In flatland the space is infinite. And time is infinite. As well as human kindness, malice and stupidity.

Dear readers,

For years we have been sharing steps through city streets all over the world, through the rhythms of music and records of movement on the pages of the Dance and City blog. With this text, I want to take you on a slightly different journey – where the city streets turn into an endless horizons, and the city noise into a deep, meaningful silence.

My new book “Plain Blues” is finally here.

From the Lights of the Big City to the Whispers of the Flatland

The main character of this story decides what many of us sometimes (maybe even often) wish: she leaves the hustle and bustle of the big city and moves to a small place in the heart of the flatland at the north of Serbia. But this is not just a story about a change of an address. This is the story of a search for answers that cannot be heard over sirens and rushing footsteps in the big city.

The move is not only spatial, but also internal – from one rhythm of life to another, from one self-image to a new, unknown one. A plain, quiet and wide, it is not just a landscape; it is a flatland, with endless horizons. It is a space for new questions and reflections: about belonging, staying, leaving.

“Andja strove to constantly change her perspective and attitude. It was a challenge to gain life’s wisdom.”

Encounters that change the Rhythm

Through the dusty spaces of the flatland horizons and peaceful courtyards, the main character gets to know destinies that pulsate stronger than the city. Those characters carry messages about:

• The meaning and meaninglessness of our daily races
• Sufferings and joys that are universal, regardless of zip code
• Life and death as natural cycles that are more clearly visible in the plains

Who is This Book for?

This is an invitation to dance for everyone who left a part of their heart in the flatland, for those who left it and for those who have yet to feel its irresistible rhythm. For those who know what the silence of the field sounds like, and for those who are yet to learn it. For all of us looking for answers to questions on meaning, life, death and other significant topics.

The book will soon be available in Vulkan (maybe also DELFI) bookstores in Serbia.

In Serbian: Slađana Milošević – Ravničarski bluz – Konkursi regiona

Bel.grade city promotion of the book “Plain Blues” was held in @kucaumetnica with two hours of escape from reality, with stories, questions, smiles, hugs, and lots of love.❤️

Slađana Milošević is the creator of small art installations “SM.ART” inspired by the beauty of flowers, nature and small things around us that we often don’t notice.

She is the author of the concept “SMisao“, reflection on life and meaning, in the form of short stories, songs and music, which she started working on after studying logotherapy.

He writes and publishes in Serbian and English.

He lives at a safe distance from the big city, with an unmarried wife, Tornjak dogs, trees and various flowers.

More information about the book can be obtained via email: sladja.milosevic@gmail.com

Photos: Nikola Bogdanović

Članak A Story about Flatland, Silence and New Beginnings se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.

The book contains an article by Viktor E Frankl published for the first time in English and the contribution of 33 authors.

Proceeds of this book are donated to the UN charity for aiding refugees and displaced persons.

The book can be ordered from Amazon.

This book is now listed on the website of the Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna, Austria.

Text presented here is from my personal blog, and is was edited for the book by dr Maria Marshall and dr Edward Marshall (Ottawa Institute for Logotherapy, Kanada).

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Here in Serbia during April and May 2020 due to pandemic we had a total weekend lock down for 4 weekends. Almost 80 hours without possibility to go out of home. Besides the pandemic political situation is also very unstable.

I am passionate about walking. I walk as soon as I got up for 15 minutes early in the morning. And later during the day we walk with Kata and Dragutin, our dogs of tornjak breed, sometimes just for 15 minutes and sometimes for more than hour.

Being locked in unsafe and uncertain times, was a perfect time for me to understand fully the meaning of Dr Frankl’s wisdom. Also, I had enough time for my music.

I adore music, most of all my violin. Starting to play it at the age of 45 I consider on of the greatest achievement in my life.

So, my violin is always with me. And it is very much connected to logotherapy, this is how I figured out during the isolation.

I thought: Don’t forget what you have learnt in logotherapy and violin is supporting it. This is how:

G string – Gratitude and Meaningful Goals

D string – Defiant Power of Human Spirit

A string – Attitudinal Value and Change

E string – Exitance (“Here and Now”)

I thought why not taking all the notes/letters!

And look, there is a message with meaning in the way notes are named!

C – Conscience – The intuitive capacity of the human person to discover the meaning of a Situation

D – Defiant power of the human spirit – Ability of the human person to discovery meaning in the face of tragedy

E – Existential – “here and now” – Frankl uses the term in reference to (1) existence itself, that is, the way of being that is uniquely human; (2) the meaning of existence; (3) the striving to find a concrete meaning in personal existence

F – Freedom of the Will – Ability of the human person to choose “to take a stand on whatever conditions might confront them” Freedom of the will is opposed to determinism, but does not imply freedom from conditions in life. Freedom of the will is one of three axioms upon which logotherapy and existential analysis is based. See also meaning in life and the will to meaning

G – Gratitude and Meaningful Goals – Simple be grateful and define meaningful goals

A – Attitudinal value – One of the categorical values. The value by which one finds meaning through the stand one takes toward a situation, especially an unchangeable fate; that is, the choice of an attitude that allows the human person to rise above an unchangeable predicament and to grow beyond oneself (Frankl, 1969, pp. 69-70). See also creative value, experiential value

B – Be – Just Be U-nique, as You are

And I can summarize it like this.

FACE whatever happens with a stand, take your life in your hands!

And BE U-nique, responsible human BEing!

I would like to add that I thank to dr Frankl every single day for the wisdom he shared as it helped me to understand and live life.

Source: Revised: Lewis, M. H, LOGOTHERAPY AND EXISTENTIAL ANALYSIS: A GLOSSARY OF ENGLISH TERMS, Revised: August 2014

Photo of me with my violin and music sheets: © Bojan Đurić, Sept 2020

Instrument photos from: https://www.gtdb.org/gdae/videos/-JY8UxCjZoY

Članak Logotherapy and Music during the Pandemic in Serbia se pojavljuje prvo na Ples & Grad.