The Narrated Play, adapted from the novel: in
Poem Form:
©2002 By: Anne Hart
The Silk Road Kids’ Adventures
The day my whole
country turned Jewish
Ha-Sangari leapt.
The people slept.
The sky rode the
moon
Like a Khazar with
a Tymakh.
The day my whole
country turned Jewish
The heavens crept
With the spark
Of the Pinta Layyid,
The lark, the chord,
The Light in the
Dark,
The flame of the
Ark.
The day my whole
country turned Jewish,
Khazaria roared.
“Now carry
the news!”
Said the King to
the Bek
“Our fortress
at Sarkel
Is a wrecking ball
wreck.
Your ships took
eight nights
To smash our Sarkel.
You took all our
rights,
Kievan prince of
wheat knell.
Why did you come
here?
When our rabbi has
fled?
You have taken my
house,”
Said the Kagan well
read.
“But I must
move in here,”
The Kievan prince
soared.
“The Cossacks
replaced you,
On my Don River
board.”
The Gates of Atil
closed
To the Kagan so
wise
“Your Bek
and the Tarkhan
Are cut down to
size.”
“Where should
we go to farm our lands?
“Where?”
“Where?”
“Where?”
“Over there,
go!”
The Kievan Prince
pointed due West.
“Pechenegs
on my tail.
Polin’s land
for your rest.”
The day my whole
country
Turned Jewish by
looks.
Obadiah, the king
Read twenty-four
books.
As far as Atil
And the village,
Dailam
Khazars strum their
tymakhs
Singing Jeru-Salem.
“He wasted
Atil,”
The Kagan told the
Bek.
“You should
watch your back,”
Roared the Prince
from his deck.
“Want to stretch
on my rack?”
Svyatoslav, Prince
of Kiev spoke.
“I have nothing
personal
Against Khazar and
Jew
I simply like to
fight,
And met my match
in you.
I’ll mint
your Khazar coins.
A yarmaq for your
hat,
To carry on my loins.”
“The coins
will be priceless,
Now that you are
no more,”
Said the Prince
of Kiev.
“I’ll
keep them in my store.”
“Who will
light a candle
And remember Khazars?”
The Kagan declared,
“We are wandering
stars.”
Should the Khazars
disperse
To the land of Tatar?
“To the ends
of the earth
Our people roamed
far.”
The Kagan and Bek
To the roads of
the Steppes,
And their rivers
of steeds.
On the Caucasus’
snows
To do Polin good
deeds.
Where the River
scalloped,
The Khatun and the
Bek
To Polin each galloped.
Drink Crimea’s
pity
By the Magyar’s
green bows
The Pale became
city,
When thunder split
the rows.
‘Neath a rollaway
moon,
Spooked by the storm,
Togrul,
Their mythical hawk
soon
Flew in a new tool.
And the hawk whistled,
Like cantors of
the Turk
“Kusu kusu
khaz-khan
Kusu khaz-khan
Kusu kusu khaz-khan,
khaz-khan
Kusu Kusu khaz-khan,
kusu khaz-khan
Kusu kusu khaz-khan,
khaz-khan,”
Putting them all
to work.
On to Bialystok
Togrul, the tribal
hawk,
Financed the Khaz
army,
And learned how
to talk,
Kept frontiers of
Europe
From strife’s
cinderblock.
And married a Princess
From royal Khazar
stock.
Welcome the convert.
Pillows drink widows’
tears
For you were strangers
in Egypt
Four hundred years.
The Khazar King
Joseph wrote
Pray!
Pray!
Pray!
Pray!
For Khazaria’s
day
In our Turkic way.
Alphabet new!
How our speech flew
and grew!
We read!
And in Cordoba learned
Torah’s fame.
We fled!
In Harun’s
time,
Byzantium’s
game
Forced its Jews
to go.
To Khazaria they
came.
An untutored race,
A faith deeper than
our own,
It’s logical
For us to pray a
Jewish tone.
Like a Khazar with
a Tymakh,
Teach the Kagan,
Converts beloved.
No power in Pagan.
Silvered mirror
poles
Now Magen David’s
shield
Tails flowing
Amulets and talismans
yield
The Khazars, mostly
Jews
That anchored the
Silk Way
And buffered two
kingdoms
Between the Night
and Day
Our orchards and
schools,
Yarmaq coins in
the marts
Taught sons of Bulan.
That wise men and
fools,
Absorbed science
and arts.
Caliphs in Baghdad
Set a room with
four thrones
Major world figures
Took their seats
on the zones.
The Caliph stars
Next, Western Charlemagne,
Emperors of China,
And King of the
Khazars.
Byzantine Emperors
Didn’t go
to the party
They weren’t
invited.
By the Caliph hearty.
So they threw a
war
And Khazars delighted.
Absorbing Jews fleeing,
Unions of Turkic
tribes
Found along the
Silk Road
Refugee Slavs with
brides.
Join our Khazaria!
All those escaping
fear.
Be us—Jew,
Arab, Slav.
Sarkel’s so
near and dear.
Together we will
stand,
Nomadic tribes no
more.
Isinglass of the
North
Has moved across
our land.
Farm here and live
well.
Expand our orchard’s
glade
Our fortress at
Sarkel
Builds our prosperous
trade.
Each Kagan’s
steppes have schools.
Our Bek proves in
the battle
How leaders make
their rules.
By the gates of
Atil.
Tarkhans tied a
knot of light.
That turned our
nomad life
To seek virtues
of right.
Without such blight
or strife.
Nine climes of Khazaria
speak now,
Or forever hold
still.
Jews from Armenia,
Persia, and Slovenia
Exchanged their
skill.
Tell the tales old!
We wait for you!
Read the years!
Turn the years!
Sing the years bold.
Khazaria’s
fun.
If you know where
to look.
You’ll find
us in a book.
And in the shards
of the souk.
From the Caspian
Sea
If not for the Khazars
With their wandering
stars,
Would there be silk
bazaars?
When the Emperor
of Byzantium
Made the Jews move
out
They came to Khazaria
And sent us a scout.
The Book of Tradition
Names Israel anew
People from all
over
Did not have a clue.
Or two!
Did not have a clue
That this Khazar
child is a Jew.
Sing out of Toledo.
Of Abraham ibn Daud
In his Book of Tradition.
Rabbi Ha-Sangari
Left Byzantium’s
position.
We protected Jews
in other lands.
Fleeing here to
win,
With our deep pockets
and golden hands,
The door’s
open. Come in.
A homeland for all
Jews,
We were Jerusalem
Run by a Turkic
tribe.
A Hebrew scribe.
A Sabbath bride.
Busy hands. Building
grand.
A Kagan is a King.
A bek rules the
land,
And a Tarkhan commands.
From our standard’s
silver mirrors
Horsetails and tassels
waved in the winds
The sun shone in
the mirrors
Back at you.
Back at you.
What you wished
us.
Turned back on you.
But we did not turn
our back on you.
If a Jew is oppressed
Call a Mountain
Khazar.
We will rescue and
rest
With the zest of
the best.
From the steppes
or the Don,
And then we’ll
move on.
Who will you call?
A Khazar, a Khazar.
We’ll sail
up the river
And rye bread deliver.
For your child’s
Conversion
We’ll respond
to your needs
On our brilliant
white steeds
And kosher your
kitchen and hall.
The Eastern Caucasus
By the Caspian Sea,
Yesterday, our homeland.
Today we are free.
Mountain men.
Women taming horses.
Some of us became
Jews.
Mountain people
who dance.
Tell our story as
news.
Write us as a romance.
Beckon the Khazar.
Or sit in your house.
For you were strangers
in Egypt
Playing cat with
a mouse.
The moon rode the
sky.
A Kagan turned Jewish.
He koshered his
kitchen
With Mosaics bluish.
“Our speech
outlasts you,”
Sang the hawk to
the King.
“Put your
scrolls in Hebrew.
And let wisdom sing.
From the ends of
the Earth,
People have come
to you.
Many sing different
songs,
But they pray like
a Jew.
Everyone learn Hebrew.
Your thoughts—for
all time.
Everyone write Hebrew.
Language moves on
a rhyme.
So when you move
afar
And no one says
your name.
Use universal speech,
And give your scrolls
their fame.”
Then Togrul and
Bek
Placed Mezuzzim
near walls.
And changed each
tamga
For a Torah and
shawls.
“Pray! Write!
Pray! Write!
A menorah for all.”
The edge of the
rift,
Infinity of light…
Pechenegs on the
cliff
Prince of Kiev in
sight.
Bihar, the Khazar
Leads his people
to soar
For it’s better
folklore
Than to march off
to war.
To the rescue! Togrul
flew.
Burtas, Bulgars,
and Turks
ResistingWest and
East
“Live where
knowledge lurks,”
The Bek said.
“We are trapped
between two great powers.
Which road to savage
steppes,
And the Tribes in
their towers?”
“The Tribes
are our allies,”
Said the Bek to
the King.
“They’ll
drive you to Bialystock,
Over there.
So change your name
to Levi,
Or Don Volga or
Singh.”
“Singh? But
that’s “lion” in Hindustani!”
“Then Kutkowski,
Tucker, Herkowitz, or
Levine!”
Here’s a gold
seal worth three solidi.
Hire your paid army,
and there’s the
canteen.”
“Give generals
Hebrew names.
Yosef and Aharon,
Pesach, and Zvi.
Khazaria’s
Jewish statecraft,
Not stagecraft—
Our second Jewish
state.
Say Pax Khazarica,
Our allies, our
fate.
Grow the settlements.”
Come to Khazaria
Spanish Jews under
stress
From anywhere and
everywhere,
Khaz Litvaks named
Bess.
Cradle Ashkenazim
And their orchards
of fruits.
Rabbis of Toledo
Can look here for
their roots.
Armenian Jews
Baghdad’s
Jews.
Greek Jews.
Turkic Jews.
Russian Jews.
Polin’s Jews
Galitziana
More Jews than Solomon
saw.
Khazaria’s
Jews are news.
What a land!
What a land!
What a land!
When the final curtain
Fell on a great
drama,
The Khazars went
their ways
In chain mail-clad
glamour.
To Kiev
To Polin
To Bialystock
To Bessarabia
To Lithuania
And the land of
the Litvaks.
To the Danube,
The Galitzianas
in the west.
To Buda and Pest.
To almost everywhere
Where they could
rest.
What was good for
the Jews
As Khaz wandering
schules
Were two Jewish
leaders
And a balance of
rules
And another will
come
For this world is
so small
To bring real books
from life
And of Khazars,
tales tall.
Pax Khazarica!
Where are your scribes,
arts, books?
Show us each Queen—Khatun!
From the Hittites
and exiled came looks.
What made you play
charades?
And so…Where
are you today?
The day my whole
country
Turned Jewish, parades
Swept the Khazars
away.
In Bessarabia
I saw the last Kagan
With mean violin.
He works with a
Pagan,
And plays for his
kin.
During medieval
times, it has been said
“When the
Jews of Europe
Had little hope
Other than…
The grace of the
Almighty,
The coming of Meshiach,
Or the arrival of
Khazars…”
There rode wandering
stars.
Wander, stars of
Atil.
From Volga to the
Don
Ride your rain-soaked
horses
Time is moving on.
Who gave you this
freedom,
In a land so wracked
by fate?
Should we tell your
children’s children
You’re a thousand
years too late?
There’s a
Khazar in your docket.
Who’s opening
the locks.
And a genie in your
pocket
Turning back the
clocks.
Strum your Khazar
Tymakh,
Joys of vivid song.
Light up each dark
winter
As we sing along.
***
Writing Press Releases
What a press release for a book looks like. It's also called a media release, news release, or video/audio news release.
A press release tells journalists in the media that you've recently published a book and tells them up front what your book's
most important point is.
The press or media release also has all the contact information in case a reporter wants to interview you about your book.
If possible, give a Web site where a description of your book is located, and a link where the reporter may browse the first
chapter of your book.
The same release would go to librarians, teachers, radio and TV stations, and book sellers, especially if you want to
set up a book signing session. You can write a media release for any product you want to promote.
It's an announcement of your product to the media--and a brief success story. It's one page to one and a half-pages of
informative facts about your book or product. A press release/media release has these six important details: What Who When
Where How Why
How Do You Write a Press Release for Your Book?
A press release, also called a media release or news release is a 1 to 1 1/2 page announcement and summary of an author's
latest book. It is sent to members of the media, such as the book review editor of a newspaper or magazine, or to the program
coordinator of a radio or TV station.
Here's a sample press release written about one of my books. It's like a mini-success story case history of about 300 words
or less giving the most important point of an author's book.
Date:
Title of Book:
Web Site: http://annehart.tripod.com
A Perfect Mitzvah Gift Book Outwits Harry Potter and Moves to the Black Sea.
From Medieval Times to WWII and Beyond Enchanting Pontic Time Travel Adventures That Will Surely Outwit Harry Potter's
Magic
Should there be a class about history for 14-year old boys and 15-year old sisters, Marot, the 13-year-old boy in the latest
adventure paperback book, A Perfect Mitzvah Gift Book (now available through ASJA Press, an imprint of iuniverse,inc, at 1-800-Authors)
would certainly outdo and outwit the legendary Harry Potter.
The novel takes place "When Jews Of Eastern Europe Had No Hope Other Than The Grace Of The Almighty, The Coming Of The
Meshiach, Or The Arrival Of The Khazars."
Marot, the wonder boy and his sister Princess Tarbagatay have traveled as far away as Medieval times through World War
II and back to the present religious conflicts in the Middle East.
Author, Anne Hart painstakingly recreates these memorable historical events and offers loads of adventures, excitement
and surprises in her most recent book. It takes place in 965 CE, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, in medieval times
when migrations were the day and the first crusade had only been in the planning stage. Hart is an award-winning novelist,
textbook author, and playwright. She has written more than 66 books and dozens of articles, plays and course books.
In
A Perfect Mitzvah Gift Book,
Hart brings together century-old tales, multicultural stories and awe-inspiring historical accounts of 10th century Kiev.
The novel's spectacular journey begins during the 9th and 10th century on roads between Kiev and the renowned Medieval Khazaria,
the only medieval Jewish state run by a spiritual leader, the Kagan, and his administrator, the Bek among the Silk Road lands
where the Volga meets the Caspian.
Here, the author blends actual accounts of the early medieval Khazar Empire and the Central Asian pagan empires meeting
the trader Vikings of Novgorod with a gripping family saga. The story is told from the perspective of an insightful young
Marot who rescued his family from the war-torn empire that stretched from the Black sea across the steppes and Caucasus mountains
to the Caspian Sea (the sea of Meotis).
Their journey from Khazaria overflows with memories of the Byzantine Empire on their southern borders and Constantinople
which all played significant roles in the history of the Kagan's conversion. Also see Hart's multicultural female sleuth books,
her Armenian detective character (female) Tweechig Haroutunian, (the novel,
Murder
in the Women's Studies Department), her Egyptian/Greek Mizrahi character, in A Private Eye Called Mama Africa, and her other novels
listed at www.iuniverse.com.
Hart has written one or more books a year steadily since 1963. This is a spectacular book in the style of Harry Potter
with a multicultural nuance.
As a great book for young teen readers, the story focuses on a 15-year old princess and her 13-year-old brother written
in first person as a time-travel adventure diary novel. The novel is a wonderful read for young teens with the whole family.
Contact
Address
Phone
Web site
Email
Book Title
ISBN (number)
Date Published
Paperback
_________________________________________
A press release/media release contains these six important details:
What
Who
When
Where
How
Why
***
