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Ruth Ann Oskolkoff

Goodreads Author

Born

in Seattle, The United States

June 28, 1964

Website

https://ruthoskolkoff.wordpress.com/

Twitter

Ruthisms

Genre

Poetry, Children's Non Fiction, Children's Fiction

Member Since

November 2019

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Ruth Ann Oskolkoff was born in Seattle, Washington and is Alutiiq, and a member of the Ninilchik Tribe in Alaska. She is primarily a poet--having written poems since she was a young child. She has become an accomplished indie author and has authored three books of poetry, two children's books, one novel and edited/published one book of progressive political quotes. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, a Master of Arts in Humanities, and a Certificate in Poetry Writing. Her fields of interest are progressive politics, writing poetry, social media, creating memes, sacred space, and attuning to the aliveness found in nature. Ruth lives in Seattle, and deeply loves the ever-changing rain, living presence of trees, and evocative cloud ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Ruth Ann Oskolkoff I think what the system has done long term, is make those of us who are the poor, oppressed, and minorities doubt ourselves. Down in the very deepest …moreI think what the system has done long term, is make those of us who are the poor, oppressed, and minorities doubt ourselves. Down in the very deepest part of ourselves we do not believe we are as good as the rich, or the powerful. It is not our fault we feel this way. It's the educational system, the culture, and everything we see and hear from the "important" people and organizations. It's almost subconscious.

I feel that is all hogwash and that the light of inspiration is in all of us. So when you are starting out as a writer, this is what you need to understand. That you have as much access to universal truths, inspiration, and talent as anyone. To understand you are the one. You can be beauty himself.

Once people understand that. Really get it--it can open the world. They can be a writer, or an artist. Once they see they are as important in the scheme of things as any billionaire, or ruler, it changes everything. So the advice I give to writers is believe in yourself, even if no one around you seems to. (less)

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Ruth Ann Oskolkoff This is an easy one. The inspiration for Zin: A Novel started in 2016 when I became a volunteer in the Bernie campaign and a progressive activist. Unt…moreThis is an easy one. The inspiration for Zin: A Novel started in 2016 when I became a volunteer in the Bernie campaign and a progressive activist. Until that time, I knew there were major problems with the political system, but wasn't involved in trying to better anything. I had a little privilege so basically decided to stand in the back and watch the unravelling of the world.

Along comes Bernie with his idealism and demands for a better future. At first I thought I would just give him $10 a month. Then I decided to put all my regular activities on hold and go all in and volunteer. Then when he lost I stayed in and became a socialist. I couldn't go back to sleep.

About a year ago I realized part of the problem is we are unable to even imagine a better future where we all have healthcare, and don't have to struggle so much to live. I began wondering, what would that look like. Would it be utopian? Am I out of touch?

So from there the idea behind Zin arose. I wanted to create a backdrop of a socialist world, while writing a typical coming of age novel. So while the background is socialist, that is not the story. The narrative is about love, and growing up. It's about dancing, and celebrating, and what it means to have a mother who loves you. What it really means to have friends.

I feel as if I succeeded in my quest. So what we have now is a novel with all of that, and also my non-traditional writing style. It is non-linear, and also uses language in a different way. Much of the prose is written using phrases and individual words sentences. However, people seem to like it so my task is done, and I am off to my next book. (less)

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Ruth Ann Oskolkoff’s books

Average rating: 4.54 · 24 ratings · 5 reviews · 7 distinct works

	Zin 4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voyage to the Sun: A Children's Version of the Tao te Ching by Ruth Ann Oskolkoff (Goodreads Author), Joan Hunter Iovino (Illustrations) 4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Detained 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Song of Ravenna Creek 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Capitalism Must Be Composted: Quotes for Gardeners, Lovers, Activists, and Allies by Ruth Ann Oskolkoff (Goodreads Author), Sneha Sinha Artist (Illustrations) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Bones of the Poor it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sacramentals it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by Ruth Ann Oskolkoff (?)

“This light represents the finest of all of us: Our art, poetry and songs, discoveries, creations, and science. Our ability to pick ourselves up from a broken, mad, fractured life and feel part of another, and be part of whatever this universe is. To have a little bit of hope in spite of the madly ruthless, even horrific, drumbeat of history. In the midst of ruin, to discover some sort of unimaginable grace. To hide from death for yet one more day. On this, the darkest day, people will light a candle for all of that.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin

tags: art, candle, creations, discoveries, grace, hope, light, poetry, science, songs

2 likes

“The afternoon light glistened onto the green leaves. Tinkling bells that hung on a string moved slightly. A squirrel ran through the bushes, and a snail slowly made its way across a muddy corner, which was still damp from the morning.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin

tags: bells, garden, muddy, snail, squirrel

1 likes

“New Year’s Eve at the Witches’ Ball, with all the wiccans, druids, and pagans in their incredible costumes, was the best time of the year. Easily Zin’s favorite holiday, because the night was for everyone of all traditions, religions, and countries. Celebrated by anyone, anywhere, on that hour. It represented the boundary between years, this in-between time. Plus, that evening was about the moment. It was here now. Indisputably immediate.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin

tags: boundary, druid, druids, holiday, in-between, new-years-eve, present-moment, wiccan

1 likes

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Ruth’s Quotes

tags: boundary, druid, druids, holiday, in-between, new-years-eve, present-moment, wiccan

1 likes

tags: bells, garden, muddy, snail, squirrel

1 likes

“Pia taught fourth-grade princesses, superheroes and villains found at the Kshama Sawant International Elementary School near Greenlake. That building took up the whole block and had about five hundred students. She’d been teaching for a while. It was one of the few jobs that got a little extra salary because of the special training required. That list was short and included physicians and nurses, teachers, and pilots. Teaching also included a bonus of four hundred a month extra, which Pia spent on travel, and her cat. Others had hobbies they loved, or personal projects.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin

tags: elementary-school, fourth-grade, kshama-sawant, students, teacher

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“Dave had carried the Zen bell, and rang it every few minutes with the tap of a small hammer. The sound was clear and beautiful. The tone was harmonious and rung out as the sun rose over the water. Some thought the sacred arose when a local action mirrored a more universal rhythm—like that morning. The sun rose. The bell rang out. The druids walked a pattern which resembled the sun’s movement. All one event.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin

tags: attunement, ceremony, harmony, ritual, the-sacred

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“The two friends enjoyed wandering through this place. It was small. Only a city block. Unobtrusive. This was where some of the pioneer workers of Seattle were laid to rest. Laborers who worked in sawmills. Regular folk born when Seattle was a mill town. Regular working class, now buried under ground stones. These folk had to fight to simply survive. Remembered by their children and grandchildren, they worked for a better tomorrow for those they loved. These people had smiled, and danced, and hoped. They had lived.

Now buried, most had no fancy education to show for their troubles. They were not part of the elite, yet those who lay here were great. These souls were not the most renowned or powerful, but were, in truth, the best of the world. As Zin and Obia wandered through, they saw various headstones were flat, unobtrusive, and resting in the grass. Right in the ground, without any markers.”
― Ruth Ann Oskolkoff, Zin