Fiction
The Adventures of Periwinkle Fae
Teacher’s Guide
The “Teachers’ Guide for The Adventures of Periwinkle Fae” is a comprehensive resource designed to help educators enrich their classroom experience using Donald Firesmith’s charming collection of 26 magical bedtime stories for children aged 4–8. Centered on Periwinkle Fae, a kind and adventurous pixie living in the Enchanted Forest, the guide offers strategies for read-alouds, class discussions, vocabulary building, character analysis, arts and crafts, and creative writing. Each story imparts valuable life lessons focused on empathy, teamwork, problem-solving, and environmental awareness, while aligning with social-emotional learning goals. The guide includes weekly reading plans, cross-curricular activities in science, art, and music, assessment ideas, and story-specific questions and projects. It also encourages home involvement and offers additional resources like coloring pages, videos, and audio excerpts, making it an engaging and holistic tool for fostering literacy, creativity, and ethical thinking in young learners.
Book Club Guide
The “Periwinkle Fae Book Club Guide” is a concise handout for parents, teachers, and librarians that introduces The Adventures of Periwinkle Fae, a collection of 26 magical bedtime stories for children aged 4 to 9. Co-authored by Donald Firesmith and AI Claude Sonnet, the stories center on a kind and clever pixie named Periwinkle who explores themes of empathy, courage, problem-solving, and respect for nature. The guide includes a suggested reading schedule, discussion prompts, and links to free educational resources, emphasizing the book’s value in supporting early literacy, social-emotional learning, and family bonding through meaningful storytime conversations.
Children’s Coloring Pages
The Adventures of Periwinkle Fae Coloring Pagesis a whimsical companion to the original story collection, featuring 26 enchanting illustrations — one for each tale — that invite children to bring Periwinkle’s magical world to life through art. Each page captures a moment from the stories, highlighting key themes such as friendship, problem-solving, kindness, and creativity, while reinforcing the lessons taught in the main book. With scenes ranging from midnight firefly dances to daring drought rescues, the coloring book fosters imagination and emotional connection, making it a perfect educational and creative extension for young readers.
Nonfiction
AIs, Robots, and the Post-Capitalist Economy
“AI, Robots, and the Post-Capitalist Economy” by Donald Firesmith presents a compelling analysis of how accelerating advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics are set to eliminate most human wage-based labor, threatening mass unemployment, economic collapse, and social unrest if left unaddressed. The whitepaper argues that capitalism, which relies on human labor, is unsustainable in a fully automated future and proposes seven Financial Support Systems (FSSs) — including Universal Basic Income (UBI), Universal High Income (UHI), Universal Productivity Dividends (UPD), and others — as mechanisms to ensure widespread economic stability, social equity, and continued prosperity. Firesmith explores funding options such as automation taxes, sovereign wealth funds, and wealth redistribution, and emphasizes the need for urgent political, legal, and cultural adaptation to transition toward a post-capitalist society where automation benefits all of humanity rather than a privileged few.
The Simulation Theory of Consciousness
“The Simulation Theory of Consciousness” by Donald Firesmith proposes a bold and comprehensive framework suggesting that consciousness arises whenever a system—biological or artificial—executes a dynamically updated, cohesive simulation of its reality. Firesmith argues that subjective awareness is not unique to humans or animals but can emerge in machines if they maintain internal simulations of their environment, body, and internal states. The whitepaper outlines the theory’s foundational premises, testable hypotheses, and its potential to redefine consciousness across a spectrum of complexity. It presents empirical and theoretical support from neuroscience and artificial systems, compares STC with competing theories, and confronts philosophical challenges like the hard problem of consciousness. The paper concludes by exploring profound ethical implications, advocating for new legal and moral frameworks to address the rights and responsibilities of conscious machines in a rapidly evolving technological world.
18 Uses of AI for Authors
“18 Uses of AI for Authors” by Donald Firesmith presents a comprehensive guide to integrating artificial intelligence into the entire authoring process, from brainstorming and research to editing, illustration, and marketing. Aimed at both novice and experienced writers, the whitepaper outlines specific, practical applications of AI tools—including ChatGPT, Claude, Midjourney, Grammarly, and others—to assist with character development, plot analysis, copy-editing, book cover design, and even book trailer production. Firesmith emphasizes that while AI can enhance creativity and productivity, human authorship remains essential for quality and originality. With step-by-step guidance, real-world examples, and tool comparisons, the document empowers authors to use AI ethically and effectively as collaborators rather than replacements in the writing journey.