Author Archive | Martha Shelley

I’m still on book tour but taking a break long enough to post Part III of these articles on Israel. What I Saw in the Land—Some Snapshots In 1984 and again in 1991 I traveled to Israel to do research for my novels about the ancient Middle East and to visit my ex, Ruth, and […]

We had a terrific time at Fabulosa Books tonight in San Francisco. The place was packed, and everyone was enthusiastic. During the discussion after the reading, people asked if I’m planning to do an audio book. I’ve gotten a lot of requests for that and am discussing it with the publisher. Tomorrow is the reading […]

We’re heading south today. Readings at the venues below. Tell your friends in the area: Fabulosa Books https://www.fabulosabooks.com/ 389 Castro Street San Francisco, CA 94114 Tuesday, September 12, 7 pm Rossmoor Sportsman Picnic Area near the Hillside Clubhouse Walnut Creek, CA 94595 Wednesday, September 13, 2 pm Avid Reader 617 2nd St Davis, CA 95616 […]

How Did the Modern State of Israel Come to Be? The briefest possible history of Zionism, below: During the 1800s, the Jewish population of Palestine was about 25,000. The Zionist movement arose toward the end of the 19th century, partly as more secular Jews adopted the values of the Enlightenment, including nationalism, and, more urgently, […]

Until now I’ve avoided writing about modern-day Israel. Everyone I know—friends, relatives, political comrades, associates at work—has passionate convictions about that contested strip of land on the eastern Mediterranean. Some are right-wing Zionists, some left-wing. Some are pro-Palestinian. Although I was raised to think of Israel as belonging to me by right of birth, as […]

As I told you in my last post, I was invited to speak at the Vancouver Dyke March and Festival. The organizers told me to make it short, about 5-6 minutes, and provide them with a transcript so the sign language interpreters could have a chance to practice. At the end of the march, people […]

I’ve been asked to make a speech at the Dyke March in Vancouver BC. Sylvia and I love Vancouver–we were married there when it became legal in British Columbia, years before it became legal in the U.S. So if you’re in the area, come to the march during the day (lots of entertainment at the […]

  So many scattered memories of my three weeks in Bali. Power Comes to the People My room at the guest house in Ubud may not have had indoor plumbing, but it did have one low wattage light bulb. Back then it never occurred to me to ask where the juice came from. You just […]

I’ll be reading from my new book, We Set the Night on Fire–and signing copies–at the venues below. : Two Rivers Bookstore https://www.tworiversbooks.com/ 8836 North Lombard St. Portland, OR 97203 Sunday, June 4 at 4 pm Cross and Crows Bookstore https://www.crossandcrows.com/ 2836 Commercial Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 4C6 Saturday, August 5 The store is scheduled […]

My first class ticket on the train from Jakarta to Banyuwangi entitled me to an air-conditioned sleeping car, which I shared with an elderly woman of Chinese extraction. She was either unhappy or in pain (headache? arthritis?—I never found out, as we didn’t speak each other’s language). Recently I learned that Chinese had lived in […]