MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from  Damascus amid the War  (M. Imady) --     Pre-war Poems 1-10 1. Spring Cleaning                                           Secretly,                                           I tiptoed into                                           The dark chambers                                            Of my heart,       Swept away the grief and sorrow,     Scrubbed the bad memories out,                                            Opened up the windows                                            And let in the sunlight. ***   2. A Thought It slipped through my fingers Fell on the ground - I heard its cry echo in my mind- Desperately, On knees and elbows I searched for it all day But the thought Had faded away.   **       3. Last Dance Politely, I bowed to my cares And asked them for a dance. Joyfully … I swung my arms around them And danced them away. ***   4. New Hair Style Feverishly mad I unbraid my worries

  sons, Zain and Zayed, helping to care for the cats This is an update on the dire straits of the Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza. With 57 cats (and growing, because of the kindness of the brothers who operate the shelter toward street cats, that they try to take in or otherwise feed on the street -- or, better stated, share their own food with) and war all around, even resilient people lose their strength without the help of friends and strangers.  Brothers Tamer and Samer Skaik stayed behind in Gaza City to care for the cats and move them to safety (if there really is any such thing there) when the city was repeatedly bombed. As food has become more and more scarce, they have been reduced to one meal, mostly bread, which they share with the cats. (Note: for those who have not read the papers, the aid trucks from Israel and elsewhere are being hijacked, assumedly by Hamas soldiers, and the people of Gaza have to pay high prices, which many do not have, on the black market or have nothi

  photo from Animal Friends Shelter Last Caturday focused on the  plight of animals and their caregivers in war zones .  It focused as the first in a planned series on Animal Friends Shelter in Gaza City. This Caturday, we have an update -- reportage from 10 First in Australia. View the video/report  HERE . Animal Friends Shelter is on Twitter:  Animal Friends Shelter (@AnimalFriendsAF) / X (twitter.com) And for those who wish to donate (AFS is a charity) to help -- it seems possible to do that, at least pre-invasion (let's hope there is not an invasion) att  PayPal.Me . For more Caturday posts, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  X ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for  reviewing  a current or forthcoming MSI Press LLC book? Contact editor@msipress.com. Want an  a

  War and natural disasters create atrocious living circumstances not only for the people caught in the vortex but also for their pets, who are not used to foraging for themselves, have not built up the skills for survival, and are met with austere conditions too frequently too overwhelming to support their efforts to stay alive. Ukrainians are devoted to their pets; having to leave them behind may look like desertion but in a blitzkrieg style war can be the only option to helping ensure a fleeing family itself survives -- and is likely gut-wrenching. Many families are scooping up their pets. Some cannot, and their pets are now on the streets. Network for Animals is stepping in and doing the best it can to take care of animals left behind. It needs help. Help = money. Any amount; US dollars stretch farther there than here. Network for Animals is registered in a number of countries, including Brazil, the USA, and UK, as a reputable charity, and contributions are considered tax deductibl

If you have read this book and have enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review as a comment on this post (and sharing it as well at whatever sites work for you -- Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lirbary Thing, your own blog, or any site that seems pertinent). We know you have many choices of books; we appreciate your choosing Muna's book. Unfortunately, since this book has been published posthumously, we cannot put you in touch with Muna, but if you would like to communicate with her mother, sister, or son, all of whom helped with the preparation of this book, send a request to info@msipress.com, and we will make the connection for you. (This book was released in July.)

Released today, Damascus amid the War by Muna Imady, author of Syrian Folktales .    For more information about Muna and her books, click HERE .