My radio interview was finally broadcast on June 25 and you can listen to it online. There are a couple other features and songs before my interview.
Almost exactly a year after I wrote it, Hadassah Magazine printed my article on the history of the Shabbat Lights ritual and blessing, which was still being debated in Rashi's time. Learning that this blessing, the most common one said by Jewish women today, is of relatively recent vintage and apparently derived from the blessing for the Hanukah lights (not vice versa) was one of the most amazing things I learned from my research in writing Rashi's aughters. If want to read the short article (only 600 words), you cannot see it on the Haddasah site, you can download it from my
website.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for Ashland, Oregon, to give my last speaking gig at Temple Emek Shalom for many months. After traveling all over and giving talks several times a week about medieval Jewish women, it will be strange to turn into a solitary writer again. But then if I kept up my previous schedule, I'd never get Book Two - Miriam revised in time. And of course when that book comes out next year, it will be back to the book tours again for me.
I did my first radio interview and those of you who want to listen to it "live" on Sunday are invited to do so.
The show is "Too Jewish Radio" hosted by Rabbi Cohon of Temple Emanu-El of Tuscon AZ, and it's heard on station KXAM on Sunday mornings at 8 am. Those of you not in Tucson, or unable/unwilling to get up that early on a weekend, can listen online whenever you like.
Of course being interviewed made me nervous, especially since I didn't get the questions in advance like I was supposed to. Still, I've done so many speaking gigs that I figured I've heard all the most likely questions already. And indeed, Rabbi Cohon asked me about how I got into studying Talmud, how the medieval Jewish women were doing the men's mitzvot, why I wrote the book, and why there's such steamy sex scenes. Then he got me with a question I've never heard before.
"Most educated Jews are familiar with the "golden age of Spain" that had little lasting effect on Judaism, yet almost none of them have heard of the "silver age" during the 12th Century Renaissance when Jews in France produced the great Talmudic commentaries that continue to influence halacha today; why did I think this was so?"
Oy! I had no idea, so I had to think fast. Want to hear my answer? Listen to the show - Maggie
I just learned that the Koret Jewish Book Awards has a people's choice category where anyone can nominate their favorite 5 Jewish books of the last 10 years. Of course I want you to nominate Rashi's Daughters (author = Maggie Anton, publisher = Banot Press, pub date = July 2005). But you have to hurry - the deadline is June 14. Thanks so much!
Since everyone seems to want to know when Book Two - Miriam will be ready, here's an update. Copies of the first draft manuscript went to my editor, my husband and my daughter last Friday; now I await their comments/criticism. Like Joheved, the initial version of Miriam is way too long, and we'll be diligently deciding what parts to dump. So I have a short breather until it's back to the drawing board to make all those revisions and cuts.