People I Know

Maurice Skillern’s Newsletter

____________Presented By Baseline International Publishing LLC ____________

Issue: May 2008

 

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Dear Friend,


Welcome to the latest, “People I Know” Newsletter! In this edition, we are pleased to announce an appearance by Maurice Skillern in Houston, Texas this month. We also have new information on the Messages enhanced eBook and other projects by Maurice. Finally, there is a “Political Piece” on the Obama – Wright situation. Enjoy!

 In this Issue:

NEWS

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Maurice Skillern's at the National Black Book Festival:

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Messages “Reflections of Being” Enhanced eBook:

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Powerful Combinations come in Two's:

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Introducing: Divas on the Prowl:

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New events and up and coming projects:

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Happy Mothers Day 2008:

 

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Political Piece:

 

NEWS

 

Maurice Skillern’s At the National Black Book Festival in May 2008

Maurice Skillern will be in his hometown (Houston, Texas) in May (17th and 18th) 2008 at the National Black Book Festival. The festival is a growing annual event with many star studded activities around the Houston area and is promoted by Cush City (cushcity.com) and the Houston Black Expo (houstonblackexpo.com). Maurice will be there with copies of his book “Messages; Reflections of Being” (hardback; paperback), his CD “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow”, and T-shirts of the illustrations inside of his book. Maurice also hopes to have a few of the early copies of his innovative (recently completed) enhanced eBook available (more on the eBook below). The enhanced eBook incorporates both the book “Messages; Reflections of Being” and the CD Messages “I Dreamed Tomorrow”. Come on out and see Maurice at the festival .It promises to be an exciting weekend filled with many other celebrities offering books of every genre. Come out and meet Maurice Skillern at the book festival, and if you have not already had the “Messages” experience, you can indulge yourself there. For more information on the festival click on the link below.

 

National Black Book Festival

http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/

 

 

·         View video of Maurice Skillern here

·         http://maurice-skillern.com/maurice_skillern_video_page.htm

 

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             Cover Design 1                                                            Cover Design 2

 

Messages “Reflections of Being” Enhanced eBook:

 

We are pleased to announce the completion and arrival of the enhanced eBook of “Messages; Reflections of Being”. It is a ground breaking project from the farseeing mind of Maurice Skillern, the author of “Messages” and the founder of Baseline International Publishing, LLC. It is called an enhanced eBook because it incorporates an innovative way to move throughout the eBook, as well as combining the book “Messages; Reflection of Being” and the CD “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow”. In essence, readers can read the enhanced eBook on their computers and also hear Maurice Skillern reading selected pieces from the book at the same time. The enhanced eBook will be available later this month and can be purchased through Baseline International Publishing LLC. Keep up to date on the rollout by checking the Baseline International Publishing LLC books page. Maurice hopes to have a few copies of the enhanced eBook available at the National Black Book Festival in Houston, Texas when he is there this month.

 

The enhanced eBook can be read and enjoyed on your computer using Adobe reader. Free copies of the reader can be obtained from:

 

(http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html).

 

 

·         Baseline International Publishing LLC

 

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Powerful Combinations Come in Two’s

·        “Messages; Reflection of Being”: The Book

·        “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow”: The CD

Maurice Skillern’s  introspective book of poetic-philosophy “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow” continues to do well, but it now has a challenger. The challenger (which is holding its own) is Maurice’s CD of him reading selected pieces from the book, “Messages,” which is entitled “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow”. In truth, the two have proven to be a potent combination, and most who buy one, find themselves compelled to obtain the other. The book, which has garnered much interest due to its sage-like incite on various issues, continues to both entertain and challenge the status quo. The CD, with its rich theatrically added special effects, captures the essence of every piece as the author viewed them while he was writing.  The combination of the two amounts to a potent Visio-Audio cornucopia filled with delectable tidbits that tantalize the taste buds of the imagination. 

Maurice has also recently completed an enhanced eBook of “Messages; Reflections of Being” which incorporates both the CD and the Book itself. This is a very exciting project, and he plans to have a few early copies available at the National Black Book Festival. Get there early before these copies of the enhanced eBook run out!

 

Learn more about the book:

·          Maurice Skillern’s Homepage

·         Baseline International Publishing   


Learn more about the CD:

 

·         Maurice Skillern’s; spoken word page

 

·         Baseline International Music

 

 

You can also write to Maurice at his email address moskill@maurice-skillern.com . Maurice would enjoy hearing from you. 

 

 

Testimonial:


Maurice Skillern’s audio version of pieces from “Messages” is a moving reinterpretation of his work. For anyone who was touched by his book, the audio version adds a new depth, a new layer to his words. Hearing the author’s own voice reading his work is a rich experience that allows listeners an entirely different perspective, intensifying the message. “Messages; I Dreamed Tomorrow”, the CD, could stand alone, but instead, now exist as a complement to the written work, offering a powerful event for an open mind.


Thanks, Kim

 

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Divas on the Prowl:

 

I am excited to introduce the “People I Know” to an exciting and pioneering ladies organization that I have had the pleasure of interacting with. It is an organization filled with creative and ground-breaking Afro-centric ladies (Divas on The Prowl) so far beyond the glass ceiling that it is truly a myth to them. I encourage all to go to their site and to support this organization,  and ladies if you are a “Diva on The Prowl,” it offers an organization of like minded individuals who may have needed pieces to the puzzle of your success.

 

 

Divas on The Prowl


http://divasontheprowl.com

 

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As we take the time to honor our Mother’s in 2008, I will make special note of my Mother here.

 

Aldine Marie Skillern


She passed in 2007, but my family’s love for her has not diminished.

 

 

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  New events and up and coming projects:

 

 

The Baseline International Companies continue to forge ahead in offering new innovative products.

 

As mentioned above, the enhanced e-book version of the book “Messages” that was in development is now completed and will be available this month May 2008. The project is a groundbreaking advancement in the creation of interesting literature to be viewed on computers and handheld devices. The enhanced eBook offers readers both the ability to read the words from “Messages,” and to also be able to hear the author reading selected pieces.

 

Also, many of the pieces in the book “Messages” where written in a format to be stage acted. We are currently in early development of a DVD which will capture on film selected pieces from within the book being performed. This will offer a new exciting visual component to the “Messages” line of products.

 

 

Don’t forget to get your T-shirt!

 

Don’t miss out on the full “Messages” experience; T-shirts of the illustrations within the book Messages “Reflections of Being” are still available through Baseline International Gear. They can be purchased online through the B.I. Gear website.

 

 

 

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Political Piece

By Maurice Skillern;

 

In this day and age, I find myself compelled to comment on the Obama-Wright situation. It is an unfortunate situation that illustrates the diverging thought on the direction of the black community, as well as a break down of a friendship. Whereas everyone else has sided Obama or Wright, I find myself on the side of the house that covets common sense and the right thing to do. This is America, and every man and woman has the basic right to believe as they please as long as it does not affect the rights and liberties of those around them. That being said, I must also add that I do not promote or support hate no matter what color it is spoken from. I will further endeavor to illustrate what exactly this apparent duality of thought really means.

 

 I, myself, am a medical provider (a practicing Physicians Assistant), and in my studies, I have yet to see any evidence of a people or government creating the AIDS virus. I also have the added benefit to have been a nurse in my lifetime, and I have taken care of both black and white individuals unfortunately afflicted with the AIDS virus. I can assure, all without doubt, (having seen the AIDS virus up close) that the AIDS virus cares nothing at all about the color of the skin of the people that it infects. It is simply a deadly virus that has taken up housing in the bosom of man and has become one of the most damaging afflictions of man since the Black Plague of so long ago.  Along this vein, also being a military man (22 years in the Army), I have known of no strategist who would release an affliction to kill an enemy or people that could also affect his or her own people. So, in effect, with this “common sense” evidence, I think it can be safely said that there is an almost none existent probability that white people created the AIDS virus to kill black people. I don’t take or make that statement lightly, and I do have great knowledge of the atrocity that was perpetrated against the victimized black men in Tuskegee with syphilis.

 

From the “right thing to do” side of my thoughts, I feel that if a man or woman believes strongly in what they think and thinks strongly in what he or she believes then they as an individual should say and stand behind their own thoughts. I, furthermore, believe that this strongly thinking individual should claim his or her own thoughts leaving others free to acknowledge their position without implying any complicity with any other individual. In doing this, friendships would not stand in any danger, and everyone can exercise the freedom of accepting (joining) a belief or ideology or refuting it outright. When one implies or allows others to believe that someone other than themselves (without clarifying) agrees with their thoughts, they truly betray the relationships between themselves and those around them. A true friend would say from the start, “these are my beliefs; if you wish to ask my friend what he or she believes then put the question to him or her and respect their answer”. This in essence simply is “the right thing to do”.

 

I feel very strongly about this subject matter (divisiveness in the African American Community), and in fact, I wrote a piece inside of “Messages” that hits upon it. The piece is called “Blade of Execution,” and it can be heard on my spoken word page
http://maurice-skillern.com/Spoken_Word_Page.htm  or on my MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/moskill . I ask that you listen to this piece and that you too find forgiveness in a heart that may have hardened on one side or the other, and lets “as The African- American Community” move forward with a unification of thought and a progressive focus.

 

In the end, a decision of thought or position on this unfortunate episode in American history will be an individual thing. I pray that all reading this truly seek peace;  for this world has had enough war.

 

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“Blade of Execution”

 

·         http://maurice-skillern.com/Spoken_Word_Page.htm

 

·         http://www.myspace.com/moskill

 

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Baseline International Companies

 

 

                                  

                  Baseline-International.com                                 Baseline International Publishing   

 

                                                        

                  
                  
Baseline International Music                              Baseline International Gear

                        

 

Sincerely,

Maurice Skillern

Maurice-Skillern.com

 

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Copyright  Baseline International Publishing LLC

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