Avy's Page

	Averlin is an artist living near Ottawa, Canada who spends a lot more time on a computer or buried in a book than is probably safe for human beings. The name comes from much time spent playing role-playing games. I was later surprised to discover that this name I thought I was inventing off the top of my head already existed. It's Germanic and means 'wise elf lord', and is also a variation of the Hebrew name Abraham. . . very cool. Other interests of this elf who, unfortunately, is nowhere near wise and not exactly lordly, include learning about different cultures, lands, beliefs, mysticism, myth, sexuality, being outside enjoying nature, writing, spending much too long in chat rooms, and of course spending way too much time sketching and colouring. I'm also (surpise, surprise) a fan of anime, manga comics, and video games. This artist has also had his life become fuller recently with the inclusion in his life of someone he hopes to share the rest of his life with... who also just happens to be a talented artist and writer!	*A Few Links:*
		For those that might be interested, here are some of the pages from my sketch book.
		Here's a poem and an essay by a dear friend who also endures depression - Palm Trees Suck, To Be a Mental Patient.
		Into chat rooms? try mIRC.
		Art supplies? Curry's has been around a long time and are very good.
		Need some movies or video games to keep you entertained? Amazon and DVD Box Office are good choices.
		More computer stuff? ShopRBC.com

My Favourite Books:

Suspense - everything by Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, Stephen White, Ellis Peters and H.P. Lovecraft, and many by Robin Cook, Jeffery Deaver, and Michael Crichton; also, In Gwan-Dai's Name by Steven Griffiths, and The Floating City by Eric Lustbader

Comedy - everything by Terry Pratchett, Craig Shaw Gardner, and Robert Aspirin

Fantasy/Sci-Fi - the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; not sure whether to classify him as sci-fi or culture considering his impact on society but, of course, the works of William Gibson; The War of Powers series by Vardeman & Milan; the Conan series by Robert E. Howard et al.

Mysticism and Spirituality - The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner; Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, and Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham; Astral Projection, Ritual Magic, and Alchemy by MacGregor Mathers; and certainly worth mention, Gems from the Equinox by Aleister Crowley, and The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie

Myth - The MacMillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myths and Legends by Cotterell; A Dictionary of World Mythology, also by Arthur Cotterell; Celtic Mythology by Proinsias MacCana; A Dictionary of Faeries by Katherine Briggs

Culture - definitely everything by Warren Farrell for his work helping women and men develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of each other.

A Few More Links:

Culture - In today's socio-political atmosphere, in North America at least, men need all the help they can get, so here's a link to The Men's Center; for a few looks at social and political issues, how about The Freespeech Network, Democracy Now, or these talks by Noam Chomsky; if you still haven't read enough about some of the things that concern us as a whole, perhaps a visit to Amnesty International or Greenpeace.

Mysticism and Spirituality - We could all use a little Religious Tolerance; to learn a little more about different spiritual views, here's the Religious Movements Homepage Project and the Internet Sacred Texts Archive, both with lots of info about different beliefs.