Joey Madia, New Mystics Reviews

  (2026). ISBN: 978-1-7645894-0-6 No man is an island, entire of itself/Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main . —John Donne, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions , 1624 In a polarizing world, where Othering has divided and not united, where difference is a liability instead of a strength in the eyes of (far too) many (especially those in power), it’s important to teach our children (while being role models) that everyone has a unique (hi)story, set of interests and goals, hopes and dreams, and they are all of equal value. Such recognition of the worth of diversity in our social circles is a pathway to seeing we can learn from others while learning about ourselves when we step out of our comfort zone and engage with those who are different than we are. This is the beautiful and timely message of No Bear Is an Island . Strength in numbers, communion in community, and the truest truth there is—we all could use a little empathy, help, and compassion to get us t...

  (Fort Lauderdale, FL: Light on Light Press, 2025). ISBN: 978-1-958921-72-2 It may come as no surprise that I begin this review by lamenting the state of our world. Gaza, Ukraine, Nigeria, Venezuela, Greenland… Grappling with the ramifications and ethics of AI… The condition of the environment and the growing income gap… The nonelected in growing positions of power and policymaking… A cold-blooded murder on a Minneapolis street… Crises in education and healthcare… Living in America, I see all of these issues and more deeply affecting family, friends, and colleagues. We cannot sit hopeless and in fear. That is crystal clear. The level of cognitive dissonance (much of it a highly coordinated, insidious attack on the masses as a means toward greater control by the half-percent) feels, in my 57 years, to be wholly unprecedented—its concentration and ubiquity a result of the wholesale adoption of social media and other carefully crafted-for-control (yes, that word again) technolog...