Seeds in a Time Capsule

About the Book

Seeds in a Time Capsule is an enchanting compilation of short stories and poems, seamlessly blending the worlds of English and Spanish. Join the author on a captivating journey that spans four decades, beginning in the fall of 1981, when he immersed himself in the rich tapestry of Spanish literature at Southwest Texas State University. With heartfelt introspection, these pages reveal the author’s profound connection to his upbringing in Puerto Rico, the vibrant cadence of life in San Antonio, Texas, and the transformative encounters across Mexico and other parts of the world. Through the lens of poetry and prose, the author delves into the intimate emotional, spiritual, philosophical, and recreational nuances of reflection. Revisiting and reliving these past experiences through his work serves as a springboard, enabling him to recognize and cherish the intrinsic power of remembrance; thus, preserving these ideas and memories. With utmost affection, he aims to share this transformative “voyage” with readers, encouraging them to contemplate their lives as a vessel for empowering and invigorating their personal and existential journeys. Rediscovering numerous short stories and essays from his college years, dormant within aged folders tucked away in file cabinets, has nostalgically transported him back to those formative years where the “seeds” of intellectual curiosity and creativity were sown. As a writer his intention is to persistently stir that creative pot, utilizing its original ingredients in his pursuit of growth and carving a unique path, not by merely following the road less travelled, but by forging the only narrative that holds significance within his individual and empirical timeline. The author writes, “I found myself alone, self-absorbed sinking in that receptacle of ink, connected to humanity—that link between all grains of sand filtering through God’s hands.” Embark on a transcendent literary experience to uncover and embrace the depth and beauty of humanity’s soul. Unlock the secrets held within this time capsule and be forever changed. Semillas en una cápsula del tiempo es una encantadora recopilación de cuentos y poemas que fusiona de manera ejemplar los mundos del inglés y el español. Acompaña al autor en un cautivante viaje que abarca cuatro décadas, comenzando en el otoño de 1981, cuando se sumergió en los ricos tapices de la literatura española en la Universidad de Southwest Texas State. Con una introspección conmovedora, estas páginas revelan el profundo vínculo del autor con su crianza en Puerto Rico, el vibrante ritmo de la vida en San Antonio, Texas, y los encuentros transformadores a lo largo de México y otras partes del mundo. A través del lente de la poesía y la prosa, el autor se adentra en los matices emocionales, espirituales, filosóficas y recreativos de la reflexión. La reexaminación y rememoración de estas experiencias pasadas le han servido como plataforma de lanzamiento para valorar y apreciar la capacidad de recordar y mantener vivas estas ideas y memorias. Con un evocativo afecto, el autor desea compartir este “viaje” de manera conmovedora con sus lectores para que ellos también se abstraigan en sus propias travesías de empoderamiento y estímulo en sus trayectorias personales y existenciales. El redescubrimiento de este conjunto de trabajos de sus años universitarios, que ha permanecido latente en viejos archivadores, le ha permitido regresar de forma nostálgica a ese pasado seminal donde las “semillas” de curiosidad intelectual y creativa brotaron. Como escritor, su intención es continuar removiendo esa mezcla con todos sus ingredientes originales en su empeño de evolucionar y trazar su propio recorrido. No se trata necesariamente de elegir “el camino menos transitado”, sino de generar la única senda narrativa que puede trazar de manera transcendente en su propia escala de tiempo y experiencia individual. El autor escribe, “Me encontré solo, ensimismado hundiéndome en ese receptáculo de la tinta, conectado a la humanidad—ese eslabón entre todos los granitos de arena filtrándose por las manos de Dios”. Embarca en esta transcendente experiencia literaria para destapar y acoger la profundidad del espíritu humano. Desata los secretos guardados en esta cápsula del tiempo, y se transformó para siempre.

About the Author

Lane Carnes was born in Independence, Missouri but claims to be Puerto Rican since his formative years were spent in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents Nat and Connie immersed Lane and his sister René in Julio Séllez Sola and Sotero Figueroa, two Spanish public schools in Villa Nevárez, a suburb of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Lane was the only American with blonde hair and blue eyes in these Puerto Rican schools from the third through the ninth grades where “fighting and proving one’s machismo, among the boys, was a sport during those memorable junior high year and freshman years. He gained the right to be nicknamed “Carnetoro,” which translate to “Bull Meat” since Carnes means meat. After working on a PhD at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas in Hispanic Literature for a second time in the Fall 2008-Spring 2009 with outstanding grades of As and Bs, he discontinued his studies for political reasons. He was discredited for his conservative analysis of the literary works he explored, researched, and wrote about. Higher education across the United States and across the world dwell in the hypocrisy of a fake intellectualism of socialism and liberalism. He exchanged his fists and “nicle-plated belt buckle” depicted in his pseudo-flow of conscious memoir Ensimismamiento for his poetic pen with his two Spanish and English poetry books: The Arches Prism or La prisma del arco and Voces internas / Internal Voices. The author also wrote two books of philosophical, social-cultural, and historical essays: A Jar of Clay, The Art of Balancing; now, a compilation of short stories in Spanish and English Seeds in a Time Capsule / Semillas en una cápsula del tiempo.