.
Justin handed the red truck to the boy and turned to me,
"It's okay, mom, he needs the truck more than I do."
When I watch my child,
I learn that there is no better time for him than right now.
The only day in which he can begin his journey is today,
because for Justin it will never stop being today.
Once away from home and returning to Albuquerque,
Justin sat next to me on the plane.
As we approached the airport, I said,
"Look Justin all those lights on the ground are people living in
their homes."
Justin started to pray.
Embarrassed by his loud words,
I tried to quiet my child, but he continued.
"Please, dear God, protect all those people on the ground and
keep them safe.
Teach them to be happy no matter what."
When he finished with his prayer,
the passenger next to Justin began to clap,
then another passenger clapped
and before long more passengers joined in.
As the plane came in for a landing
I felt like we had just taken a flight without wings.
It was as if my child knew that once
a journey into the light of your own heart begins,
the journey itself becomes its own reward.
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Q: How did you learn the
business of your art? How do you find your balance between the creation
of art and business of art?
Mary: Truth be told I am still learning the 'business of my art'.
But each day I meet people like yourself, Kara, that help me expand this
business of publishing and promoting. I have to admit that I am
thoroughly enjoying this E-mail interview. It gives me an opportunity to
answer questions from another point-of-view.
Because I am creative and a risk taker, I do not see a discrepancy
between creativity in writing, sculpting and painting versus creativity
as an entrepreneur in publishing.
Q: You mentioned doing readings
with another author, a local professor. Who is he and what is the book
that CronesUnlimited.com published for him?
Mary: As I mentioned earlier, Dr. Gregory Candela holds a
doctorate in American literature and is a Master Teacher at the
University of New Mexico-Valencia Campus. I published his first book of
poetry, "Surfing New Mexico." This book is filled with poems about the
spirit of New Mexico and the native people and was well received at
local bookstores in Albuquerque. As mutual 'hams' we complimented each
other. Greg played his guitar and drums to the readings of our poems.
Our audiences loved the performance and we got high on being playful and
outrageous.
Q: Who is the creator of that
fabulous drawing that makes the backdrop of the CronesUnlimitedcom
website?
Mary: Thank you, Kara. I have received many good comments on that
drawing. I created that CRONE as part of my logo for Crones Unlimited.
My web designer, Beth Cox, managed to put the drawing on a blue haze
background. A stunning special effect. The poem that goes along with
this logo just won Fourth Place in a national poetry contest.
The Crowned Ones
From a seed hidden deep in fertile forests,
a legacy grows to tower
over the world of earth and flesh,
a wispy shadow rising to wholeness--
S(he) is Crone, keeper of crossroads.
Q: How can readers purchase
books and products published by CronesUnlimited.com?
Mary: The best way is to fill in the form on the last page by
clicking on ORDER NOW found at the bottom of each page OR E-mail me at
M5799@CronesUnlimited.com
Q: What do you mean by "shadow
self" and can you offer a few words of guidance for readers who might be
scared to look at that shadow self?
Mary: It takes COURAGE to look at wounds from our past that have
caused hurt, anger, rage, guilt and dysfunctional behavior. All humans
have a shadow side, a side that we like to tuck under the rug or glaze
over by pretending it doesn't exist. Psychologists like Phil McGraw on
the Oprah Show or Claire Estes who wrote "Women Who Run With Wolves"
encourage people to get in touch with their real self, their authentic
self. We start by getting real about our shadow side, accepting our
humanness, forgiving ourselves and growing from our mistakes. Only by
getting real can we create a clearing for ourselves and others to be
more free, extraordinary, loving and powerful.
Q: What is your vision for
CronesUnlimited.com? What do you see for your art and for the website in
5 years, 10 years, 20?
Mary: As a society, we often treat aging as an enemy to the
death. Millions of dollars are spent annually in the U.S. to lift faces,
busts and butts, to tuck tummies and to pop energy pills. But as
individuals tried, the glory one finds comes not from investments in
looking good, but from how well past losses, past wounds have been
handled.
For me Cronehood is a time to reflect upon my crowning as a time to put
the vanities of social life into the background. Breaking through
negative cultural images, I want others to portray Cronehood as a time
to greet the stranger in their mirror. Aging, should be a time to enjoy
solitude, to give back ones heart to itself and to feast on ones
creations. When I am fully engaged in sculpting, painting or writing, I
am not conscious of my chronological age.
I want to invite healthy vital elders to get out of their rocking chairs
and dare to reinvent themselves. Create! Create! Create!
CronesUnlimited.com offers two vehicles -- Writing and Inspirational
Reading.
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