Book Fifteen of my 2012 Goal

A Calm Whisper: Art Unseen, Stories Untold by Akshat Singhal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"A Calm Whisper - art unseen, stories untold" by Akshat Singhal are various works of art, poetry, short stores, and quotes which are done by young unknown artists. Yes, they are all artist. It doesn't matter if their canvas was that of a blank page or a true canvas just as it didn't matter if their tool was a brush or a pen. These artists do indeed leave a calm whisper in the ears of all who read this book.

The first story couple of stories should be read with tissue nearby. The first dealing with sixteen year old Andy who learns what love, family, and acceptance is by six and half year old Ben. Whereas the second story is the undying love of a mother for her son who was killed when flight 11 hit the North Tower on September 11.

The third story was very powerful. Again it deals with life, death, and how to deal with it. After all, how would you act and what would you do if you found out you had only six months to live? Although it sounds quite depressing the part that really stands out for me is, "We human beings live life just to be killed by other human beings or life itself. And what's worse our lives will mean nothing. We will vanish away into the depths of time, as humanity spirals itself toward its inevitable self-destruction."

There are several more short stories equally intense in the way they handled the situations of life and death. Some may have been moved by greed or political reasons, others by love and /or moral issues. No matter which it was, each story was interesting in its own way.

The art was in several different mediums including, but not limited to paint, digital, pencil, and pen. I personally found the Black Ball Point Pen, Pencil Shading, and Water Color most interesting and enjoyable. There was even art done on sneakers! Talk about a blast from the past, I remember when that was all the rage in school although I never recalled seeing a pair done as nice as these.

The poetry had a variety of themes from love to breakup and suicide to the 9/11 attacks. It also covered relationships such as father/daughter and parents in general. Self awareness emotions such as loneliness and the good and evil sides of humans were also touched on. Some were easy to understand and some seemed like I needed to read between the lines since I am not what you would call a poetry person. With that being said, I did find these works of poetry enjoyable.

Athough this is a quick read I know I will come back to it again and again if not for the poetry and art then for some inspiration by the quotes found in the book. I found the collection of these works amazing by these talented artists and writers. It is hard to believe they are young when they write with such knowledge and insight far beyond their years.

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