Q&A with Amanda Skenandore

 

 

Amanda Skenandore is the author of the new novel The Medicine Woman of Galveston. Her other books include The Nurse's Secret. Also a registered nurse, she lives in Las Vegas.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Medicine Woman of Galveston, and how did you create your character Tucia?

 

A: I've always been fascinated by medicine shows—they're such a quirky, unique part of American history! When I discovered the story of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in American history, I knew I wanted to find a way to bring that into the story too.

 

The more I researched the storm, the more I saw striking parallels with the challenges we face today as climate change brings more frequent and severe natural disasters.

 

As for Tucia, she emerged from my deep interest in medical history. Being a registered nurse myself, I'm particularly drawn to the incredible women who broke barriers in medicine when the odds were stacked against them. Dr. Tucia Hatherley is my tribute to these pioneering women who paved the way for future generations.

 

Q: The writer Addison Armstrong said of the book, “The plot itself is strong and powerful, touching on relevant themes such as trauma, identity, and acceptance, and the historical context of traveling medicine shows is fascinating and rich.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I was incredibly touched by Addison's generous words - she's such a talented author herself!

 

The medicine show setting provided a rich backdrop for the story, as these shows were often the only entertainment available in many rural communities. They represented a unique intersection of entertainment, commerce, and medicine. (Often very dubious medicine.)

 

But while there are many layers to the story, at its heart, Tucia's journey is one of redemption, self-discovery, and the triumph of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

 

My hope is that readers weathering their own personal storms will find inspiration to never lose faith in themselves or the inherent goodness of others.

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: My research took me down fascinating paths! I read memoirs written by medicine show operators and early women physicians, studied period medical textbooks, and immersed myself in maps, photographs, newspaper articles, and firsthand accounts of hurricane survivors.

 

I also spent time in Galveston, both for archival research and to really absorb the island's atmosphere and climate.

 

So much of what I learned surprised me, but a few things stand out.

 

For one, the hurricane's destruction was staggering - entire city blocks simply vanished into the Gulf, buildings crumbled to rubble, houses were turned on their sides, and mountains of debris choked the city streets.

 

In an entirely different vein, I was shocked by some ingredients in those "cure-all" remedies sold at medicine shows. While some were relatively harmless mixtures of flavored water and sugar, others contained dangerous substances like turpentine, mercury, morphine, arsenic, and alcohol!

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: While much of the story unfolds on the road, my publisher felt strongly about including "Galveston" in the title because of the storm's significance. Working within that framework, my editor and I brainstormed several options before landing on The Medicine Woman of Galveston.

 

For me, the title captures both the looming specter of the hurricane and Tucia's journey to reclaim her true calling as a healer.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm currently writing a book based on a fascinating true story—an illegal abortion clinic that operated as an open secret in downtown Chicago for over a decade before being raided by police in 1940.

 

The story unfolds through the eyes of a clinic nurse during the bloody, highly publicized trial that followed. Like Tucia, this heroine faces impossible choices as she struggles to protect her family while staying true to her principles.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Thank you for these wonderful questions! I love connecting with readers—you can find me on Instagram and Facebook, or visit my website to sign up for my monthly newsletter, where I share behind-the-scenes glimpses into my research and writing process.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Tao Nyeu

 

 

 

Tao Nyeu is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Exactly as Planned. Her other books include The Legend of Iron Purl. She lives in Southern California.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Exactly as Planned, and how did you come up with the idea for the book's reversible design?

 

A: I am a big fan of knitting. The idea that any knit garment is just one really really long string looped upon itself is such a fascinating idea. I love that you can unravel a sweater or scarf and then knit something completely different with that same piece of string. The possibilities are endless!

 

I’ve been wanting to incorporate that idea into a picture book and I finally got my chance with this story.  

 

I didn’t start out with the plan of making a reversible book. The initial idea was to tell the same story from two different points of view. I wanted to play with the idea that one set of events is happening, but when you get inside the characters heads, there are two very different stories going on.

 

There are so many ways to approach telling two different stories on the same time line. I tried many variations, and finally I figured out that I wanted two physically separate stories to share the same exact last page.

 

It was a fun puzzle to play with. Because creating a reversible book wasn’t my initial intention, getting to that point felt like a surprise excavation. Like I thought I was digging up a potato and it turned out to be a wombat.

 

Q: Why did you choose a fox and a moose as your characters?

 

A: I had drawn some foxes in my previous book, The Legend of Iron Purl, and I really enjoyed drawing them. I knew that I wanted to draw more of them in my next book.

 

I also had a moose knocking around in my sketchbook. His antlers are great for holding balls of yarn. So it was the perfect time to bring him out into this book. Also, a big and small character size contrast makes for a fun visual dynamic.

 

Q: The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books said of the book, “This is the very definition of a book to pore over, so little ones should settle into a comfy lap and join the amiable Moose and Fox to traverse their charming setting.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love it! It makes me very happy because it describes how I loved Richard Scarry books as a kid. I could read them over and over (I still do) and always find new things in the illustrations.

 

All the details speak to the interior lives that the characters live beyond the text on the pages. Even when the covers are closed, the characters in his books are still grocery shopping, going to work, crashing cars and eating pickles.

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the story?

 

A: On the first read, I hope they just enjoy the fun of it. It is a silly story!

 

Beyond that, I hope they get a kick out of discovering details in the illustrations that connect Fox and Moose’s worlds. I feel like reading the book for the second time is a very different (and more fun) experience.

 

And of course, I hope the reader learns that two people can experience the same event in two very different ways. Our own experiences color the way we approach and perceive the world and it’s not the same for everyone! Life is fun like that.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on a picture book where one character is trying to eat the other. Who will you root for??

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Thank you for reading my silly books! That someone might read my book and have a laugh delights me to no end. I am truly grateful.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Karen B. Winnick

 

 

Karen B. Winnick is the author and illustrator of the new book Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story. Her other books include Can You Spot the Leopard?.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Why Wolves Matter?

 

A: As an animal lover, I was inspired to write Why Wolves Matter because the more I learned about wolves, through reading books and watching documentaries, the more I developed respect and concern for them. Wolves care for and watch over their families just as we do, and they hold an important place in the balance of nature.

 

Q: How did you research your book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I’d read about wolves and Yellowstone National Park in books, newspapers, and magazines. About how wolves had once lived in the Park, but had been hunted until no wolves were left. Without the wolves, the circle of nature was broken.

 

Elk herds grew too big, overgrazing trees and vegetation. Without trees to perch and nest, birds flew away. Without shade to cool the water, fish swam away. Without wood, beavers couldn’t build dams and create ponds. Waterfowl had no place to float and fish had no place to spawn. Without huckleberry bushes, bears went hungry,

 

I visited the Park and spoke to experts. For a time, I was on the Board of Defenders of Wildlife and reached out to other wolf experts all over the country. I learned from my research the importance of the top predator to the natural order of things.

 

From an old National Geographic magazine, I read Nez Perce Tribal member Dan Spaulding’s quote, “Wolves make the circle whole again.” It sparked the way I wanted to tell this story in a picture book for children.

Q: What do you see as common perceptions and misconceptions about wolves?

 

A: In children’s books of the past, wolves have always been portrayed as the “bad guys”— Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs (and the Big Bad Wolf who will huff, and puff, and blow their house down). Terrible! Wolves are lifetime mates, caring parents, loyal to their packs. Teaching children bad stuff about wolves hasn’t helped.

 

As for adults, there’s a huge divide between people who love wolves (me, included) and people who don’t. Writing this book was another way for me to show children, and perhaps some adults, why wolves matter.

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?

 

A: I hope my readers will feel empathy for wolves and develop respect for their importance in nature. I hope they become aware of the importance of preserving natural habitats and the animals that reside there.

 

I hope they will understand the interconnectedness of all things in nature. And I hope they come to understand the crucial place of top predators in keeping the circle whole.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve been working on two manuscripts. One is about Abraham Lincoln writing the Emancipation Proclamation. The other is about a kid who wants to save all the animals.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love creating picture books and presenting them to kids. It keeps wonderment and curiosity alive in me. I learn so much!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was created in partnership with Karen B. Winnick. Readers who join this virtual tour can win a hardcover copy of Why Wolves Matter: A Conservation Success Story. One lucky winner will receive a signed hardcover copy and a $25 gift card to Amazon. Don’t miss out on your chance to win!         

Q&A with Dominic Lim

 

 

 

Dominic Lim is the author of the new novel Karaoke Queen. He also has written the novel All the Right Notes. He lives in Oakland.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Karaoke Queen, and how did you create your character Rex?

 

A: I've always been a huge fan of drag, having done it in college and during my years working as an actor in New York City. I'm also friends with Dwayne Cooper, aka "Milan" from RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 (the inspiration for the character of Ujima, who shows up in both of my books).

 

For my second novel, I really wanted to lean into the circumstantial humor inherent in romantic comedies, and the dual identity of a drag queen is such a natural fit for comedy (as we've all seen from Bosom Buddies to Tootsie to Mrs. Doubtfire).

 

On a more political note, I was getting concerned about what was going on with all the anti-drag legislation that different jurisdictions in the US were trying to pass. It seemed ridiculous to me that this joyous art form was suddenly being so vilified that drag artists were fearing for their safety.

 

I wanted to write a story where the message was: drag is not something to be scared of or hidden away, it's something to be lifted up and celebrated. And also, karaoke is very near and dear to me!

 

Shake them all up in a fabulous cocktail tumbler and out flies Rex, Regina (Rex's secret drag alter ego), and Karaoke Queen.

 

Q: The writer Ali Hazelwood called the novel a “beautiful love letter to the importance of being unapologetically ourselves.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: First of all, let me just say that Ali Hazelwood is as kind as she is talented. To get any sort of mention from an icon like her is incredible, let alone to get the wonderful blurb she wrote for Karaoke Queen.

 

I absolutely squealed when I saw what she had written. Not only because it was so generous, but because it deeply resonated with me; she absolutely got the core message of what Karaoke Queen is all about!

 

We authors often have a difficult time describing our own work, so when someone else can do it in such a succinct and beautiful way, it is truly a gift. 

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I consider myself a "plotter;" outlines are very important to me and Karaoke Queen was no exception. But that initial outline and draft underwent many changes along the way. 

 

Mostly because of my editor at Forever—Alex Logan—who I trust 100 percent. She suggested a few big changes, including putting more joy into the story (the first draft had a lot more angst in it) and in particular, taking out most of the initial love triangle.

 

Turns out, most readers are not big fans of love triangles. I had to come up with a way to still have that initial motivation for Rex to want to get back together with his ex-boyfriend yet not alienate the reader so much when another, better option comes along.

 

We went through about four major rewrites, but we eventually got the story into exactly the place it needed to be.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

 

A: Joy, hope, a better understanding and appreciation of drag, Filipino, and queer cultures, maybe a few tears shed, and definitely a lot of laughs!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm currently working on a contemporary fiction novel about an immigrant couple in Richmond, Virginia, in the early ‘80s, a queer comic book illustrator in NYC in the early 2000s, and a social media "unreality" celebrity living in Manila Bay in the 2030s.

 

The stories are connected, though it's not immediately apparent how. The connections, along with a few twists, are revealed slowly over the course of the book. It's the first time I've ever not worked from an outline, so we'll see how it turns out! So far, I'm surprisingly happy with it. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you're a fan of audiobooks, be sure to check out Karaoke Queen's! We had the mind-boggling luck to get none other than drag legend Manila Luzon (RuPaul's Drag Race finalist and All Star) as our narrator. It's her first audiobook ever but let me tell you: she blows it out of the water. You do not want to miss her performance on it!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Marshall Karp

 

 

 

Marshall Karp is the author of the new novel Don't Tell Me How to Die. His other books include the NYPD Red series. He is also a screenwriter, TV writer, and playwright.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Don't Tell Me How to Die?

 

A: It was 2018.  After writing five books in the Lomax and Biggs LAPD police procedural series, and six in the NYPD Red series, I needed (not wanted—needed) to challenge myself to grow as a writer.

 

The prevailing wisdom says, “Write what you know,” but something inside me said, “Take a break from cops hunting down killers and write something totally out of your comfort zone.”

 

That was my mindset on the day that Maggie Dunn materialized in my brain. “I have three months to live,” she told me, “and I’m going to spend that time looking for the perfect wife and mother to take my place.”

 

I was gobsmacked. I knew it was a big idea, unexplored territory, and in the hands of the right author, it could make a phenomenal book.

 

And then the self-doubt crept in. It doesn’t matter if you’re a #1 bestselling author or a rank beginner, doubt nips at every writer’s heels. 

 

I don’t remember how long I wrestled with the should I or shouldn’t I question, but I do remember one night when I heard a voice say, “Of course you can write it. And if you get stuck, I’ll help.”

 

It was Maggie Dunn. I know… she’s a fictional character. In theory, she shouldn’t be able to talk unless I’m typing. But once she got in my head, she didn’t let go until she convinced me to tell her story.

 

When an editor does that, it’s their job. When a figment of a writer’s imagination does that, it’s inspiration.

 

Q: How did you create your character Maggie Dunn?

 

A: That’s a great question, because it made me realize that I usually come up with a character and then see where he or she takes me. But Maggie was different. I knew her story: instead of spending her final days with friends and family, she’s out there in search of the next Mrs. Dunn. 

 

I needed to create a character who would be capable of making that choice. As the three-dimensional Maggie slowly came together, I knew that a first-born overachiever, an obsessive-compulsive micromanager, and a fiercely competitive risk taker with a wicked sense of humor would not be embraced by every reader, but because Maggie’s goal felt so noble, I knew she had to be riddled with flaws that would get in her way.

 

Great characters don’t have to be lovable. But they should be unforgettable. And the early buzz from people who have read Don’t Tell Me How To Die is that Maggie Dunn stays with them long after they’ve turned the final page.

 

Q: What do you see as the role of humor in your books?

 

A: If you ask a hundred people to list the top three assets they look for in a partner, I guarantee “sense of humor” would pop up more often than “likes long walks on the beach,” or “owns a snowblower.”

 

The role of humor in my books is the same as the role of humor in our lives. It’s how we connect, how we cope, how we deflect, and for many of us, it’s how we survive. 

 

James Patterson (my partner in crime for many years) has said, “Marshall Karp is the only author I know who can get big laughs out of murdering someone.”

 

With all due respect to James, that’s not a hundred percent accurate. Murder isn’t funny. In real life it’s devastating. And in fiction it’s not something that I can milk for laughs. What is funny—in life and on the page—is how people cope with death.   

 

In Don’t Tell Me How To Die, Maggie Dunn is on a mission to accomplish one last end-of-life goal. Doesn’t sound like a lot of laughs, and yet one reviewer said: “I laughed countless times. The humor was just brilliant. It made the characters so raw and relatable.”

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I not only knew the ending, I knew that if I was going to pull readers into the final journey of a dying woman, I’d better give them a gut punch of an ending that made them go on social media and write things like “HOLY CRAP!!! THAT ENDING!!!!” and “an ending with so many twists and turns it’ll make your head spin,” and “Marshall Karp will keep you riveted page after page, twist after twist, until delivering a stunning blow in the final five words.”

 

And yes, those are actual quotes. My goal has always been to give my readers an ending that will keep them thinking about—and talking about—the book long after they turned the final page. And in my not-so-humble opinion, I’ve never done it better than in Don’t Tell Me How To Die.

 

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

A: 1. Fans of Detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan will be happy to hear that I’m almost finished writing NYPD Red 8: The 11:59 Bomber and it will be released later this year. 

 

And for those who haven’t yet discovered the Red Team, each book in the series stands on its own, so you can start with any one of them. My personal favorite is NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority. But I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a new favorite child when Red 8 is published.

 

2. My Lomax and Biggs series also has a lot of rabid fans. They’re a few thousand whackos short of a cult following, and they reach out to me on a daily basis asking for the next book.

 

The truth is, I didn’t stop writing Lomax and Biggs; I just put them on the back burner. But once I finish Red 8, I think I may go back to the two Hollywood Homicide detectives who launched my career with The Rabbit Factory.

 

3. A screenplay for Don’t Tell Me How To Die. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know? 

 

A: Twenty years ago, my cousin Dennis Diamond, a celebrated video artist, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His life went into a tailspin. He closed his business. And when he could no longer handle the pressure of living in New York City, he left.

 

Years passed. His future looked bleak, but then something extraordinary happened. Dennis’s creativity kicked back in. He wrote books on his condition and gave them away to anyone who could benefit from his insight. He started drawing, then sculpting, and eventually crafting beautiful copper mobiles, which he also was happy to give away. 

 

Today Dennis’s life is brimming with renewed creative energy, and his future is filled with promise. I was so in awe of his transformation that I wrote and directed a 19-minute documentary, Bipolar Within: Who Am I?  

 

I did not want to monetize it. Instead I shared it with the world on YouTube. https://tinyurl.com/bipolarwithin. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bipolar, Dennis’s journey is a message of hope.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Marshall Karp.

Q&A with Amory Patrick Blaine

 

 

 

Amory Patrick Blaine is the author of the new book American Renaissance: Missions Dangerous. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write American Renaissance?

 

A: American Renaissance was inspired by a number of traumatic events and realizations that happened to me in years following my brief stint in combat and military training, my growing curiosity about the art world, and my work on a task force attached to covert activities conducted outside of the scope US diplomatic missions in certain countries. 

 

But the story takes place in Paris, France, because that is where we first meet the central artist in the book, Sean Dorian Knight, and where he was known at the time to have worked and lived. 

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: Central to the core of the writing of American Renaissance and Book 1: Missions Dangerous is the subject of our capitalist economic system and its overlooking of factors concerning the genetic make-up of artists as an unacknowledged class or workers who produce the cultural capital (textual – visual - and religious) that is the foundational substructure upon which the belief system of all our societal institutions have been erected.

 

This categorization of artists into a separate, often oppressed group of cultural workers follows from the observations above that there is some inherent, almost intrinsic, sensibility and visionary quality that many great artists possess which makes them more in touch with the spiritual side of human existence. 

 

Touching further on the subject of artistic identity and renaissance, there is often an epiphany or "rebirth" that happens to an artist when he/she/ they awaken to their new identity-calling as an artist and hence it only seems natural for many artists to feel reborn when they come to this realization and to choose to go by a new name. 

 

And so, so many times becoming an artist is not anything someone would wish upon themselves, but the result of a process of rebirth and an artist’s reawakening to what is going on in America.

Q: The book’s format is based on documents - can you describe your writing process?

 

A: The premise of the book, and the reluctant point of view of the narrator, Amadeo Effscott, is that the late artist and socioeconomic thinker Sean Dorian Knight (and the good news of his economic revolution for creative artists and their place in a capitalist society) was potentially the closest thing to paradigm shift to ever come into the world during the last hundreds of years, which he likened to be of as much historical meaning as the Second Coming of Christ.

 

None of the outlandish claims, or the metaphysical and religious nature of Effscott’s point of view, was top of mind when it came to penning the first lines of the book, however. 

 

My intention was to focus more on an analytical case-study of the sociological theories of Dorian Knight I found interesting, rather than the mystery of his disappearance or death, which I assumed would have a logical basis that could be used to summarize an original but limited scope his influence might leave on our contemporary postmodern legacy. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m quite busy with matters having to do with the continued upkeep with the publishing of this book and the two remaining volumes that are to follow. But also juggling a few other projects in trying to put together a YouTube channel, a video content agency, and a contemporary era art history course in the context of AI and this bold new era.

 

I do have intentions for having a life outside of writing but it’s a jealous mistress, and quite hard to get away from for very long. It always keeps calling no matter how little time one has.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

March 6

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
March 6, 1927: Gabriel García Márquez born.

Q&A with Mojdeh Bahar

 

 

 

Mojdeh Bahar is the editor and translator of the new book Silence and Lost Words, a collection of poetry by the Iranian poet Rouhangiz Karachi. Bahar's other books include Song of the Ground Jay. She is also a patent attorney and technology transfer professional, and she lives in the Washington, D.C., area.

 

Q: Why did you decide to translate these poems by Rouhangiz Karachi, and how did you choose the poems to include?

 

A: I had first learned about Dr. Karachi’s poetry when I translated some of her poems for my collection of contemporary Iranian women poets, Song of the Ground Jay.

 

Though the book was published in 2023, our exchanges, her kindness, generosity and her poems stayed with me. I wanted to learn more about her scholarly and creative work.

 

She sent me a selection of her poems and as I leafed through the book, I found myself translating the words as I read them. I knew that my work with her poems was not done and I wrote to get her permission to translate her poems.

 

Q: In the book’s preface, you write, “Karachi's ‘woman’ appears universal. Very few of her poems have a uniquely regional or ethnic color, allowing all readers to identify with her poems and be deeply affected by them.” Can you say more about that?

 

A: I believe that women across the globe– to differing degrees–deal with some common challenges: her body and her relationship to and control of it, the tension between her role in her family and her profession; the balance between fulfilling her dreams and those of her loved ones; time/lack of time to pursue personal desires; to name a few.

 

Dr. Karachi’s poetry captures a complex being trying to find her place in an unkind world. She is inquisitive, contemplative, perceptive, and imaginative. She is adaptable, patient, sorrowful, and nostalgic. She is full of contradictions: disheartened, hopeful, calm and tumultuous.

 

This poem illustrates some of these contradictions:

 

I have learned

To shed my dream softly

And to imprison

Love

In the midst of hurricanes

On a white sheet of paper

And to be a woman

With a room whose only window is imagination.

*******

 

Or her poem entitled My Report Card

 

My report card is black, black.

Scribbles in notebooks, jumbled lines, scattered here and there

from many…

                  many…

many years ago.

Circa 1973 when I sheltered escaped birds in my throat.

Ideas,,,dreams…joys…repetitions…deaths…and

poems that did not let me be, and silence…

Silence that turned everything into words.

 *********************

 

Or in this poem where she highlights a woman’s domestic responsibilities:

 

At home, I am totally consumed

By mandatory chores…

In the midst of the alley of habits

In the house numbered yesterday

In the uncertainty spread outside the window

And nights so heavily pregnant

Q: For those who are unfamiliar with Karachi’s work, can you tell us more about her?

 

A: She is a scholar, a poet, a mother and a wife. She has spent all of her academic life highlighting the contributions of women poets to Iran’s literary tradition. She says it best in her preface: “I have tried to depict an accurate image of women poets present on the margins of literary movements.”

 

She has published books on women and the poetry of the Constitutional Revolution, on four Iranian women poets, namely Ālamtāj Qāemmaqāmi (Zhāleh), Parvin Etessami, Forugh Farrokhzad, Heyrān Donboli, and on the history of women’s poetry from the beginning until the 15th century.

 

She also has published four collections of poetry: Ān Ruz-ha ke Shahrnaz Budam (The days I was Shahrnaz), as “romantic and sad”, Kābus-ha-ye Zan (Woman’s nightmares), Cheshm-ha-ye Lūch-e Zamin (Earth’s crossed eyes) fand Sokut-e In Suy-e Khat-ha-ye Dar Ham (Silence on this side of the jumbled lines).

 

In other words, she has created a seat at the table for women poets in the Iranian literary canon.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the collection?

 

A: While Hafez, Rumi, Khayyam are well known in the west, there are very few Iranian women poets whose work has been translated. I hope that as Dr. Karachi has found a place for women poets in Iranian literary canon, this translation will help Iranian women poets be celebrated in the western canon.

 

I hope that the readers will appreciate the impact of Karachi’s work on the later generation of women poets. I also hope that the poems will resonate with readers.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I think I am in play mode as I have not yet found my next project. In the meantime I am trying my hand at translating short poems from French to English and Spanish.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: That I am grateful for the opportunity to talk about Silence and Lost Words, Deborah. More importantly, I am grateful to you for creating and fostering this beautiful literary community!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Mojdeh Bahar.

Q&A with Maggie Anton

 

 

 

Maggie Anton is the author of the new novel The Midwives' Escape. Her other books include the novel The Choice. She is also a Talmud scholar and expert in Jewish women's history.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Midwives’ Escape?

 

A: My family used to watch the live action film The Ten Commandments and we still watch Prince of Egypt as we prepare for our Seder. It frustrated me that they both ended at the same spot: Moses bringing the tablets down from the mountain.

 

But I’ve studied enough Torah to know that receiving the Ten Commandments at Sinai was only the beginning of the Israelites’ journey. So I decided to begin the novel, starting after the 10^th plague.

 

Q: What did you see as the right balance between the biblical story and your own interpretation?

 

A: I admit that I tried to follow the biblical story as much as possible while including two Egyptian midwives as my POV. Thankfully for me, the biblical story leaves many gaps in the narrative, which I saw as an enticement/challenge to fill. I tried to avoid directly confronting the Bible authors by writing something that pointed out their errors and/or impossibilities.

 

Q: Rabbi and author Rachel Adler said of the book, “Anton envisions vividly the daily life, crafts, and skills required for survival in the wilderness.” What do you think of that assessment? How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I had help from the many biblical scholars who are writing about The Exodus and how the Israelites settled the land. Clever archaeologists utilized Carbon-14 to show how long ago these houses were built. But they had no trouble determining where exactly the Israelites settled.

 

Their four-room houses were different from the Canaanites’ and to prove these dwellings had housed Israelites’, archaeologists dug up their hearths and compared the contents. The Canaan hearths were older and contained many pig bones, while the Israelites’ hearths, both inside and outside the house, were devoid of pig bones.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

 

A: I want them to see what the Israelites were doing during the so-called 40 years wandering in the desert. Also learn more accurately how/if Israelites actually conquered the Promised Land.

 

Archaeologists and modern Bible scholars mostly agree that the people who lived in Canaan, including Israelites, remained there on the flat land between hills. When the Israelites arrived, they claimed the vacant hilly land for vineyards and olive trees.

 

The Canaanites didn’t object; they could trade their wheat and barley to the Israelites, who would trade wine, beer and olive oil in return. But the biggest benefit to both would be the ability to combine armies to protect their families and lands from the Philistines and other marauders.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on Serach’s Story, a spinoff from Midwives’ Escape, which describes the unusually long life of Serach bat Asher.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I learned that Egypt welcomed foreigners after the great famine of 1188 sent many people, including Israelites, to Egypt for food. Some, like Hittites, were mercenary soldiers, so I had them man the palace guard.

 

But the most intriguing were Lagash. Unlike other communities, it was Lagash tradition that a woman could marry more than one man at a time, as long as they were brothers. Of course I was intrigued; what woman wouldn’t be? Plenty of biblical men had two wives; why shouldn’t a woman have two husbands?

 

So I couldn’t resist introducing two orphan brothers who were apprenticed to my older heroine’s father, and later married my younger heroine.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Maggie Anton.