Old Rocks, New Streams

About the Book

This unique book presents something new... and something very old.

The poems of Old Rocks, New Streams represent a concise and vivid new interpretation of the I Ching, probably the world's oldest book. These accessible poems are like extended haiku, which elegantly capture the essential meaning of each hexagram. Graceful photographs by the author enhance this work.

"The I Ching has served as a source of divination for the Chinese for more than 3000 years," notes author Ellery Littleton. "It has evolved into a unique and classic book of Chinese wisdom and tradition, the common source for both Confucianism and Taoism."

Old Rocks, New Streams gives the I Ching yet another form in this group of poems that are faithful to the traditional elements of these ancient philosophies, such as the paramount importance of family, the cyclical nature of life, and certain key symbolic elements of nature such as earth, thunder, fire, water, and mountain.

Read the news release for this title.

About the Author

Ellery Littleton has published a wide and diverse range of materials over 30 years of writing. His personal interestsare reflected in his many magazine and newspaper articles about creative individuals (their lives and their art) as well as contemporary psychology and the human potential movement.

Old Rocks, New Streams is his first published book. This unique collection of poetry presents the ancient wisdom of the Chinese "Book of Changes" in a compact, elegant form that one reviewer called "a classical Chinese garden pressed on paper; just exquisite."

Ellery's most recent book (also published by Trafford) is Time Crimes, which is a blend of science fiction, crime thriller, love story and meditation on the meaning of time. He has referred to Time Crimes as a "haiku novel." It is short, compressed and poetic, and allows a lot of space for readers to imagine and reflect. The narrative moves along quickly; one reader commented that it is "like a film script, in that it has a tight plot and sharply delineated characters."

As much as it is about time, Time Crimes is also about the I Ching. The ancient Chinese had a profoundly different perception of time than we do. This is reflected throughout the I Ching, which in itself is very preoccupied with time and its impact on the course of human affairs. In Time Crimes, these very old ideas are presented in a new context.

In addition to writing poetry and fiction, over the last decade Ellery has offered an intensive journal-writing workshop called Writing for Life that has established itself as one of the best of its kind available anywhere. It provides a powerful, subtle approach to exploring one's life, and writing about it deeply, with feeling, awareness and creative excitement. Through this compassionate, personal healing process, people discover that their wisest teacher and spiritual advisor is, in fact, themselves. A manual based on Ellery's workshops, entitled Writing For Life - A Journaling Workshop in a Book, will be available in 2005.

Ellery is a member of the Haven Institute, the well-known growth and educational centre on Gabriola Island, near Nanaimo, B.C. (www.haven.ca). His journaling and creative writing courses are offered there several times throughout the year. Contact Ellery at 250-385-8387 or email littleton@shaw.ca