Chronicles of the Forbidden

John Nizalowski's essays weave a large tapestry of life events reminiscent of the Mexican Tree of Life. However, his personal odyssey takes a multi-dimensional view. . . . As an artist, his tool box is filled with astonishing talents. He absorbs the movement of his trajectory and incorporates meticulous detail and grace in the images and poetry in his writing . . . . We also get to know the writer's two daughters, Ursula and Isadora, mostly as young children, but also as young women. I'm fascinated by the pictures he draws of his children. They are tender and gentle. The children share their father's joy of hiking and exploring caves, but sometimes he has to explore their fears. They challenge him with questions and with doubts and he answers them truthfully with thoughtful answers. The girls look up to him for guidelines and he listens to their observations and attempts to help them navigate in a complicated world.