Blinded by Songs of Starlight by Maranda Deitsch @DeitschMaranda

About the Author

I’ll start with my sign language name,

take two digits of your rightmost hand.

Tap twice, between one’s eyes.

Tap twice, on one’s chin.

Tap once in the centre of the chest.

Draw a large heart above this place,

Say, “Honoured Matron” in this space.

Tap twice on the chest again.

I will hear it when you dream,
when you call my name,
or when you scream
from reality,
into the ether.

Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?

The first instalment of finding healing.

An autobiography,

of abuses survived,

finding solace in dreams,

sharing my mental palace,
deep in my hearthstone,
what I found that helped me survive.

From the unusual to the very strange,
just trying to share some of humanity’s gifts with others in these difficult times.

I’ve got a lot of labels that make this piece as odd as the author:
Dyslexia, letters dance and sing.
Schizophrenia, I hear and see everything.
Synesthesia, all my senses are mixed 3 layers deep.
These are just a few.

A taste of adventure,
come along,
I invite each of you.

Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?

Survivors, dreamers, the downtrodden and all believers.

May any solace to be found be yours within the uniquely formatted pages.

It has many things to enjoy,
dragons,
aliens,
ghosts,
creatures not of this dimension,
what is seen and heard on the other side?

Yet it is often hard-hitting with honesty,
recounting of rapes.
Medical misconducts including but are not limited to:
breaking my back multiple times, and having to heal it by myself at home.
Being shot hundreds of times by a musket-ball sized gallstone.

Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?

Terry Pratchett’s works profoundly influenced my life and this work.

There are echoes of his pace and taste throughout my book.

More specifically, the co-written book with Neil Gaiman is called “Good Omens”.

(‘Twas my editor who told me that both men are not only my heroes, I nailed an essence of this book that’s hard to define.)
I’m still flattered.

I went and wrestled with Hemmingway Editor for many hours,
it took my flowery prose and made it more approachable.

People online, when they don’t see what I look like call me sir due to my writing style,

I kinda like it.

Dyslexia makes it hard to read these days.
The pain of my injuries took my ability to read for 4 years.
I’ve only recently regained it, it’s not what it was.

Do you have somebody to recommend?

There are so many great written works that it is almost impossible to read them all in one lifetime.

Any time spent trying to read them is time well spent,
humans have such great treasures we work on together.

Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?

Read authors of different genres and ages than you’re used to.

Write any place, it all counts.

Writing with others can be a great way for everyone to level together,
group projects are where humans really shine.

If at first, you don’t succeed, it’s okay.
I haven’t either.

Maybe someday we both will.

Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?

I’m a difficult person to contact.

I’ve got a Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram,
I used to have a Patreon but took it down,
not certain what format to use or what to “sell”.

You raise a valid point, I don’t know what kinds of contact to try next.
(I refuse to do Facebook, it tastes too strong.)