tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post1969322166608249481..comments2024-03-27T22:25:42.129-05:00Comments on Reading the Past: Researching the Historical Novel: A Personal Experience of the Slush Pile, a guest post by Ann ChamberlinSarah Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-8133670181682542942013-01-15T11:28:26.035-06:002013-01-15T11:28:26.035-06:00Good question, Anonymous, and worthy a longer answ...Good question, Anonymous, and worthy a longer answer.<br /><br />Let's think what my options to repeat this foray would be. <br /><br />I could come in through the Israeli blockade by Turkish boat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_flotilla_raid<br /><br />Or I could come in by tunnel from Egypt http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/12/gaza-tunnels/verini-text . Gee, the mouth of that tunnel looks like the well we excavated, and exactly how we got down there. Yeah, I'd pay to do that.<br /><br />Or, probably the most difficult, I could attempt the Erez crossing from Tel Aviv. The only crossing that seems open any more. Open only six days a week to "international aid workers, medical and humanitarian cases." No, I'm quite sure the dear, friendly IDF would not like the two Syrian visas in my passport, which I only won by lying and saying, "No, I have never visited Jewish-occupied Palestine."<br />Can't say that problems at this point are the Palestinians'.<br /><br />Not that my visit to the Syrian coast left more idyllic pictures. The women cleaning my rooms were sex slaves from the Philippines, begging me to get them out. Now that would be a novel--<br /><br />Because again I didn't know what to do then, either, but to view and write about what I view. And Assad and the rebels have no doubt taken care of their problem by creating something worse.<br /><br />My girlfriends from all those years ago would definitely not join me, alas, in any of these forays, so the happy, innocent days of youth would not repeat themselves. I couldn't fit in the swimming suit, either.<br /><br />I just meant to say that had I not had doubts about the morality of what I was doing on that saunter beach-ward, my girlfriends and I might have been wearing cute little dirndls going for a picnic in 1941 near Dachau, not questioning what we witnessed.<br /><br />Look! Here, by the miracle of Wikimedia, here we are. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KurzsDiandlgwand.jpgAnn Chamberlinhttp://www.annchamberlin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-52233186506240536462013-01-15T10:49:32.718-06:002013-01-15T10:49:32.718-06:00Sometime by mid February, I hope. Thanks, Julie, ...Sometime by mid February, I hope. Thanks, Julie, for asking.Ann Chamberlinhttp://www.annchamberlin.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-33333629241406570702013-01-11T18:31:53.692-06:002013-01-11T18:31:53.692-06:00This is a very powerful article. Thanks. As a stud...This is a very powerful article. Thanks. As a student of ancient archaeology I'm fascinated by what you have to say about Israeli digs. Lots of food for thought. The connection of your experiences and your writing is particularly engaging.Judith Starkstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06051933235718619192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-74326374384578742112013-01-11T09:35:20.693-06:002013-01-11T09:35:20.693-06:00I enjoyed reading this passionate post about what ...I enjoyed reading this passionate post about what inspires a writer to write. I too was drawn to archaeology and dreamed of working on a dig in the desert, but I dropped the class within 2 weeks because I knew I couldn't make a living at it. But the love of history remains and Ann Chamberlin, an author new to me, tells a fascinating story.Beth Camphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12682622561621269515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-15222629792789893612013-01-10T19:57:37.140-06:002013-01-10T19:57:37.140-06:00Ann,
Now that the Palestinians control Gaza, would...Ann,<br />Now that the Palestinians control Gaza, would you still go swimming in the beach there with your girlfriend?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-77283287896235114752013-01-10T19:00:30.666-06:002013-01-10T19:00:30.666-06:00Also, will The Sword of God be available on Kindle...Also, will The Sword of God be available on Kindle anytime soon?Julie K. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16482808163340645506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-44433687620968820582013-01-10T18:58:31.998-06:002013-01-10T18:58:31.998-06:00This is absolutely fascinating (and heartbreaking)...This is absolutely fascinating (and heartbreaking). Thank you for sharing this. I so enjoyed Woman at the Well, and I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on The Sword of God!Julie K. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16482808163340645506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-87250939282357295082013-01-10T12:39:05.482-06:002013-01-10T12:39:05.482-06:00Fascinating and sorrowful postFascinating and sorrowful postbrokenteepeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06907414560986208401noreply@blogger.com