Autobiography
P. Pennington Douros

     Where to begin but at the beginning. I was born in New York City and grew up in Long Island, NY and Beltsville, MD. When a teenager I realized there were three areas that I needed to work in: writing, art, and spirituality. Over time, discovering and living spiritual truths became more primary.  It was also in these fields that I found people with whom I could connect--they were my people and eased the severe isolation I struggled with as a youth.
     I graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in English/Literature and began writing. Then I made a critical mistake. I concluded that I did not have enough to say--that there was nothing profound for me to write about--and I suspended my writing until I did. Now I realize the foolishness of this viewpoint. Every breathing human being on Earth has an abundance to write about. Even if one was truly the most boring person on the planet, one could write a fascinating novel about being burdened with that station and what one might do to resolve it.
     So for decades afterward, living in Los Angeles, I focused on my other passion--art. I became a painter achieving some success and appearing in some major art shows. I also worked in the film industry in the field of digital color effects, including as an art director. I cherished the film industry environment and people. They were similar souls. My last art director position was at an American owned digital color studio in Goa, India. I loved India finding it extraordinary and exotic. 
     During my thirties I also devoted considerable time to explorations in spirituality and psychology. I developed a process that allowed me to venture inside myself and explore and resolve my multitude of selves, some wondrous and trancendent, some terrifying and mad--sixteen at last count. I believe many of these selves are universal, and My Process helped me to understand the mind, the creation of the person, behavior, and Spirit. I intend to write a book on My Process to share my experience and knowledge with others.
     One score and four years ago I spent months writing poetry. Then I decided to write a story. I had the amazing experience, which has only occurred once in the writing of my novels, of something, I believe greater Spirit, writing through me. It gave me the storyline and scene elements which I then molded into words. It presented content, I provided expression. The novel was The Beautiful, Winged Madness, which is now in print. The only other book that I have had this special experience with was a spiritual philosophy book, GodSpirit, A Book of Being, which I worked on for over six years between writing novels. It presents basic spiritual principles and offers an explaination of how and why the universe and life was created. I am planning on publishing this book, presenting it as an interpretation of Spirit and the universe.    
     I have written seven novels and have a new novel and a novella in progress. I created the phrase 'Transcendent Life Fiction' to describe most of my novels because they all share the common element of characters striving to achieve some form of transcendence of everyday life, spirit, love, art, or all. I have written two private investigator crime novels set in L.A. with P.I. Locke Sherwood including The Mystique of Murder which is in the process of being published. I use the term 'Pop Crime Novel' for those books because they are significantly influenced by popular cultural elements including movies (Seven, Dirty Harry, L.A. Confidential, Pulp Fiction), TV shows (CSI, Criminal Minds, Sherlock), the martial arts, music, and popular spirituality. 
     As a writer and an artist, I like to put truthful and meaningful concepts and experiences into forms that communicate powerfully. I look forward to sharing my work, passions, and madness with you the reader and to exploring and enjoying your creations. Self, Spirit, art, being, and love are what this is all about.
     I am currently working part-time as a library associate. I am single and still tend towards being an autonomous soul. Among my dearest buddies are my two exotic cats, Princess Kama, an ocicat, and Snow Leopard, a snow spotted bengal cat. Animals, in their innocent truth, can teach us much about being.
     My favorite line, of all magnificent lines, is simple: To be or not to be.
     Degrees of being or not being.

                                 P. Pennington Douros
             2012

  

Snow Leopard and Princess Kama