Author Interview: Anna Aizic aka Anna Emilyevna Skulski aka Anushka aka Hanna-Tovi: Circles of Life

Your real name and pen name?

Anna Aizic is one of my Real names( Anna Emilyevna Skulski aka known as Anushka, Hanna-Tovi : those are the other Real names; it is all explained in my book The Circles of Life....)

Please share some of the best memories of your childhood:

you just evoked sweet memories from my childhood, when me and my sister were knitting in our small apartment on the second floor in our long pink building of Affridar, by the Mediterranean sea,...my father, mother sipping on cup of tea, and my sister is teaching me, the little one, how to avoid loosing newly knitted loops:-) we never could afford to buy real knitting pair in different sizes, so I used to go outside collecting sticks in different thickness and carving them by hand, created our own sticks to knit. But I never thought to be poor or pity, just the joy of being so close to earth, knitting with the twigs....the feeling of the wood, and the smell of freshly carved twigs can not be compared to the cold and remote sensation of the needles on the market. there is no soul; just mass production. And knitting is so romantic, as the song of the soul...

About your education:

Aizic was educated at The Art School of Jafa in Tel Aviv, and trained in jewelry design with Xila- professor from BetZalel(Bəṣalʼēl) in Jerusalem. Studies in Computer science, Special Education, Psychology, Psychiatric Rehabilitation followed.

What career did you plan during your education days:

voice for the one who can not speak, eyes for the one who can not see.

What languages you can speak and write?:

English, Hebrew, Russian

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life:

LIFE

What hurts you most in this world:

ignorance--- as THE source of hatred, and social injustice.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?:

overcoming ignorance- including my own. health: healing with art( Cancer)was my salvation and redemption

If you had to live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and why?:

Moses; he was The one who communicated with God. seems he was worthy of gods attention; humble leader

What is your favorite genre and why?:

quality is my favorite genre comes to a book, food, music and art. if it is a well written book, I will enjoy reading it.

When did you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?:

having communication skills difficulties, and bit social awkward, art has been a safe form of compensating tool to express my inner world.

The writing occurred much letter: I had to write a letter to my children about the family and loved ones they never met; the letter turned into Many, and eventually I decided to compile them all into a short book for my kids. Why you ask? My kids were very young when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, and my main fear was not to die( inevitable), but to die before my kids will know who I was, where are they coming from, and who They were? How can you know where to go if you do not know where you came from?

Which of your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?:

My first book - The Circles of Life: My Ukrainian Family's Odyssey of Secrets, Love and Survival from Pre-War Odessa to the Promised Land and America

What are your forthcoming writings?:

Rabindranat Tagor; my Grandfather: Meir Davidovich Skulski, Zeida.

What are your future plans?:

never to forget the pain, in order to appreciate a day. To take it in as much as I can.

What four top most things you take care of while writing a book?:

Editing, editing, Editing, Editing:-) and to be true to myself. integrity.

How much real life goes into a fiction writing?:

In my case: all

Is high level of imagination important to have for an Author?:

Who said "a good writer is a good liar". I must agree with that, and perhaps that is why I only wrote a Fiction. but with that said, I did see myself right there, and just kept writing what I saw.

Your dream destination on Earth?:

to many to mention. I've never been in Japan, India, New Zealand and ....so many magnificent places to visit

Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed. What best things you liked in these countries around the globe?:

Born in Odessa,former soviet union, growing up in Israel, living now america- visiting Egypt, Aruba, Snt. Marten, Amsterdam.....few other places--the best I've learned is to be patient, tolerante and respectful to all the cultures; people are very alike- we all want shelter, love, food,...PEACE

Your favorite time of the day?:

before dwon; quite and i can hear the nature

Your zodiac/ sunsign?:

i think it is Scorpion, but sometimes it changes. Born October 23

Your favorite color and why?:

Blue- ocean, sky: green: grass

What is the last book you finished reading? What is the current book you are reading?:

My Rebbe. Bible

Favorite celebrity:

God.the only celebrity out there. Then I would probably say Bono, Sting, Warren buffet- good people giving back.

Your favorite food?:

Papaya, Buckwheat porridge with fresh butter

Some quickies: Sun or Moon, Laughter or Smile, Morning or Evening, Coffee, Mountain and Sea, Short Drive, Silence , Water and Fire, Air and Earth, Mars or Jupiter, Tulip and Rose, Blue, Left and Right, Glance and Stare----complimenting each other