Stories for Peace
From a de facto Buddhist Nun
AUTHOR / ILLUSTRATOR / NARRATOR
Sharing stories that inspire courage and peace.
Selene Ammaccapane is a (self-professed) de facto Buddhist nun who stumbled into realizing her dream of writing and illustrating the story she always wanted to read as a kid. It only took years of trying. Her love of that process grew into the aspiration to continue building peace through story and art. This space is designed as a place to share THE STORY she's written, THE SERIES just starting, and related vocal recordings from THE BOOTH.
Hopefully, in sharing the process of creating this work, many more stories for peace will be created and shared, inspiring many people to the path of peacework.
Current Projects
THE STORY // Now a video series!
MJ Masters
The Universe
MJ Masters is sixteen and terribly confused about who she is and where she fits in such a troubled world. In her family, her conservative father blames her older brother for the increasingly liberal views of the family. And her mother is trying to ignore the mounting tension. Lacking the tools to cope with her resulting anxiety, MJ starts to consider ending her life as a way to take control and escape the insanity. Then she meets a friend who introduces her to mindfulness through Teen Camp at a Zen Buddhist Monastery. This starts her journey to equanimity. She comes to accept where her parents are unable to show up for her, and learns she is already enough just as she is, capable of showing up for herself.
THE WEB SERIES // Starting soon on Patreon!
Where in the World is MJ Masters?
THE STORY continues with MJ still on roller-skates whenever possible. She finishes high school a year early, and heads to Washington D.C. to study Art Therapy and volunteer with the peace movement. She convinces Anna to move to with her so they can continue working on their budding web series. Plans change when MJ discovers a program where you earn college credit while traveling the world, creating internships with professional mentors. Adventuring and self-directed learning bring some challenges! Luckily, she's as good at getting out of trouble as she is at getting into it!
THE VOCAL BOOTH // Let's collaborate!
A Voice
for Peace
The Story, MJ Masters The Universe, started as a novel. I reverse storyboarded it into a series of 84 images. Then I rewrote the story as kind of summary of the novel, so that each image had just a bit of text. Now that story is becoming a series of short video clips, and it will then continue on in a web series.
I recorded audio of myself reading the very first draft of the story. The feedback on those recordings grew into the aspiration to use my voice for peace more broadly. In addition to recording my own audio for the MJ series, I am also interested in collaborating with other authors on narration projects, focusing on nonfiction in the areas of wellbeing and mindfulness. I'd love to do MG and YA fiction, too!
We're just getting started.
Why focus on
courage and peace?
We are always facing uncertain times.
Life requires courage when we aim to be present and develop compassion and wisdom from whatever we experience. We are tempted into comfort bubbles. We get lost in consumption to distract ourselves from our vulnerabilities. We've built an economic system that exploits this. And a culture committed to reinforcing it. But, we're being taken for a ride too few profit from. True peacework often requires the courage of facing our greatest fears. And that's where we are now as a country. So we ask, what can we do? And the answer is to engage in the path of peace. That's what this project is about.
Why get
involved now?
Today, the United States is one of many countries facing fundamental choices in the direction we take as a global society, and ultimately, as a planetary system. If we manage to avert dictatorship and fascism, we can't just "go back to" the same insanity of prioritizing profit so we can secure our comfort. We have to learn to practice peace as individuals and invest in building healthy communities that make for a just and equitable society. That is the only path to peace for any of us.
Your support makes this work possible.
Join Us On Patreon!
MJ Master's The Universe started as a novel, then became an illustrated storybook for teens, and it now exists as a series of 84 videos shared fully on this website and on other platforms. MJ's story will also now be continuing in a monthly web series >> over on Patreon!
Sign up here to find out when we launch there!
TIER 001 // Free to join!
Happy Raindrop
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Exclusive access to ongoing web series
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Archive access for Monthly Sun Showers
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Access to Q&A Livestreams (eventually)
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Discounts in shop (eventually)
TIER 003 // $12/month*
Soft Rain
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All the stuff from previous tiers
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A signed print!
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Access to full audio from MJ Archives
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Access to text from MJ Archives
TIER 002 // $3/month*
Gentle Drizzle
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All the stuff from the previous tier
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Exclusive stickers
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Access to Audio from the MJ Archives
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Monthly Sun Showers
TIER 004 // $50/month*
Over The Rainbow
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All the stuff from previous tiers
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Access to Spark Sessions
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Custom Voice Recording
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Custom Art!
*Equity of Access: The tiers are a way to offer different levels of engagement for different levels of interest. If you join at one level and want to participate at another, reach out here.
PATREON MEMBERSHIP COMING SOON!
// SIGN UP HERE TO BE NOTIFIED //
Livestream Q&A
Get access to group livestreams with the author once they get up and running.
Exclusive Stickers
Access to the latest sticker!
They are updated randomly.
Guided Meditations
Download select audio to support your creative flow.
Audio of MJ Archives
Access to audio of the author reading the full-length first draft of The Story.
Text from MJ Archives
Access to text from previous drafts of The Story.
Spark Sessions
Creativity workshops online!
Monthly Sun Showers
Download monthly art, audio, or a surprise gift to support your creativity!
Signed Print
Receive a signed print of your favorite illustration.
Custom Audio
Recorded audio of custom material to support your creative flow.
Join The Adventure
A custom illustration. You and MJ on an adventure!
The Web Series
MJ's story continued in a Web Series updated monthly!
The Shop
Stationary and other fun stuff to support creativity! Coming soon!
Using
my voice
for peace
I welcome opportunities to collaborate on other narration projects. I'm focusing on nonfiction in the areas of mindfulness and wellbeing. I'd love to do YA and MG fiction, too!
Please reach out here to connect!
1 / Listen Now > Coming Soon!
MJ MASTERS // STORY SAMPLE
Listen to the first chapter of the novel-length "shitty first draft" of THE STORY. A third-person narrative version of MJ's story.
2 / Listen Now > Coming Soon!
DEMO TAPE // STORY SAMPLE
Listen to three audio narration samples. One nonfiction, and two fiction pieces, one in first-person, and one in third-person.
Be part of the community
Join us on Patreon to continue following MJ's adventures after graduation! Subscribe below to get notified when we launch on Patreon! Get advanced updates on courses, exclusive content, and first-access to community events.