“Living in 3(some)s:” the author and the book
Stanimir Kiskinov holds a PH.D in Political Science and a BA in Astrology. He works in the cultural department at the US Embassy in Bulgaria and teaches Sociology at Sofia University. The author’s complete professional and emotional experiences, including short acting and journalistic careers and his long meanderings in the sphere of love, are presented in his literary debut.
Kultura National Fund announces: In November, 2007, the novel “Living in Three(some)s” won Kultura National Fund’s competition for the financing of translations of contemporary Bulgarian fiction into a foriegn language and awaits English publication in 2008.
Annotation to the first edition: If you have ever been in a love triangle, this brave, unconventional, and elegantly written book will certainly be captivating. If on the other hand, you have had the good fortune not to have diverged from love’s straight path, you may just read it for the guilty pleasure of finding out what happens to those who do.
Annotation to the forthcoming editions (in Bulgarian and in English): This book can make you dream and laugh out loud. You may also be fined on public transportation since, engulfed in its pages, you forgot to pay for your ticket. It might displease you or leave you with contradictory impressions. It may inspire you to write another book of the sort or to pass it around to all your friends. It could make you lose a whole working day or get you fired from your job, or even hired for a new one. All this has happened as a result of this book – because it is full of truth!
Reviews:
“The book is an appealing attempt to unite what seem at first glance to be the incompatible personal characteristics of its author. That Stan has both a B.A. in Astrology and a Ph.D. in Political Science and teaches Proposal Writing in the Sofia University Department of Sociology has been of particular help to him in blending the spiritual, emotional, and material aspects of life into a prismatic amalgam. Thus has been born an integral achievement, a soul-stripping revelation that introduces the reader to the enticing and extremely delicate quest to discover subtle boundaries, to find balance on the razor’s edge. This book contains so much implied meaning that it can be read in the most diverse of ways – but never with indifference.” (Dimitur Sotirov, Journalist and Executive Director of the Bulgarian Media Coalition)
“Few authors reveal themselves to their readers with such profound sincerity about Woman, her sexuality, her magnetism, and her intentions. No other Bulgarian writer has ever created such a depiction of female attributes: it is cruelly precise and nonetheless poetic, enchanting, and exciting.” (Atanaska Merdjanova, reviewer at the presentation of Living in 3(some)s in Sliven, October 8, 2007)
“This is a delicate exposé on polyphonic relations and the cultural polygamy of contemporary man. It is about duality and rifts, being faithful and having faith; it is about the physiology of compromise inherent in vows of love, viewed from the front, the back, from inside, out, and above. The book casts light on the right to have a free and open choice, on the merits of such a choice in comparable situations, on its non-prescriptive application, and on emotional need and its uses.
In the scope of about hundred pages within the book, the author provides insight into whether such a triangle can be equilateral, what its finite capacity is, and why nature tends toward inequality. It investigates who is who in the uncertain geometry of male/female relations and whether the deficit in reciprocal love lies in the gap between two people or within each of them.
Living in 3(some)s is a daringly authentic story about contemporary humans’ persistent attempts to civilize their own instincts by dressing them in ideological and spiritual quests.” (Ira Kolovska, Editor)
“It would have been easiest to present Living in 3(some)s as a love novel. This, however, is only on the surface. … Kiskinov writes about the depth of human relationships, the gradual maturation of love, becoming acquainted with true feelings, tolerance for others … And because it is a true story, it is difficult to make the distinction between fiction and reality.” (Olya Stoyanova, Literary Critic, Dnevnik Daily, August 12, 2007.)
“In the course of 226 pages, I had the pleasant opportunity to become familiar with the interesting, ambiguous life and the complex, but very colorful personality of the author. I got to know an analytical and self-critical mind – a very rare occurrence in our time. … A mind that has discovered the ability to deeply probe the problems of the other, even to start living with them, to turn his back on his own ego without destroying it, to find the meaning in freedom – both his and the other person’s, and not only to comprehend it, but to try to open the eyes of anybody who under-appreciates this precious gift, this supreme human virtue.” (Assen Sirakov, Writer, Translator, Publicist, Linguist)
Following is the book’s intro and epilogue:
INTRODUCTION
“Truth sets man free; Love teaches him how to live well!”
Peter Danov
Dear friends, It is an Aquarian who is writing you. We Aquarians’ are not especially strong at Love, but we believe we are great at interpreting Truth and Freedom. It turns out, however, that these three virtues are closely connected, just as I am bound to the two remarkable women I would like to tell you about.But it’s only fair to begin with myself. I have two degrees in higher education, in political science and astrology. I also have dual citizenship: born a Bulgarian and naturalized as an American. I have an affinity for the Hindu theoretical model of chakras, but have a preference for the practices of the White Brotherhood in Bulgaria (even though I’m only an initiate of their outer circles). Generally, the things in my life quite often come in twos.Duality calls for stabilization, whereas the triangle is a naturally hardy and stable structure. This is a story about a triangle, not so much a “love triangle” as a Triptych of Love. It is also a story about the inner drive towards integrity and the search for balance via a third point of support (whether internal or external). It is about the struggles of personal growth and the challenge of choosing between two alternatives. About the ups and downs of living together, but also about building new models of the family and “social architecture.”This type of book can often be annoying with its overly obvious autobiographical element. Regretfully, this can’t be avoided. No one can write about what s/he hasn’t experienced. It would come across as false. That’s why I’ve left the text in first person, singular. I’ve only allowed myself to alter the names of the main characters, without changing their roles. I’ve attempted to be completely honest, omitting nothing of what I’d like to share with you, and yet keeping it an entertaining read. I recently attended a play which tormented the spectators with the overbearing views of the author, for a whole hour and a half. May I have done nothing of the sort! My credo is: Life is wonderful (though it might not seem so at first glance) simply because there’s no other life that could be better. Even if there is, our present life can be approached positively, and can be improved. Such is the message I hope to get across. This book takes even more than an hour and a half to read, but I hope that getting acquainted with an optimistic “true romance” of this sort is a worthwhile investment of your time. Finally, may our “quality time” spent together be pleasant!
Again, it seems I have “put the cart before the horse,” and my thesis about the “triad of love” was only a hypothesis. Perhaps it is so when one’s life experience is insufficient. Theoretically, everything looked just fine. For three well-developed persons, harmonious co-habitation should not be a problem. In practice, however, it appears that I don’t need a trio to feel content. We were just fine as a couple. On the other hand, I can imagine variations in which my personal trio of love would be fulfilling. Not to mention that the imagination of faith is typically far more exuberant. After all that I’ve lived through, however, I could hardly force myself to prove that I am right at any cost. A trio is not motivated psychologically and reflects inauspiciously upon a couple. Let me, however, not be overly bold . . .
I am still puzzled whether such a relationship is possible in real life. This is why, at the end of the book, I turn again to you, my patient and tolerant readers. You have read the story; let’s finish writing it together! In the Age of Aquarius, it is nice to keep in touch with people. You may share your valuable personal experiences by sending me an e-mail at stankisk@ yahoo.com. I’ll be glad to read your stories, and particularly those that support the hypothesis. To emphasize, once again, that neither you, nor I are interested in love triangles, but rather in triads of Love. Actually, why set a limit: why not write about quadrangles, pentagons, or polygons of love as a whole?!!!