I
was born and raised in a theatrical and multicultural family.
Multiculturalism is a major focus in my life, although the seeds of
recognizing that were planted when I, at 16, lived with the Oglala
Sioux Indians in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. My first book, co-authored,
and probably the most easily accessible now through my publisher, Caddo Gap Press Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Meeting the Challenge of Our Multicultural America & Beyond--won
two state awards and one national award as well as a nomination for the
National Association for Multicultural Education Book of the Year
award. (I've recently learned Amazon.com
also has the book available as well.) My work with multicultural
education has earned me the honors of being the only commercial,
non-PhD writer on the editorial board of an educational journal. In
addition, I've worked online in a seminar called a Zemi, as a kind of
co-teacher with Iwao Shinjo of Japan and his university students,
teaching the students English and multicultural education.
My work has been eclectic. Published in Time, Seventeen, Phoenix, Hispanic, Police, Tennis and over 125 others, I was also a cover features writer and monthly columnist with Dell Horoscope for nearly nine years. My subjects have been equally broad--from tennis to football (I covered the Fiesta Bowl one year from the sidelines); from 'dentiphobia,' a fear of dentists, to juvenile firesetting in America; travel, business, news, and interviews to, of course, multiculturalism and astrology. My article, "Multiculturalism and Me," appeared in Multicultural Education magazine in June 2003, and I've most recently been on assignment with Dr. Phil's newsletter, The Next Level.
A taste of what else I'm doing now:
The books on which I'm working are also eclectic.
- I'm halfway through the manuscript development of an astrology book, Italian Butterfly's Snail's Pace Astrology, and I'm now searching for a publishing home.
- I'm working on another, Banana French Toast: A Book of Gourmet Goodbyes, about creative healing as it relates to death and hard-hitting goodbyes.
- My third book in progress is another multicultural one.
- The fourth is a novel that I hope will become a series.
- Finally, a series of life-changing events is the focus of another book on which I'm working under a pseudonym.
As an astrologer, I take most of my clients online or by phone (if they're in North America or if they have a US-based number). My clients hail from the USA, Canada, the UK, and the Netherlands. For those who are wondering, yes, I am taking clients. Feel free to contact me by private message, or check out my page at MyAstrology, and contact me there. It's a fun place to be, and I'd love to hear from you.
My pet peeves include bigotry (not just racial); people who are insincere, mean-spirited, or insensitive; people who lack compassion and empathy; people who are dishonest by word or deed--and my brother's spelling. People who make an appointment with you and don't bother to cancel before not showing also irk me. If it's for business, I have reached the point where I will charge them for the failure to cancel. If it's a personal appointment, it's going to put a chink in my level of trust.
On challenges, I believe in a quote I once saw on a poster, adapted from Goethe: "If you dream and believe, you can achieve." Hand in hand with that, I don't believe in 'no.' There is always a creative solution even if it takes years to find the way.
The late Indira Gandhi spoke to my heart when she said,
"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist."
Check out Michelle's Book: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Meeting the Challenge of Our Multicultural America & Beyond
Visit Michelle's Ryze Page
You are magnificant because you believe,embody and love all that you do!
Posted by: nejah | September 28, 2006 at 10:29 PM