Local Tucson writer Thomax Green recently decided to donate 100 percent of his book proceeds to UNICEF.
Green said he originally decided to donate only 50 percent of his proceeds, but because of the Ebola outbreak in Africa, he decided to donate all the proceeds.
“The book is basically designed to help you live a more happy, fulfilled life,” Green said regarding his book, “The Shu: The Gnostic Tao Te Ching.”
Green said after personally experiencing some recent spells of illness, it made him realize how important it is it to have organizations like UNICEF taking care of the sick.
“UNICEF are the only people in Africa that are taking care of all the orphans who have lost their families to Ebola,” Green said regarding why he chose to donate to UNICEF. “Not even the indigenous people want to be associated with these children because they’re afraid of catching the disease themselves.”
The official UNICEF website reports, ”At least 3,700 children in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have lost one or both parents to Ebola since the start of the outbreak in West Africa, according to preliminary UNICEF estimates, and many are being rejected by their surviving relatives for fear of infection.”
Green explained that since he was little, he has wanted to write this book. One day at a public pool, an old man sat next to Green and started to explain Taoism to him. Green said he shocked the man when he in turn spoke about Taoism back. The old man then proceeded to call Green a butterfly, which in Taoism means someone who does great things. Green said the man gave him a copy of the “Tao Te Ching,” which he said is related to the part of his book where he rewrites the ancient Chinese manuscript.
Green said due to lack of proper exposure by an individual in charge of promotion, his book did not have the launch he thought it would. He said he was disappointed when he first wrote a donation check of only $66, as he hoped it would be much more. UNICEF was not at all disappointed, however; a representative even sent Green a letter not only thanking Green but also encouraging him not to be discouraged because his donation would help many people.
“I actually got a little teary-eyed when I received the letter,” Green said. “It was affirmation that I was doing the right thing, even if it was just a small donation in comparison to what I was hoping. It made me feel better.”
In his book, Green writes about the nature of fear as an illusion that isn’t based on the present.
“That’s what really spoke to Linda Grady, the representative from UNICEF, because she was having something going on in her life, and she was scared about it and that passage made her feel better,” Green said.
Green said he has sent out his manuscript to New York publishers in hopes of his book being printed in different languages for different countries and a larger audience overall. He said he looks hopefully toward the future, and would like to continue to send donation checks to UNICEF.
Green’s book is available on Amazon, as well as Mostly Books on Speedway Boulevard and Wilmot Road and Antigone Books on Fourth Avenue.
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