The Tiferet Talk Interviews by Melissa Studdard

The Tiferet Talk Interviews Reviews

• 
  Ron Starbuck

  The Tiferet Talk Interviews: These are some of the literary voices that have led me to discover my own poetic voice in the desert, whispering out of the wilderness, in a universe without end. An ever expanding universe where we are intimately interconnected to one another, in and with and through the Word, in and with and through the many voices of humanity that have echoed as a revelation, an unveiling, through time and human history. When reading any good work there is a subtle spiritual memory at play, a sense of déjà vu perhaps, within the words the writers have written. The best writers invoke that memory, in the words they craft so carefully. The words enter into us as more than memory, they awaken us, they come to dwell in us fully, as we dwell in the Word, as being itself dwells within us all, grounded in the Word.
  
  What I hope any reader will find in this collection of interviews is a discovery of their own artistic voice within the voices of all these writers. It is a rare opportunity to engage in a literary dialogue with their peers at many levels and with many different visions. But, one grounded in the Word, where words are uttered as a transcendent sound held in common, an echo, in memories that cross many generations who came before our own, in a spiritual testimony. I like how the poet, Edward Hirsch, summed up his own feelings by quoting Randal Jarrel who wrote; "A good poet is someone who manages, in a lifetime of standing out in thunderstorms, to be struck by lightning five or six times; a dozen or two dozen times and he (or she) is great."
  
  For a more in depth book review found on Saint Julian Press, please go to this URL.
  
  
  http://saintjulianpress.com/tiferet-t...
• 
  Janet Boyer

  "The interviewees share their thoughts on ways to tell the truth of our lives, access creativity, and balance magic and craft." - Donna Baier Stein (from the Foreword to The Tiferet Talk Interviews)
  
  Featuring edited, transcribed conversations that occurred between host Melissa Studdard and her guests on the Tiferet Talk Radio Show between June 15, 2012 and July 24, 2011, The Tiferet Talk Interviews offers a soulful feast for readers.
  
  The idea of transcribed radio interviews may sound like boring stuff for a book, but I assure you that the dynamism of such an outlet translates magnificently in interviewer Melissa Studdard's thoughtful hands.
  
  It's evident that Ms. Studdard came to each interview supremely prepared, not only with a thorough knowledge of her guests, but also their work and--perhaps more importantly--how their creative contributions added to the larger conversation of what it means to be human, to be creative, to find meaning, to live our personal truths.
  
  There's so much ground covered in The Tifert Talk Interviews--each author and poet talking about their books, poetry, music and purpose-- and yet, there's an intimacy here, too. In fact, there's great depth in this book, a lot of it, which surprised me. I wouldn't have imagined that transcribed radio interviews could translate so well into book form.
  
  Here are but a few of my favorite passages from the book:
  
  Marc Allen (on dealing with doubts and fears):
  
  "One thing that helped me was the knowledge that a plane is off course over 95% of the time, but a pilot keeps correcting over and over, and they reach their destination...Once you set a goal, once you dare to dream, you set a course, and whatever you do, you move toward it. It's always just small obvious steps. A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step, and then just another small step. There's no huge leaps you make. You just take the little obvious steps in front of you when you set your course...We can be off course most of the time, but if we just continue to return to our goal, our dream, our plan and take the next obvious little step, over time we will reach our goal."
  
  Edward Hirsch (on writing poetry):
  
  "You can't be sure you'll get hit by lightning, but you need to go out and stand in the rain, or you won't get hit at all. You need to do your work. So, one of the constants is that you need to fasten your behind in the chair and sit down and do some work and try to consciously practice your craft."
  
  Robin Rice (on how she does so much):
  
  "I do work from early in the morning until I can't go any more most days. You could say I'm a workaholic if you really want to be pathological about it, but the truth is that this is what I feel the time is for. We are here now to do all we can. To usher in some kind of change in this world. And it's desperately needed, and anybody who can do anything I feel should get out there and do it."
  
  Jeffrey Davis (on how writing is like a self-portrait):
  
  "I don't have anything in common biographically with these characters, yet there are parts of my personality that I can also explore...I overheard a conversation in the waiting room of the family clinic where we go, and it was just myself and this woman on a cell phone, and I got to hear her half of the conversation, and at first I was annoyed, and then I realized I had something really good, and I pulled out my notebook and acted like I was making my grocery list, but I was really quoting her."
  
  Bernie Siegel (on behaving like a survivor):
  
  "Do I have a sense of meaning in my daily activities and relationships? And you know, that relates to the mortality rate of Monday. I mean, if you work, your life has meaning in it, and you will be a lot healthier and live longer. Well, I always say, find your way of contributing love to the world. So, it isn't about what job you take; it's about how to contribute to the world. Because people are everywhere, whether you are landscaping, plumbing, or a veterinarian, people are attached to what you're doing and you have to really relate to those people."
  
  Below is a list of contributors to The Tiferet Talk Interviews:
  
  Melissa Studdard (Author)
  Donna Baier Stein (Introduction)
  Robert Pinsky (Contributor)
  Anthony Lawlor(Contributor)
  Bernie Siegel (Contributor)
  Lois P. Jones (Contributor)
  Julia Cameron (Contributor)
  Robin Rice (Contributor)
  Edward Hirsch(Contributor)
  Marc Allen (Contributor)
  Jude Rittenhouse (Contributor)
  Floyd Skloot (Contributor)
  Arielle Ford (Contributor)
  Jeffrey Davis (Contributor)
  
  Highly recommended for mindful creatives!
• 
  Christine Bissonnette

  I wasn't entirely certain what to expect as I opened this book, but whatever my original expectation... this book far exceeded it. Even though the interviewees are nearly all writers, many of them poets, every interview is completely unique in the information it provides and the take the authors have on their industry. Each interview also provides valuable exercises and take-aways for the reader. This is not a self-absorbed meditation on the unrelateable process of successful artists. Those types of books have always left me feeling discouraged because of how little my own life usually resembles that of the artists' I admire. Rather, I feel as though this book purposes to lift you up to the success of its interviewees by showing you how and why they have succeeded. Never condescending, I finished this book feeling driven and with a new found sense of drive and possibility.
  
  For a taste of what to expect, within these pages: Edward Hirsch discusses that special magical ingredient that is necessary in authentic art. This ingredient has less to do with “natural talent” and more to do with bravery, drive, and a willingness to allow your true self to show through your work. Jeffrey Davis shares the routine that allows him to access his inner muse before every writing session. He also provides some excellent “preparations” (to be completed prior to your creative work) which involve breathing and meditating on the question “why?” I have experimented with his “concentration sequence” a few times since reading this interview, and was pleasantly surprised at its' effectiveness. Jeffrey, as the editor of the Tiferet literary journals, also generously shared the 7 things he looks for in a manuscript. Robin Rice bravely delved into the topic of depression, and what she believes is at the root of this mental illness. Anthony Lawler shared his three-step process for healing. Dr. Bernie Siegel examined what it really means to be an active participant in your life, and Marc Allen shared how he transformed his life by focusing on his “ideal scenario” and going after what he wanted.
  
  Of the twelve authors which fill this book, there were certainly ones which resonated with me more than others. For me Jeffrey Davis, Marc Allen, Robin Rice, and Jude Rittenhouse were the stand outs, but I think every reader will be attracted to a different energy and topic.
  
  What attracted me to Jude Rittenhouse, was the voice that came through in her poetry. This brings me to what I believe is the most valuable aspect of this book. During the span of each interview, almost every interviewee is given an opportunity to read a selection of their own creative work. An interview with Julia Cameron, author of “The Artist's Way,” opens up “The Tiferet Talks.” Cameron's own work has been hugely successful in helping many artists to break through their creative blocks and discover their authentic voice. That being said, while working through her 12 week program I'll admit to being selfishly consumed with discovering my own voice to the point that I didn't even think about being interested in hers. In this interview Cameron shares an excerpt from her own creative memoir “floor sample.” This reading shared a very different side to the author. “Oh yeah, she's an artist too!” I thought to myself. The excerpt gives you a new appreciation for the generosity of her spirit, and an insight into the origin of the vulnerable and driven voice that created “The Artist's Way.”
  
  As I read the original creative work of each artist, I came to feel that there was something that was missing. This book is transcribed from verbal interviews, and as I read Jude Rittenhouse's poetry I experienced a yearning to hear the words spoken aloud from the authors voice. I could feel that in the context of the interviews, the works were truly meant to be heard not read. With that in mind, having them on paper gives you an opportunity to go back and really think about the text – something that I did a lot. That opportunity would be lost in a live interview.
  
  Overall, I highly recommend this novel. The interviews are top-notch, and you are almost certain to walk away from every interview with something of value.
  
  Best of all, finding this book has put me in touch with an entire network of like-minded artists within which anyone is encouraged to participate.
  
  To find out more about the Tiferet Talks, visit their website and facebook page:
  
  
  http://tiferetjournal.com
  
  
  http://www.facebook.com/TheTiferetJou...
• 
  R.J. Jeffreys

  The Tiferet Talk Interviews book is a veritable baker’s dozen of outstanding, transcribed radio interviews and fascinating content hosted by the consummate interviewer, bestselling author and Tiferet Journal editor, Melissa Studdard; with a marvelous introduction written by the publisher of the Tiferet Journal and The Tiferet Talk Interviews book, Donna Baier Stein.
  
  Never believing I would have an opportunity to see behind the curtain of many of the most influential and esteemed writers, poets and great thinkers of our generation, The Tiferet Talk Interviews book just gave to me this inestimable gift.
  
  Interviewer, Melissa Studdard's most excellent and in-depth questions posed to her guests and their frank, insightful and enlightening answers will be a source of knowledge and delight to me for years to come.
  
  I highly recommend The Tiferet Talk Interviews book to every person who has ever wanted to see behind the curtain of the most iconic thinkers, writers and poets of today!
  
  R Jeffreys
  
  Author, Interviewer, Featured Writer and Poet
  
• 
  Donna Schmitt

  I received this book as a gift from a good friend of mine who knows I am an avid reader of the Tiferet Journal literary magazine. I always enjoy listening to Melissa Studdard’s interviews on Tiferet’s blog talk radio show, “Tiferet Talk”. She has a way of speaking and asking the straight-to-the-heart questions that allow one to get an intimate look into the hearts and minds of the author. The Tiferet Talk Interviews gave me an opportunity to sit with a cup of tea and really take my time reading each interview in depth – it was wonderful to be “a fly on the wall”, privy to intimate conversations with some of my favorite writers and really getting an insight into who they are and what inspires them to write. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in spiritual literature.
• 
  Fiona Pearse

  The Tiferet Talk Interviews is a collection of interviews with writers, poets and creative thinkers. As a writer, I thoroughly got the message from this book that being in touch with one's spirituality - or emotional needs and sense of empowerment, if you like - nurtures creativity. This is explored through the experiences of writers and poets, some who practise yoga, some who offer practical exercises for tapping into creativity, some who have been through tragedy and sickness and have responded in their creative voice. There are recurring themes such as whether or not creativity can be taught and the effect it has on people's lives when it comes.
  
  I liked how each chapter focused on the story of how the artist developed their craft and I thought Melissa Studdard was excellent at creating a rapport where she got to the heart of each interviewee's philosophy, with in-depth, well prepared questions.
  
  I would have preferred the theme to be less fluid, as it moved from artists' creative journeys into the area of life-coaching. I struggled for context here, trying to understand who the audience of this book ought to be. Although the self-help area does have a connection with spirituality, so in that sense it fit. I also would have preferred a more coherent arc to the collection, feeling the order of interviews was a little haphazard. But that did not take away from my enjoyment of the individual interviews. As with a well-written autobiography, it was like sitting down and having a good conversation.
• 
  Jeffrey

  Melissa Studdard of Tiferet Journal offers us rich interviews with thinkers and leaders in the fields of spirituality and creativity. My favorites include the interviews with Ed Hirsch, Floyd Skloot, and Bob Pinsky. My bias: I'm included.
• 
  Krystal Milton

  The book was nice, in an informative way. The interviews were a little lengthy, but filled with insight into the minds and work of different writers all leaders in their own genre and writing style.
  
  I wasn’t too keen on the book, but it wasn’t a horrible read. While it wasn’t my particular cup of Joe, I believe any new aspiring author would benefit from reading the interviews and seeing how good intellectually stimulating Interviews should go.
  
  I believed, when completing the book, that this is an unintentional tool that can be used as a platform in guidance of how fluent and substantial interviews are and how they can benefit the writer.
  
  As I have said, each interview held a candidate very much of their own league, I particularly liked the first interview of Julia Cameron and felt that that had been the perfect lead in interview for the book.
  
• 
  Donna Baier-Stein

  "Ms. Studdard came to each interview supremely prepared, not only with a thorough knowledge of her guests, but also their work." Janet Boyer, "Fizz of Ideas" Blog
  
  "Each chapter focused on the story of how the artist developed their craft and Melissa Studdard's welcoming and generous style created a rapport where she got to the heart of each interviewee's philosophy, with in-depth, well prepared questions." Fiona Pearse
  
  "The interviews are top-notch, and you are certain to walk away from every interview with something of value."- Christine Bissonnette, "The Positivity Project" Blog
• 
  Lisa

  The interviewees did include some interesting information, some of which was over my tiny blonde head. But it was fascinating to learn how they balanced their craft with their personal lives.There were some interviews I got into more than others, such as the one with Julia Cameron. But overall, it really wasn't for me.
  
  * I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Maggie

  I had such low expectations for this book based on the cover haha. It's embarrassing to admit but oh well. I judged this book hard but it's really good. It's a creative and inspiring read. Made me want to write!
  
  *Won from Goodreads Giveaway*