|
With an abiding love for written expression, the writer employs Flash Fiction and various poetic styles and structures (including Freeform, Experimental, Rhyming, Syllable formats, Tanka, Triolet, Haibun, Ekphrastic, and Acrostic) to encourage his insights to bear fruit.
As an adventure, mystery, historical fiction author, richard heard the call for his sweeping MONUMENTAL JOURNEY SERIES in 2002. With equal amounts of apprehension and avidity he accepted the challenge of writing about the Rognvald Vikings early journey to the South Western United States, which culminated over four hundred and fifty years later in the brave and talented crew of the computerized schooner Heimdall retracing the original Rognvald journey in its remarkable fullness. This year he hopes to finish the final novel in the series entitled "BEYOND UNDERSTANDING". His novels have been likened to an amalgam of Jules Verne, Robert Lewis Stevenson, and C.S. Lewis, and were awarded CST's 2007 Best New Adventure, Mystery, Historical Fiction. All his books are available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, the brick and mortar bookstores, and at www.richardlcederberg.com
Descended from Swedish and Norwegian immigrants, richard was born in Chicago Illinois. Most of his younger years were spent growing up around bi and trilingual families and eating a lot of pickled herring. His personal literary inspirations had their inception in Stavanger Norway .........
richard has been privileged to travel throughout the USA, the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in Canada, Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, the Yukon Territories, the Azorean Archipelagoes, and through Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Holland in Europe.
richard commends his predominant literary influences as being Jules Verne, Jack London, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Soren Kierkegaard, Henry David Thoreau, Frank Herbert, C.S. Lewis, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, John Muir, Herman Hesse, Bret Harte, Daniel Defoe, Mark Twain, among others .......
richard began his personal journey into the arts with music when he was six years of age. For twelve years he played classical trumpet, but then, because of the phenomenal British invasion of music, specifically the Beatles and the Dave Clark Five, he eagerly dropped the trumpet to begin playing acoustic and electric guitar and writing songs and lyrics. richard wrote poetry, stories, and songs, in High School and College, and he spent time at Mesa College, USD, UCSB, and Santa Barbara City.
There has rarely been a time in his life when he wasn’t writing in one form or another. “For as long as I can remember I have always had pencil to paper to get creative ideas out,” he quotes. richard was a Construction Engineer for two years in the United States Army. He operated heavy equipment. He was actively involved in the construction of roads, aircraft runways, and tank pads in Europe. For twenty plus years Richard played music ranging from power trio rock, pop jazz and country swing. in over 33 professional bands and played clubs, cabarets, small venues, and concert halls .....................
WHALESHEAD
Have ye not known the tale of
The Whaleshead? A black awful time
It was – gripped by such a dread fright –
When a raging sea, wroth with hunger, stole
Near a hunner or two more a sad sorry souls
And sent um down, a-feared and a-shriekin',
To Davie Jones afore their time.
Aye …
The bleakest of times it was -
And it came in of a sudden,
This bitter blustering thing,
Rumblin' low and a-moanin' -
As a fair bonnie woman in moil -
Stroking all the senses daft, this
Portend black of billowing clouds,
Bearing down on the shore bitter
With a sharp-set iciness that bit
Fiercely at the skin like the
Teeth of Serpents
Oh laws how it roared and
Carried on; that perishin' cold sleet
As sure as death freezin' the hair stiff –
We were aghast at the shear sight of it,
And dinnae know our future near;
Nature up in a snuff and the waves
Dancin' high with windy fingers,
Pullin' up the bones of wizards
And warlocks and things -
“Save our souls,” was the cry
Of those in the way of harm –
“Hoot toot,” was the sneer of
Those smug at a distance …
And a dread sight it was;
This loathy tempest; pit-mirk
The sea and the ramping waves -
Oh a prospect compelling the mind
Awful with the rumble of destruction;
A dire muckle of hopelessness that
Held the bones and heart in the
Callous fingers of chance -
“Please help us,” was the cry
Of those in the way of harm –
“Hoot toot,” the rejoinder was of
Those aloof and smug at a distance …
There was nary measure of time;
Day and night fluxing together in a
Black swirl of clouds and thunderous
Mayhem, and all the while the tempest
Brooding barmy on the hapless town and
Outlying vessels; shriekin' hell like banshees
‘Most a fortnight it lasted -
A short fortnight, minus three -
Tearin' the soul outa any strong man;
Razing cottages and taverns and busting
The mizzen from many a sea-worthy vessel;
Most of um breached or broke up like kindlin',
And most all the God fearing townsfolk
Begging desperate fur Duns Scotus -
“God will save us,” was the
Cry of those with the strong faith –
“Hoot toot,” was the answer from
Those at a safe distance …
A hideous time it was, one
That left pocks on me soul. And now
When the clap-o-thunder fits me bereft,
And the heart cries out in the blackest of
Despair, I can still see all those poor souls
Lammin' desperate in a shit-mucklety tomb.
No …ne’er in my life will I ever forget the
Whaleshead, and ne’er, ever, of a surety,
Will I forget those souls that passed on …
richard lloyd cederberg
2008
Get a scroller sign at http://www.crazyprofile.com.com!
Birth Place: Chicago, IL
Accomplishments: In the last three years. A loose expression. Aug/Sept 2008 featured Poet on Poetry Life and Times - twice. In August 2007, the Mississippi Crow Magazine nominated Richard for a 2008 PushCart Prize. He was awarded 2007 BEST NEW FICTION at CST and also POET OF THE YEAR (2006) at the thewritingforum.net. ........... Richard is an award winning writer that has been published in the Mississippi Crow Magazine, Taborri Press (defunct), The Taj Mahal Review, Poetry Life and Times, three times as a NOVELIST, and also in varied anthologies, compendiums, and e-zines. His literary work is currently in over 35,000 data bases and outlets. His novels include: A MONUMENTAL JOURNEY - IN SEARCH OF THE FIRST TRIBE - THE UNDERGROUND RIVER - and BEYOND UNDERSTANDING, presently being written.
Richard was privileged to design, build, and operate his own Acoustica Electronica MIDI based Recording Studio in 1995 called TAYLOR & GRACE. For seven years he diligently pursued his own visions and the visions of others. Richard personally composed and multi-track recorded over 500 compositions during this time and has two completed CD’s to his personal credit: WHAT LOVE HAS DONE and THE PATH.
Richard retired from the music business after performing professionally for fifteen plus years. No regrets! He now works as a Superintendent with SDCC and as an Author and Poet ......... Richard is also a carpenter and a collector of books. The Easton Press is his favorite ........ Richard and his wife Michele are avid adventurers and explore the Laguna's and Cuyamaca's, the High Deserts in Southern California, the Dixie National Forest in Southern Utah, the Northern California and southern Oregon coastlines, and the "Four Corners" region of the United States.
__________________________________________________
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
|
