Subscribe via RSS Feed

Category: Authors

Interview & Giveaway: Elizabeth Chadwick, author of For the King’s Favor

[ 159 ] September 2, 2010

Please welcome Elizabeth Chadwick, author of For the King’s Favor!

Interview

Probably the most obvious question to ask (given your research in into William Marshal, the early Plantagenets, and subsequently Roger Bigod) is why you do not touch upon the growing Robin Hood tales that arise from this time period? Do you feel that the Robin Hood of legend is based upon Marshal or Bigod or not based upon anyone in particular?

Elizabeth: I actually do touch upon the possibility of the Robin Hood legend in my novel Lords of the White Castle, which is about the Shropshire outlaw Fulke FitzWarin. Fulke is thought by many historians to be one of the originators of the Robin Hood legends that were later brought together from various sources. Robin Hood is very ephemeral in the late 12th century and there is no mention of him by name and deed in any primary source research material pertaining to the period covered by William Marshal and Roger Bigod – nor would I expect there to be. The Fulke FitzWarin story was actually written after William and Roger’s death, so is not of their period, which is why he isn’t in my books. If their timelines had worked out better, perhaps things would have been different!

You talk about the belief that “each person leaves behind an indelible record of themselves impressed upon sub-atomic material and that this record can be accessed if one has the ability to tune in at that particular vibrational level.” Do you have the ability to tune in or do you use solely the services of the Akashic consultant Alison King?

Elizabeth: I wish I did have the ability, but I don’t. Alison’s talent with energy work is a very precious and special one. I have no such ability. I am not gullible, but I do have an open mind and I am interested to see that quantum physics is gradually getting to grips with the science of what she does.

What is Akasha? Is this method used by many historical fiction writers? How did you come across this method?

Elizabeth: Unfortunately, I’m not an expert in Akasha; it’s something I turn to Alison (mentioned above) for. Alison does have other historical novelists who are clients, and I know several historians and archaeologists who use similar methods of their own accord. She also utilizes her skill for people interested in genealogy and learning about their ancestors. Readers can obtain a fuller explanation on my website: http://www.elizabethchadwick.com/akashic.html

Nonetheless, I have known Alison for almost 25 years and have always been aware that she is sensitive to energies. While working with clients in the field of NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), she discovered that she could tune in and go back to things that had happened in their past that were still affecting them now. She realized that if she could go back 20 years, then why not 200, or 800. We were having an ordinary chat one day and she asked how my novel was coming along. I said fine, but I was having a problem finding out about a particular person because the records were scanty. She asked if I wanted her to tune in and find her. I said okay, and what came through was so astonishing, that I knew I had to investigate further. That was about 6 years ago now, and I have been using Alison’s extraordinary ability to help out with my research ever since. I get the details checked out by someone I know with qualifications in medieval history; I don’t take the details in blind faith. I also use them judiciously with other more conventional forms of research to weave the story.

Are you still actively involved in Regia Anglorum? Does this organization have any affiliation with the Society for Creative Anachronism (very popular in the US and Canada)?

Elizabeth: Yes, I am still involved in Regia Anglorum. This is an early medieval living history society with a brief to recreate life as it was in the 10th, 11th and 12th centuries. The emphasis is on being as accurate as possible. There is an American wing of Regia – RANA (Regia Anglorum North America). Some of the members are SCA members, but there is no affiliation as such

What attracted you to researching this era of history?

Elizabeth: My interest stemmed from when I first began researching historical fiction— the late Anglo Saxon, Norman and Angevin period. Henry II, Richard I and John are known as the Angevin kings, and before them it was the house of Normandy. I had fallen for a handsome knight in a TV programme who happened to live in the mid twelfth century. I began writing a sort of fan fiction about him and because I wanted it to feel as real as possible, I went to the library and began researching the period. The more I researched the more interested I became and the more I wanted to write about that time in history. But the original catalyst was a tall, dark, handsome guy in flowing robes with a sword in his hand!

What are your three favorite books of all time?

Elizabeth: This is a tough one! I don’t think anyone can choose their three favorite books. How do you narrow it down? Plus tastes change over time. I have books on my keeper shelves that are there because I loved them when I was 15, but not all of them have stood the test of time. I can tell you three books that are favorites though, among many favorites.

1. Hanta Yo by Ruth Beebee Hill

2. Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman

3. Alinor by Roberta Gellis

What are you working on next?

Elizabeth: A novel titled Lady of the English. It’s about two linked but very different women in English history; one an empress and one a queen. Matilda is the daughter of King Henry I and an empress by marriage to her German royal husband. When her husband dies, she returns to England, is forced into marriage with a 14 year old boy, and then has to fight for her right to inherit the crown. Adeliza is queen of England and Matilda’s stepmother, although she is in fact younger than her. When King Henry I dies, Adeliza remarries a baron on the opposing side to Matilda in the conflict for the English throne. She loves her husband and she loves Matilda and wants to be loyal to both. But how can she be? That is her dilemma. It’s about women striving to make their voices heard in a world ruled by men.

For more information, please visit Elizabeth Chadwick’s website.

Giveaway

I have 2 copies of For the King’s Favor to give away!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the end of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on September 20th.

Giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Sourcebooks Landmark. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Guest Post: Jane Porter, author of She’s Gone Country

[ 9 ] September 1, 2010

Please welcome Jane Porter, author of a new novel, She’s Gone Country! Check out our review here.

by Jane Porter

After writing several suburban mom novels set in affluent Bellevue, Washington, I was really ready to write about a different part of America, a more rural, rustic lifestyle and that’s what I did in She’s Gone Country.

Although I live in Microsoft land now, I wasn’t raised in a sophisticated society. My hometown in Central California was an ag-based community. One of my best friends in high school was a beautiful brainy and very blonde rancher’s daughter who was active in 4-H and Future Farmers of America. Cyndi wore mascara, cowboy boots and tight faded Wranglers with a massive silver heart belt buckle. I’m pretty sure Cyndi influenced the character Shey in She’s Gone Country, as did my maternal grandfather, a handsome Texan from El Paso.

My grandfather, William Lyles, was tough as nails and a self-made man. He learned early in life that he could do anything if he worked hard enough, so he worked very very hard. He owned two cattle ranches and a large successful construction company and to get from Texas to California, he flew his own plane, finding it far easier to build his own airstrips on his ranches and fly right in, then to travel by commercial aircraft and need a rental car.

My grandfather died during a round-up on the Parkfield Ranch, 40 miles east of Paso Robles, California. But my grandfather’s focused and yet resilient nature made a lasting impression on me. It’s also helped shape the way I look at life, and as the mother of three sons, I want my boys to be strong, but I also want them to be themselves.

She’s Gone Country is a story of all the things I love best—raising boys, wide open spaces, ranchers and cowboys, and love. Love for our men. But also, love for ourselves.

To go along with the title of this blog, I asked Jane what luxury meant to her.

My luxury is travel. I literally work to travel. And whenever I can, I take my kids with me, too, as I think one of the best ways to live life is to explore the world around us. And while I like camping, nothing beats a great hotel with a gorgeous pool, 5 star spa, and all the amenities. It’s absolute bliss to walk into that cool, plush, luxurious room and fall onto the down duvet covered in the softest, whitest Egyptian cotton. Heaven!

For more on Jane Porter and She’s Gone Country, visit www.janeporter.com or her Facebook page.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Guest Post: Jenny Nelson, author of Georgia’s Kitchen

[ 5 ] August 24, 2010

Please welcome Jenny Nelson, author of a new novel, Georgia’s Kitchen! Check out our review here.

by Jenny Nelson

The best advice I ever received about writing a novel was to write the book I wanted to read. Not the book I thought readers wanted to read, or the one my mother would love, or my father would proudly display in his den, or my husband could share with his mountain biking pals, but the one I wanted to curl up with, hanging on to every word until I’d gobbled it up completely.

When I started writing what would eventually become Georgia’s Kitchen, I had already decided: I wanted to read about a chef. A successful, funny, savvy, thirty-something chef who’s arrived at her position with some difficulty, but who clearly belongs where she is. Someone who’s both tough and vulnerable, who doesn’t disappear into the wallpaper, who rises to the occasion (except when she doesn’t – and there are definitely a few of these moments in Georgia’s Kitchen!) and who wouldn’t even consider giving up without a fight. The setting was never in question: New York City, the big-time for chefs and one of my favorite places in the world. And because I’m a huge Italiaphile who loves all things Italy (food, wine, people, architecture, film, clothing, design), I decided to send Georgia to Italy, mecca for chefs. It didn’t hurt that my husband and I were married in Tuscany and that some of my fondest memories have taken place along those ancient streets, or in charming trattoria and beautiful villas. The chance to revisit these settings, if only through the eyes of Georgia, was too tempting to pass up.

I also knew that, while I wanted to read something humorous and entertaining, with a touch of glamour and tons of food, I didn’t want to read something that lacked gravitas entirely. I wanted Georgia to deal with real emotions and conflict, to be pushed outside her comfort zone and, ultimately, to triumph. I wanted a heroine I could root for until the very last page.

I hope that readers who pick up Georgia’s Kitchen will agree. I’d love to hear your thoughts – you can leave a comment here or drop me a line at jenny@jennynelsonauthor.com. Happy reading!

For more on Jenny Nelson and Georgia’s Kitchen, visit www.jennynelsonauthor.com or her Facebook page.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Interview: Claire Avery, author of Hidden Wives

[ 11 ] August 22, 2010

Please welcome sisters Mari Hilburn and Michelle Poche, pseudonym Claire Avery, as they answer a few questions about their new book, Hidden Wives!

Hidden Wives (check out my review) was my favorite book this summer, if not all year, and I jumped at the chance to learn more about Mari and Michelle! They will also be participating in our Blogmania event in September!

For more information please visit www.claireaveryauthor.com.

Interview

The back of Hidden Wives says that you grew up in a Fundamentalist Catholic community, and later became interested in other extreme religions. Was your upbringing the main influence behind the subject of the book? Why did you pick Fundamentalist Mormons in particular?

Claire Avery: The whole theme of religious extremism was derived from personal experience, and we certainly feel that our childhood background was the catalyst for the basic premise of Hidden Wives. One of the first things we thought of when we heard about polygamy going on in this country was that if our father had been Mormon instead of Catholic, we almost certainly would have been raised in polygamy as fundamentalist Mormons. Our father was drawn to extremism within his faith. We picked Fundamentalist Mormons after watching a documentary on the topic. We were stunned to find out that the forced marriage of underage girls to much older polygamist men could go on in 21st century America.

Do you watch the show Big Love?

Claire Avery: No, neither of us has ever seen it, although we’ve heard it’s a very compelling show. However, it depicts a polygamist lifestyle where there is more choice on the part of the women involved. We have done extensive research on the topic of polygamy, and we talked to several women who had lived it and escaped that lifestyle. These women had very negative experiences with it. We know that some people find it just an alternative lifestyle, but we approached the topic of polygamy from the point of view of two young girls who have never had a “real” choice in whom they were to marry.

Fundamentalist Mormon lifestyle is up and coming subject matter in recent literature. Do you think that fictional books are helping to bring more attention to the plight of actual people living in these communities?

Claire Avery: Absolutely. We hoped that a fiction venue would expand the audience of readers and increase awareness of the problem. Many people read fiction exclusively, often for entertainment purposes. We hoped to both entertain and educate readers on the topic. From the first moment we discovered that the forced marriages of underage girls were going on in the United States, we were outraged. As soon as we decided to write a novel about the topic, we agreed that first and foremost we wanted to honor all the victims of polygamy. Secondly, we hoped to keep the plight of these victims in the media spotlight. We are so grateful that the topic is getting more attention, and that the public is aware that there are several organizations out there set up to help all victims of polygamy.

Who do you identify with more, Sara or Rachel?

Claire Avery: When we were creating the characters of Sara and Rachel we wanted to include two vastly different perspectives. We were raised to always see the good in others, and to forgive, no matter what was done to you. In those ways, we could understand Rachel’s psyche. Both girls were indoctrinated into fundamentalism, but one girl could more readily see the hypocrisy, irrationality and harm from the fanaticism, and the other girl, because of her guilt and fear, couldn’t even consider the possibility that her religion was deeply flawed.

Rachel was ultimately harder to identify with because she accepted all of it, although again, we understood her behavior, having ourselves been raised in a strict religious environment where guilt and fear were prevalent emotions. Sara’s love of learning, insatiable intellectual curiosity, and ultimately, her ability to see the hypocrisy all around her, made her easier to relate to than Rachel. Like Sara, we were avid readers growing up and books ultimately became our salvation. Reading opened our minds to different viewpoints; some of those viewpoints were directly oppositional to our religious indoctrination. However, we were able to write Rachel, hopefully in a convincing way, because we understand how difficult it is to reject what you are taught your entire life.

What is the most difficult thing about having two people write one book?

Claire Avery: The most difficult thing we dealt with in the past was when we had two competing visions for either a pivotal character or a major plot point. We both write on all the characters, so it’s very important that the voice of each character remains consistent, and obviously the plot needs to be cohesive as well as compelling. We usually talk our differences out, and because we each make an argument for our respective positions, we often end up utilizing the best suggestions from both sides. Hopefully, a stronger story and deeper characters are the end result.

Which authors were you influenced by growing up?

Claire Avery: Our father read C.S. Lewis to us as very young children. We were captivated by Chronicles of Narnia. We also loved Laura Ingalls Wilder, Roald Dahl, Judy Blume, Madeline L’Engle and Tolkien.

What are your three favorite books of all time?

Claire Avery: How do you choose? Certainly these books are in the all time favorite category:

Mari: White Oleander, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Anna Karenina.

Michelle: The Red Tent, The Crimson Petal and the White, The Poisonwood Bible.

What are you working on next?

Claire Avery: The new book, currently in final revisions, has to do with a woman who raises a child for 12 years, assuming the girl is her biological daughter. When the child gets sick, she finds out the girl could not possibly be her biological child. The book is not about what it seems to be on the surface, and we hope readers will be surprised and really start thinking about some of the deeper issues that the story raises.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Guest Post: Lisa Unger, author of Fragile

[ 8 ] August 18, 2010

Please welcome Lisa Unger, author of a new novel, Fragile!

Inspiration and Character, by Lisa Unger

The inspiration for my novels might come from anywhere – a painting or a photograph, a line of poetry, a news story, or a piece of junk mail. And if that germ connects with something going on in my subconscious, I start hearing voices. No matter what the initial spark, each of my novels has started with a voice in my head. When I begin to write, I have no idea how the story is going to end, who is going to show up day to day, or what they might do. I don’t even fully know what a book is about until I’ve been sitting with it for a while. This is why I was about halfway through the writing of Fragile when I finally realized what it was about — and that the story at its center was an event from my own past.

When I was a teenager, a girl I knew was abducted and murdered. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we were friends. But we were acquaintances, played together in the same school orchestra. And her horrible, tragic death was a terrifying and hugely traumatic moment in a quiet, suburban town where nothing like that had ever happened before. This event changed me. It changed the way I saw the world. And I carried it with me in ways I wasn’t aware of until I was metabolizing it on the page — more than twenty-five years later.

The story at the heart of Fragile has tried to make its way out in other partials that I have discarded or abandoned. The voices that had tried to tell it before were never strong enough to center a novel around. It is notable that the voices who finally were able to tell the tale are much older, people with a lot of distance from the fictional event. In other words, it’s almost as if we all — the characters and the author — needed to grow up a little to have access to the heart of the story, to really understand it.

Even though I saw Jones Cooper first, it was Maggie Cooper who first drew me into the book. I met in her a moment when she grieving the loss of her son — but not in any tragic way. She was warring with her teenager, missing the loving little boy he used to be (even as much as she loved the person he’d become). From the moment I connected with her, I was in The Hollows. And the story began to unfold.

In Fragile, as in all my novels, the true inspiration came from a voice in my head, from a character. In this case, the story that unfolded, was similar in many ways to actual events from my past, but so very different. This book is not a fictional account of the actual event; it is merely some combination of my memories and my imagining. And maybe this is the case for all fiction. It comes from a true and honest place, a soup served from the imagination, experiences and observations of the author. The actual germ of the story, whether inspiration came from within or without, matters very little in the telling.

Look out for our review of Fragile this month!

For more on Lisa Unger and her books, visit www.lisaunger.com or find her on Twitter.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Guest Post: Christine Lemmon, author of Sand in My Eyes

[ 8 ] August 11, 2010

Please welcome Christine Lemmon, author of a new novel, Sand in My Eyes!

To Write or Not, by Christine Lemmon

“When I entered the bay I put the paddle down, leaving the canoe to drift about under the morning sun while questioning how a mother knows when to give up certain selfish passions and fold laundry instead. I struggled with this, and needed to know whether I should hang my cravings to write out to dry until a different stage in life, or when I am old and there is no one to answer to but the flowers in my yard.”—excerpt from the book Sand in My Eyes

Before I start writing a book, I go over the impracticalities in my mind. I’m not going to get the hours of sleep that I like. I won’t be saying ‘yes’ to all the social invitations. The laundry, which I fold at night, will start piling up again into mountains my children climb on. There will be no television watching, and hardly time for reading. The decision for me to write is similar to that of having another baby, or buying a puppy. There’s never a perfect time. It’s an emotional choice, and life-changing, too.

But I think of the ideas I have, and how sad, if I don’t pursue them they’ll remain like seeds in a packet that never get opened. I make my choice to write and like a gardener stepping out into her patch of dirt, I begin raking through the mess, simplifying my life and clearing the way so I can write. All I need is a consistent two-hour chunk of time—morning or night. And because my three-year-old wakes early, climbing into my bed to cuddle, I decide at this particular stage, night writing will have to do. But that means I can’t get tired in the evenings. No falling asleep on the couch by nine!

I find myself dusting my desk, emptying drawers, and clearing my schedule for upcoming months. I also search for new music. I listened to Mozart while writing Sand in My Eyes, but need different music now. I buy a sandalwood candle and lotion for my fingers that will soon be hitting the keys. I switch from drinking two cups of coffee in the morning, to one, and then add two cups in the late afternoon, hoping for an added oomph. My husband questions whether all of this is a writer’s ritual or procrastination. I tell him it’s ‘nesting’—I’m carrying within an idea and preparing for it to come out.

I laugh at myself, aware that when we pursue what we are passionate, it might at first look to others as if we are only playing in the dirt. But there is a difference between playing and toiling in that toiling brings forth change in your life—even if that change is in your state of mind. My state-of-mind is full of anticipation. I am ready to write! Whether or not my toiling turns into a garden, or a novel that others will like, it’s okay, because the process is already bringing me joy.

For anyone choosing to pursue their passion, but wondering how they might go about finding the time and energy to start, try this: “…cut out that which isn’t needed in your garden, in your life, once, or twice a year. Trim away that which serves no purpose and benefits neither you nor others. And space your plants appropriately. Over planting, crowding your days with too many commitments, activities and involvements, may lead to disease and fungus, and the things you want to do won’t stand a chance of surviving.” – Sand in My Eyes

Check out our review of Sand in My Eyes!

Christine can be contacted at Christine@christinelemmon.com .

For more on Christine Lemmon and her books, visit: www.christinelemmon.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Guest Post & Giveaway: Katharine Davis, author of A Slender Thread

[ 182 ] August 6, 2010

Please welcome Katharine Davis, author of a new novel, A Slender Thread!

The recent winner of the 2010 Maine Literary Award for Fiction for her previous novel, East Hope, acclaimed author Katharine Davis has a new book out this August about learning how to find your way later in life: A Slender Thread (NAL Accent Trade Paperback; August 3, 2010).

by Katharine Davis

I am definitely a late bloomer, having postponed my writing career until the age of fifty. I’ve always been a huge reader and writers are the rock stars of my world. When my children were launched, and I stepped away from my teaching job, I asked myself: if not now, when? I began to write fiction and discovered that I loved writing novels.

First-time novelists often write a coming of age story – the drama of growing up, leaving home, and dealing with the conflicts of the adult world. Most first time novelists are in their twenties or thirties. They tend to look for stories within themselves.

Instead, my novels focus on the challenges one encounters at mid-life. Capturing Paris, my first novel, was the story of a woman coming into her own as a poet in her late forties, while her husband has lost his job, which puts their marriage into conflict. Two characters at mid-life move to Maine to try to reinvent themselves and find happiness in my second novel, East Hope. Their lives have been set off course because of an unexpected death, a failed marriage, and a ruined career.

Sometimes the troubles that come along in mid-life are tragic. Try to imagine eight women around a table in a museum restaurant talking about a photography exhibit. The women, most of them in their fifties, well dressed and accomplished, are enjoying themselves. They comment enthusiastically on art, current events, books, movies, and their own families.

Yet, one woman says nothing at all. She is visiting from the West Coast and she is the college roommate of one of the guests. She looks no different from the women around her. She has a loving husband, has raised two children, and has had a successful career in real estate.

Except, unlike the other women at the luncheon, this woman has a rare brain disease. Her name is Anna and she can no longer speak. When it is time to order lunch the woman next to Anna asks her if she would like the chicken salad. Anna nods in agreement. She still understands language, but eventually, as her disease progresses she will lose her ability to comprehend anything at all.

Two years ago I was a guest at that luncheon. I met Anna, a woman very much like me, but a woman whose life had begun to unravel in a way she never expected. I was writing another novel at the time, but every day when I sat at my computer to work, I kept thinking of Anna. I tried to imagine what this tragedy was like for her husband, for her children, and for the many friends who loved her. Here was a vibrant woman in her prime who could not utter a word.

I didn’t want to tell Anna’s personal story. I don’t know her family, or even her last name. Instead, I began writing a new novel, and A Slender Thread was born. It is the story of two sisters, the elder of whom is diagnosed with the same disease, Primary Progressive Aphasia.

How do we find the strength to cope in the face of adversity? How do we start over at mid-life? Are we capable of change? Do we ever truly leave the past behind? How do we communicate? Are words enough? Is love enough? These were the questions I asked myself while writing A Slender Thread. Over the next year that chance meeting became a novel.

One warm afternoon last spring I found myself thinking about a summer I had spent in Florence, Italy when I was twenty-one years old. I stayed at a small hotel, more of a bed and breakfast, and I remembered the Italian woman who cooked and served the lunch there. I also had the vague recollection of a very old English woman who lived in a shabby room on the top floor with her ancient husband. I knew immediately I had the germ of a novel. I can picture three women in Florence, three different nationalities, three different ages, but all living together in the same little inn. Why are they there? What do they fear? What do they hope for? The questions keep coming and the scenes are already forming in my head. Maybe I have a coming of age novel after all? But memory being what it is, I think I need to travel to Florence for some necessary research!

Giveaway:
I have 2 copies of A Slender Thread to giveaway, courtesy of the publisher!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with and tell me something you enjoyed about this guest post.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 30th.

Giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by NAL Trade. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

  • Share/Bookmark
View Post

Interview: John R. Coats, author of “Original Sinners”

[ 3 ] July 22, 2010

Please welcome John R. Coats as he answers a few questions about his new book, Original Sinners: A New Interpretation of Genesis!

John R. Coats holds his master’s degrees from Virginia Theological Seminary and Bennington College Writing Seminars. A former Episcopal priest, he was a principal speaker and seminar leader for the More To Life training program in the United States, Great Britain, and South Africa and an independent management consultant. He lives with his wife in Houston, Texas.

For more information please visit www.JohnRCoats.com and connect with him on Facebook.

Interview

What inspired you to write a book based on the book of Genesis?
John: I wanted to do something different, to write a commentary on Genesis that took the conversation above the tiresomeness of the “is too,” “is not” squabble over whether the Bible is history. And I wanted to speak to both sides of that debate. The method I chose, learned some forty years ago, is not the usual extraction of a religious cum doctrinal lesson from the text, but that of mining the text for the human issues at its center, asking questions such as, “How are they like me, like us?” “If I dig around in their stories, will I see my own, something I need to see, however painful or pleasant?” “Might I understand more about me, about us, about being human?” I have a hunch that the book had been writing itself for decades, waiting for me to notice. It was Phillip Lopate, my teacher during my last semester at The Bennington Writing Seminars, who suggested that I draw from my biblical-theological background. When I’d written two essays, parts of which are in the book, he encouraged me to write a book. Three and a half years later, Original Sinners was published.

After reading Original Sinners, people unfamiliar or new to the stories of Genesis might acquire an opinion far from a major consensus. Could you describe an argument that might arise from an encounter between these two perspectives?
John: Let’s say the reader in question is a single young woman raised in a “Bible-believing” family in a mid-sized American city. Taking a new job, she moves to a large city where she acquires a new, more cosmopolitan circle of friends. Their attitude toward religion and the Bible, while it is shocking to her, does lead her to question what she’d always assumed, to open up. She likes the freedom of it—a lot. But let it all go? Why the limited choices? One day she picks up a copy of my book and is surprised to discover that there is a tradition that offers a third choice. A few days later, she arrives at an event attended by her parents and several of her most vocal friends. She makes the introductions, and as she opens her briefcase to retrieve something, one of her friends spots the book, grabs it, and says, “You’re reading about Genesis?” Her parents, fearing their daughter had gone astray, say, “You’re reading about Genesis?”

She’s in a very tough position. The rise of religious fundamentalism with its denial of science and inherent threat to free thought and expression has spawned a pro-science, anti-Bible, and very expressive counter-movement in the “New Atheists.” The players on both sides of this game have little, if any, room for those who disagree with the “correct” position.

Are you ever surprised by the types of readers you find enjoying Original Sinners?
John: I think my primary audience is the curious reader who is interested neither in being saved by religion nor in being saved from it, who, on seeing the word “Genesis” in the book’s title, will not assume to “know”, without further inquiry, what he or she will find between its covers. I thought the book would find an audience among readers who considered themselves “searchers,” “thinkers,” people who, at most, would likely never be more than marginally involved in religion but, nevertheless, might be curious about finding a way into the biblical material that did not require them to believe this or that. And it has. Where I’ve been surprised is hearing from conservative Christians who’ve found it useful. And there’ve been a few biblical scholars who’ve liked it, and others with advanced degrees as well as readers, men and women I know from my consulting days, others, whose lack of formal education past, say, high school has not in the least hampered their curiosity.

What kind of research did you have to undergo for this book? What fascinated you the most?
John: Lots of research, more than I’d imagined, and it was all fascinating. But then, I’m one of those odd ducks who loves spending day after day digging through obscure tomes. Still it had been decades since I’d done any kind of serious biblical studies, so I had some catching up to do. I decided to focus primarily on the Jewish scholars and, one by one, discovered the likes of James Kugel, Tamara Cohn Eskanazi, Robert Alter, Richard Elliott Friedman, Ellen Frankl, Everett Fox, and others. Their scholarship is unparalleled, they are very good writers and never suggest that I believe this or that.

However, I’d have to say that what fascinated me the most was the relationship I formed with the text, itself. I once heard a young man tell of his experience with a T’ai Chi master in Beijing, how it had taken three years of showing up most every morning, whatever the weather, before the master would regard him as a serious student. The old rabbis spoke of their experience with the Torah in the same light—Prove yourself willing to return and, in time, it will begin to reveal its secrets. That may sound strange, as if the “it” I’m referring to is a living thing, yet my experience of returning day after day for more than three years revealed a Genesis I’d never known, one that is alive with subtle meanings.

Do you have any projects lined up for the near future?
John: I now have a blog in the Religion section of the Huffington Post. I’ve been asked to post at least once a week. And I’m laying the groundwork for a book, this one on Exodus. Also, I’ve been making notes for several essays I have in mind. And I have a couple of short stories and a completed novella that I’d like to go back and polish, but that’s for another time.

What would you like your readers to take with them after reading this book?
John: A new method of interpretation, not the usual non-scholar’s method of extracting a religious cum doctrinal lesson from the text, but a way of mining the text for the human issues at its core.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
  • Share/Bookmark
View Post
Page 1 of 212