| 2005 BEFORE THE FLOOD AND 2006 ASSASSINS : RENA JONES AND CELESTE and Coach Julius Green |
| OF BLANKA TERESA FLISIUK PERIDOT'S ART, BEAUTY, LOVE, AND HER LIFE... |
www.teresaflisiuk.info
| SOME OF BLANKA'S 2005 WORK, WHICH PERISHED IN THE FLOOD. |
| DEDICATED TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER, SABBATH PERIDOT, TO KNOW, REMEMBER, APPRECIATE, AND BE PROUD OF HER MOTHER: HER GENIUS, BEAUTY, AND LOVE. |
| SELF PORTRAIT |
| my father |
| purple lady - 1 |
another view armoire
| the table |
SWEETIE tore apart the canvas
ONEONTA FACES
SELF PORTRAIT
| BLANKA AND SABBATH IN NEW ORLEANS 2005-2006 |
| LITTLE RED CAR... |
| "Little " SWEETIE Blanka adopted for Sabbath from SPCA |
| See all these cuts, Peeps? That is just the way that I am… God will judge me, not Man Thank God Not the silly man the idealistic self supporting other defaulting soul encroaching mind aborting selfish sporting MAN I am MAN but I am not like MAN God will see through my uppittiness about this And their lowness But at the end I would rather not be low Right? |
| TRAGICALLY FAMOUS PEEPS... |
| SUBTLE SMILE |
| December 6, 2005 Clarion Books Editorial Department 215 Park Avenue South New York, New York 10003 Dear Editor: Let me introduce you to our book, "How Mama and Me Survived the Hurricane". Naturally I encourage you to read it and hope you are moved by it. I also want to convey how significant our story is, and how dedicated I am to it. This book is absolutely based on a true story, our story, that I felt needed to be written and now I propose needs to be read. In it we sketch our memories of the long hours during, and many days and weeks after our evacuation from New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina. We start with the tumultuous morning that the hurricane was headed our way, winding our way through emotions, traffic and mishaps to an increasingly intangible idea of safety. While it is no high drama of the cliffhanger caliber, our escape was definitely a run-for-your-life-think-later affair. Our flight offers another version of that day to millions who have been haunted yet curious about the circumstances. The collaboration between my daughter and myself on this project was a healing as well as creative process. Getting our story out between ourselves meant getting it out first: facing this disruption of life. The next step is getting it out to others. This part of our lives is taken from a child's point of view and a valuable tale for other children as well. I took into consideration the age level of children that would be reading our book. As a mother I consider a certain book age-appropriate if it comfortably matches my daughter's reading level while challenging her somewhat with questions that lead to discussion. This book does just that for children who read on their own but is interesting enough to hold the attention of younger children who are read to. While our story cannot be pigeonholed, it contains many stories within it. At face value, it is a natural disaster story. We confront our worst fears while using that desperate energy for survival instead of defeat. Despite our fear, my daughter and I use our instincts to overcome and reach safety, so it reveals a story about triumph. It is a story about being a mother, it is a story about being a child. Our concern with our pets exposes a touching interaction with animals that teaches universal love and responsibility. This poignant story about a vivid human experience draws you in so you not only relate to it, but become captivated by it. I offer you our personal tale for your captivation as well. I offer you a piece of our life that has not yet officially concluded. This story is only the beginning in our inevitable attempt to convert pain and hardship into healing. We appreciate you allowing us to share it with you. Sincerely Blanka and Sabbath Peridot Note: I envisioned the book comprised of nine sections, therefore I have divided the enclosed manuscript in that manner. My seven-year old daughter and I will alternate illustrating sections. ____________________________________________ _______________ attached and in the email, my rough draft for [....] and cover letter, input please by Monday when I will be mailing and emailing everything COVER LETTER I am writing this letter not only to convince and encourage you to read our book , but also to convey to you my dedication and belief in the significance of this book, so you may feel the same way also. This book is absolutely based on a true story, our story, that I felt needed to be written and now I propose needs to be read. During the writing, reading and discussion of this story, a question came up concerning the anticipated age level of the proposed audience for it. As a writer, in this particular case writing for children from a child's point of view, I believe the material is appropriate for a broad age group, whether the book is to be read to younger preschool children, or read individually by children in middle school. As a mother, I always encourage my daughter to read material that is at her level yet offers enough unknowns to initiate questions leading to meaningful discussion between us. The story cannot be pigeonholed, it has many stories within it. It is a story about triumph, or a story about fear. It is a story about being a mother, it is a story about being a child. It is an animal story, a natural disaster story. As a poignant story about a vivid human experience, any reader will not only relate to it, but become captivated by it. I offer you our personal tale for your captivation as well. I offer you a piece of our life that has not yet officially concluded. This story is only the beginning in our inevitable attempt to convert pain and hardship into healing. We appreciate you allowing us to share it with you. 17 years ago I was a street poet in N.O. I was the youngest writer included in the New Orleans Writer's Guide. Last year after receiving my B.A. in Ecology, I went back to study wetlands and also jumpstart my art career. 3 months consumed these artistic dreams as panic and mother's instinct took over as I struggled to save my daughter and 7 pets from Hurr. Kat. August 29th we were broke with a broken down car with no gas and stuffed with some food and 7 animals. Hot and scared, we relied on the kindness of strangers for gas money and shelter. We survived, but lost everything, including irreplaceable memorabilia months worth of artwork and my plan to begin selling art in the Quarter. Torn apart, we relocated to Maine, where we're now waiting for a chance to return. Besides rebuilding a collection of art, I along with my child have written a children's book, "How Mama and Me Survived the Hurricane" which I'm sending to publishers. It was written for our own catharsis as well as in hope of turning some of our despair around and realizing our dreams. |
| AFTERMATH OF THE FLOOD |
| RENA JONES, Among other writings, work AFTER the hurricane, my daughter wrote that story ! She was e-mailing her work to me; other I have on my daughter's computer. That's what she was doing if you can comprehend it in your mode of the reverse discrimination, and your post-Katrina reign ! I have never known a mother like my daughter, BLANKA. A mother so completely fulfilled by the LOVE for her child ! BLANKA taught LOVE ! HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT ?... |
| BLANKA HAD NEVER KNOWN THAT IT WAS THIS MONSTER ! Gas station and the rest... |
| Sabbath's Pompeii.... 2006 |
| "What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) this is working very well for them." Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005 |
| 8-25-05 - Katrina - Tropical Storm - turns deadly wipes out New Orleans 11 dead in south Florida 3 dead in Baton Rouge, MS 50 deaths in Biloxi, MS Over 100 deaths in MS New Orleans Death Toll May Eclipse 10,000 Official toll is over 975 - still rising Some deaths are NOT being counted as 'official' Bodies still be found in April, 2006 ____________________________________________ FEMA Wants No Photos of Dead |
| KISS FROM MR.DEATH |
| DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE DOG CATCHER, FRANK WAS IN HIS OFFICE ! FRANK MINYARD. |
| BLANKA is not " only my daughter ", but someone who reflects and categorizes all the ambiguous, almost mythical , but TIMELESS values, she brings to life as they truly exist, rather than coded into taboo words, with the security of their disguised true meanings and the heavy lids of “ power of words “ guarding the entrance to the uncomfortable “ unknown “. Facing the redefined meanings of real , reality , we face our own alienations, and while knowing about THE LIE , we don’t feel that we lie, or being lied to, nor that we are the accomplices in the conspiracy of the words. We finally moved in to the Tower of Babel, the prestigious address like 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: we are ruling the World. Under false pretence, and the lying words without their meanings. BLANKA HAD NEVER COMPROMISED ANY WHATSOEVER ENTRY TO THE WORLD OF THE LIE. SHE IS A WRITER, THE JEWEL OF WORDS MEANINGS AND SHE WAS YOUR MENTOR SINCE SHE WAS A LITTLE, 11 YEARS OLD GIRL. SHE IS LIKE A BABY WHO SAYS mama MEANING THE MOTHER'S GENUINE SMILES SHE TAUGHT HER, FEELING HER WARMTH OF TOUCH IN THAT MAGICAL WORD. BLANKA captivates you with naivete of innocence, telling you about YOU, the self you stopped searching for. naïveté... My relationship with Blanka... Whatever I "publish " I must leave US out of it. My personal intellectual " guides " vanished; my creativity, education, my books... I live on the dark desert without Blanka, yet only with Blanka. I still need to talk to Blanka HERE. |
| IN THE STORYLAND |
| SABBATH WITH THE RABBIT |
| SABBATH told us about Celeste. Her mother never knew... I have the CDs my daughter was giving/sending me. I asked Sabbath who is Celeste? At first she had denied knowing her at all. I never press Sabbath for information, since she had been so traumatized. I explained to her that she does not have to talk to anybody about anything what makes her uncomfortable. In fact, I keep repeating it to her, knowing and seeing how she had been wounded... And she likes to be with me for I know how to ease her fears and anxieties. I asked her however one more question: simple psychology: so this girl with Celeste is not Sabbath? I asked that calmly, matter-of-factly, obviously insulting Sabbath's intelligence, since it was her on the photos signed/titled by her mother. It did it. She had opened up to discharge her own tension, and anxieties. In fact, I've helped her ! We ( family ) know about Sabbath's unbelievable memory ! Then she could not stop talking about Celeste. Asked why she had not wanted to tell us at the first place, she responded that she doesn't like her and she fears her... One weekend she comes to my room and gives me paper about Celeste, the next door neighbor. I put that to give you, Rena some clue, but Sabbath told me everything. Sabbath and her mother were inseparable and perfect together. DO YOU KNOW, RENA JONES, HOW MANY LIVES YOU HAD MANAGED TO DESTROY ?! WHY YOU HAD NOT HELPED THE CHILDREN BEFORE AND DURING THE HURRICANE, ABUSED BY STATE, SCHOOLS, AND YOUR FOSTER "PARENTS"?! This is the only comment I can make to Sabbath’s note/drawing, and cannot disclose anything other that I KNOW. Nie zostawię na nikim suchej nitki!!! |
| BLANKA TERESA FLISIUK PERIDOT LATE SPRING 2007. |
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| Coach Julius Green is entering his 40th year as a coach. Julius Green was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in September 1946 |