Conversation Pieces

Vol. 6 — The Adventures of the Faithful Counselor

by Anne Sheldon

$12 $10.00 (paperback)
$5.95 (e-book)	EPUB	MOBI

Read a sample from the book.

The Adventures of the Faithful Counselor relates a series of stories about the ancient gods Inanna and Gilgamesh from the point of view of Inanna's lover and sidekick, Ninshibur, the Faithful Counselor. As a storyteller, Sheldon performed "Inanna and the God of Wisdom" based on Diane Wolkstein and S.N. Kramer's translation of the 2nd century BCE cuneiform tablets. After telling the story for a few years, Sheldon began to feel the lack of a point of view that is missing from the traditional story—that of Ninshibur, Inanna's Faithful Counselor. The Adventures of the Faithful Counselor provides that missing point of view, as it begins with Gil and Nanna and Ninshibur's coming upon the Euphrates:

Staring at the sunset,
crimson poppies, the ibis,
our own new skin,
we were breathtaken and breathtaking

and ending in a bakery, where

the work is unusual,
the food excellent,
and the stories
astonishing.

The adventures between include, naturally, a visit to hell, which, as the narrator notes, "is not hard to find."

Reviews

"[...]it would be a reader of stone who would not enjoy experiencing this adventure directly."
    —Strange Horizons, December 7, 2005 (read the whole review)

"Anne Sheldon's use of vivid imagery, strong narrative voice, and cleverly placed anachronisms gives new life and a new perspective to an ancient tale."
    —MultiVerse Speculative Poetry Reviews, June 2005

ISBN: 978-0-9746559-8-7 (13 digit)
Publication Date: May 2005
paperback 90 pages