Piper Center Reading & Top 2019 Archaeology Discoveries

From My Fantasy Writing Desk

For my Phoenix area friends, join me Wednesday, January 15, 6:00-8:00 pm at this Piper Writing Center event for a fun evening of food, drink and some literary entertainment. Ten writers, including me, will give brief readings, from across the genres and styles. It’ll be at the Crescent Ballroom Lounge, 308 N 2nd Ave, Phoenix. It’s free and open to everyone. Here’s the link for more information. No RSVP or anything is required.

The writers are all Piper fellows who are giving workshops at the Desert Nights, Rising Stars conference later in February: Sean Avery. Andrew Hudson. Rogelio Juárez. Natalie Lima. Susan Nguyen. Gionni Ponce. Joel Salcido. Willow Sanders. Judith Starkston. Fargo Tbakhi. Ten incredible writers living in Arizona who are Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writers Conference fellows. 

Archaeology I Enjoyed

A New Old Tomb

I always enjoy Archaeology Magazine’s Top 10 Discoveries of the year articles. Here’s one of my favorites from their 2019 selections, the Old Kingdom tomb of Khuwy found at Saqqara, Egypt. Vivid wall paintings show this important official of Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi seated before a table piled with the food, drink and other offerings that will sustain him in the afterlife. (You have to click through to see the copyrighted photos.) I’ve been using as inspiration in my fiction the Hittite funeral practices. The offering of funeral feasts to strengthen the dead is remarkably similar in both cultures. So much else between Hittite and Egyptian burial is profoundly different. Click here for Archaeology Magazine “Old Kingdom Tomb”

Finding the Women in History

Pulling women out of the silence of history can be tricky when they are simply left out of so many records. So I like this small, quiet tale told by some teeth and a rare mineral in medieval Germany. On a set of female teeth found buried in a monastery, researchers found traces of lapis lazuli. This is the highly precious stone used to make the ultramarine color for illuminated manuscripts. It was mined in Afghanistan and costed more than gold. So, although this female scribe—for that was what she had to be—never signed any of her manuscripts, we know she spent her life creating them. I like that Archaeology picked this as one of their 10 discoveries for this year. Click here for Archaeology Magazine “Medieval Female Scribe”