Blog

File under: WWFDD? (What would Frederick Douglass do?)

I love the 4th of July. Here's pictorial proof:


But, as I just wrote in the Huffington Post, maybe we should spend some time celebrating the 1st of August instead.

John Batchelor has a voice for radio. Listen to that enthusiastic intonation! You can practically here his bow tie wiggling over the audio waves.

I was delighted to join John for this interview about the history behind my novel The Secrets of Mary Bowser.

Please be patient while the audio file loads. Use the time to look at this adorable picture of my cats:

I have once again hit the trifecta of Jewish book publications, with this piece about Sarah's Key and The Secrets of Mary Bowser.

For witty commentary on the punning names of the various online Jewish publications, check out my Tuesday blog post, below.

Turns out, Jews have a way with words. Especially when it comes to describing their way with words.

Check out Funny, You Don't Book Jewish, a piece I wrote that explores what counts as Jewish American literature, and for that matter what counts as Chinese American literature. The piece is available via these punalicious outlets:

The Prosen People (hosted by the Jewish Book Council)
Members of the Scribe (hosted by MyJewishLearning.com)
Arty Semites (hosted by The Daily Forward)

And if you don't get the puns above, just ask. You know how my tribe likes to explicate a text.

You know you are a geek when . . . your book is already published, but you're still doing research.

When I set out to write The Secrets of Mary Bowser, there very little documented evidence of Bowser's life. Since then, a few key historians have uncovered new information. And I've learned that many common beliefs about Bowser are embellished or completely unproven.

This New York Times article, The Black Slave in the Confederate White House, details my most recent research on Bowser. It includes my analysis of what we can learn from what we don't know about her.

It also includes the only known physical description of Bowser, as recorded by Reverend Charles Beecher, Harriet Beecher Stowe's brother.