Turiya

TURIYA: A Collection of Wordizms is a work of art that mixes media in the written and visual form. Turiya is the 4th and highest level of human consciousness one can obtain. When you reach Turiya you have the ability to take an ideal for it's true value without attaching it to anything else. The ideal stands alone. The tag line is "Have You Been Here Before?"

TURIYA: A Collection of Wordizms not only makes a strong presentation but it also makes a statement about just how far we have come as a community of color in America. Each page of this book was carefully conceived to illustrate the writer's point of view. The book is separated into two sections 1. Heads of Lettuce Speak 2. Ears of Corn Hear This. The first section is short stories. The second section is poetry. The poems are universal and deal with issues that all human beings face despite their origins. The artwork for each section cover page uses Adinkra symbols that have powerful meanings. There are also photos and sketches included throughout the book. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Two of the sketches in particular may be thought controversial. That's why they are in the book! For example, did you know that what we know as the swastika was the original form of the cross preceding the ankh?

The short stories are written from an African American point of view and to be even more specific from a southern black woman's point of view. Most of the short stories in this work of art deal with issues blacks in America have faced as backlash against resistance to change. Full to the brim with the kind of colorful language folks use down south in The Country. What is important here is to remember the historical value of challenges we as people of color have faced in our uphill battle for equality.

Durand shines a light on things that some folks like to sweep under a rug and forget about, even use words some might find offensive (ie. jungle bunnies and jiggaboos). Deals a lot with suspicion and the practice of ancient wisdom (ie. never let the right hand know what the left hand is doing). The focal point in many of the short stories is the contrast between light and dark skinned people of color. Good hair vs. bad hair. You know, racy topics that have divided communities of colors for centuries in the past. None of those sentiments continue today. Right?