Singing Gypsy Moon: Tales from Eternity - Softcover

Bateman, Neil

9781520537986: Singing Gypsy Moon: Tales from Eternity

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1520537980 ISBN 13: 9781520537986

Publisher: Independently published, 2017

This collection of short stories is set in the decades of the 70s and 80s, amidst all the changes that the 60s brought into being. We follow Tom as he embraces a hippie/gypsy lifestyle to wander around, experiencing the magic of India, studying meditation, smoking ganja beside ancient temples on hilltops in the desert and playing flute to sacred cows in Shiva temples. We see at first hand the effects of painful confrontations with loggers whilst living in a forest activist camp, and hear the silken tongue of a Minister for Conservation as he endeavours to dampen the spirits of both loggers and activists. Tom celebrates an arts festival in South Australia as a member of a radical street theatre troupe, and further up the road channels healing energies at festivals in Northern NSW. Along the way he gives up the name of Tom to become Jai, and we follow this modern day pilgrim in his travels as he hitches across the Nullabor, making his way once again to India, treks through the rainforest in Northern Queensland to the site of an old break-away hippie settlement at Cedar Bay and almost unravels on a road trip to Uluru with his elderly mother and teenage daughter. The scope of these stories will transport readers into a wide variety of locations and relationships with a very perceptive narrative that is well observed, honest and at times, humorous. For those who might wonder why a young man would choose such an itinerant lifestyle, instead of plotting the next steps in his career, we find some clues in the foreword of Singing Gypsy Moon: "While growing up, Jai/Tom may have also been more dreamer than highly ambitious careerist. Maybe at some stage in the 60s he saw all the photos coming out of San Francisco, heard what Dylan was on about, felt the guitar of Hendrix throbbing through his meridians and allowed the drone of Shankar’s sitar to lift him into a space beyond time. Strawberry Fields became his new neighbourhood. These influences, combined with his own sense of adventure, led Tom/Jai to become immersed in the Journey. The tinkling of the temple bells, the rippling of water round stones in the river and the roaring of high winds in mountain passes have pushed, pulled and guided him along the Way. Probably noticeboards in occult bookstores and articles from underground newspapers gave a hand as well. While reading the stories we can see that many times he took a tumble, stubbed his toes, became blinded by the light. Same as for most people. Other times it seems the Flow picked him up and whooshed him along. Such is the Journey. Last I heard Tom was scuttling along outback highways and tracks in an early model Hi-ace van, determined to have himself a taste of the pervasive silence to be found out there on the shore of Lake Ayre. Might take him a while though -- from what I hear he still steers clear of road maps." Singing Gypsy Moon, Tales from Eternity.

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