Jason Zapata

Author: jzapata

  • Abdul Alhazred

    By: Jason Zapata

    As a man in Sana’a I heard their voices
    The inhuman dialect flooded my mind
    With images of a vast nameless city
    Lying in the wastes of Roba El Khaliyeh

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  • The Art of Minna Sundberg

    Minna Sundberg is a Finnish Artist. She’s been creating art every day since she was a teenager. Minna didn’t start out with the goal of being a professional artist. With some goading from her teachers, Ms. Sundberg pursued an education in art. She attended the Aalto University School of Art and Design in Helsinki. (more…)

  • The Girl Who Played With Fire By Stieg Larsson’s

    The Girl Who Played With Fire is Stieg Larsson’s sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The story is an enthralling murder/mystery starring the series dynamic protagonist – Lisbeth Salander. In this installment Lisbeth is faced with a deadly enemy from her past named Zala and blamed for the murder of two Journalists. The murder victims were working with Mikael Blomkvist to expose perpetrators of Sweden’s sex trade. Blomkvist owes his life to Salander. He adamantly believes in her innocence – even as the country is inundated with headlines proclaiming her a psychotic killer. (more…)

  • Wicked: The Life and Times of The Wicked Witch of the West By Gregory Maguire

    Gregory Maguire’s Wicked is a victory in revisionist fictional writing. The novel is based on the origins of the Wicked Witch of the West. The author takes his time in establishing his interpretation of OZ. In wonderful detail we are told of the different races such as the Munchkin Landers, Quadlings, and Arjiki. Maguire even goes so far as to create a volatile political climate. The Wizard of Oz is portrayed as a cruel dictator determined to strip away the rights of Animals (not to be confused with animals). These are talking beasts who strive to be first class citizens. But the real fulcrum on which this story rests is the complicated character of Elphaba – who eventually becomes the infamous Wicked Witch of the West.
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  • 3:34am in the morning

    I feel horrible but mildly triumphant. I’ve finally found a digital bookshelf which will work for blogger. Its called aNobii. I orignally intended to use Shelfari – but it just wasn’t compatible with anything I was trying to do. (more…)

  • Pillars of the Earth By Ken Follett

    Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is without a doubt one of the most impressive novels I’ve read in a long time. With the background of Medieval Europe, this period specific piece centers on the building of a cathedral in the sleepy village of Kingsbridge. The author does a marvelous job depicting medieval Europe. Readers see the squalor of the peasantry, the barbarity of armored men, and the machinations of the ruling class. The buildings come to life as well. Mr. Follett’s descriptions of the period specific architecture and buildings are very accurate. But what makes this epic so powerful is the cast of memorable characters whose often volatile interactions center on the cathedral’s construction.
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  • Car Crash

    You think I’d be used to it by now. The initial impact of 2,000 pounds worth of steel and polymers colliding violently into the bumper of the car I was driving. It’s still scary. The force of the impact launched me forward as the seatbelt simultaneously restricted further to hold me in place. My head whipped roughly forward and the gray matter of my brain sloshed against sides of my skull while the car settled into place. Everything was foggy as my brain recovered form the lag caused by the collision. And then there was the dawning horror of realization. I’ve been in the third car accident of my life. Elapsed time? Four seconds.

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  • Nothing Can Be Explained

    By: Jason Zapata

    The past unremittingly seeks dominion over me.
    A struggle for sovereignty taking place behind,
    The haunted windows that are my troubled eyes.
    Bygone battles and conflict play out in my mind,
    Locking swords against what I believe in now.
    But which blade will shatter under the strain?
    There is no answer to this question.
    Nothing can be explained.

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  • All These Words

    By Jason Zapata

    Another would-be suitor is quick to depart
    Due to false stewardship of your heart
    I hate seeing this kingdom in neglect
    When it deserves only honor and respect
    Don’t be accustomed to frauds and liars
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  • Wheat Field with Crows

    By Jason Zapata

    I was the one to find you.
    You were in the very field you painted.
    The wind sighed. The wheat swayed.
    You lay still.
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