Tempest in a Teacup : My Homage to Milan Kundera and Leonard Cohen

I''ll put it upfront: if you''re looking for an easy read, there''re more suitable books out there. And, due to the subject matter, some scenes are explicit; if that''s not your cup of tea, you probably won''t like the book.How does one exist in the world: do you live your life according to a single ideal or by trial-and-error, seeking a diverse spiral of experiences? This dichotomy plays out everywhere and especially in human relationships. In "Tempest in a Teacup" six characters, each with a different way of being-Destiny, Great Love, Power, Obligation, Pleasure, Beauty-come together in a series of events revolving around a corporate function. As the characters collide, the viability of each way is questioned in their alternating viewpoints. Each narrator is unreliable - but then which one of us is ever a reliable narrator?The idea for this story was born out of "Dictionary of Misunderstood Words" in Milan Kundera''s The Unbearable Lightness of Being. From the day I first read him, I was fascinated with Kundera''s characters representing different how-to-exist-in-the-world ideas. But as I tried to fill these existential characters with flesh and blood and guilt and longing and all the internal cracks that make us human, another influence crept in. I love Leonard Cohen''s songs and poetry. I don''t know anyone who expressed the pain and the healing power of our relationships as well as he did. On the surface, these two men couldn''t be more different: a cool, humorous, almost rational dissection vs. broken, passionate, spiritual longing. And yet I saw more similarities than differences: from separate viewpoints, they shone a light on both our alienation and the grace of connections that eclipse our selves. They don''t need my homage, but I wanted to thank these remarkable artists for giving me shelter and light when all other lights went out.From the BlueInk review: "Bell''s characters are genuinely enjoyable, and the themes - love, art, passion, identity - are thoughtfully and provocatively explored in a work that offers many rewards."