Title: Moses
Son of Maimon: The Life of Maimonides, 1135 to 1204 A.D.
Author Name: Ilil
Arbel
Welcome! Ready to ride?
GR: Tell us about your latest
release...
Moses, Son of Maimon is a
biography of the great man we usually know as Maimonides, published
by 21st Publishing. I consider him one of the most important and
influential philosophers/scholars in Western culture. All the books
about him dwell on his work – but I am a biographer, so I have
created a real life story. Since I am bilingual in Hebrew, I found
extremely interesting facts about his life, his family, and the
places he lived. Letters, in particular, revealed much about his life
that does not exist in English. I believe anyone interested in his
work would find it enriching to know more about his own story – he
was the most magnificent mass of contradiction you can imagine.
GR: What inspired you to start your
writing journey?
Writing is my second career. I was an
artist, an illustrator, for years. But I have always wanted to write
and so slowly shifted my focus. I started with illustrated articles I
created for a science magazine, called Science Probe.
GR: Who have been some authors that
have inspired you along the way?
There were many, but I generally think
Van Loon, with his book Lives, made me want to write biographies. W.
Somerset Maugham made me want to write, period. Desiderius Erasmus,
Thomas Mann, Charlotte Bronte, Brenda Ueland, Jane Austen, Charles
Dickens… the list is long.
GR: What is one piece of marketing
advice you can give to new authors?
If you are good at marketing, go for
it, by all means. But don’t let it be a burden. If, like me, you
are not good at it, find help from your publisher, your publicist, or
a friend you can trade services with. Not everyone is a good
salesperson, and it is pointless to succumb to the pressure Indies
are under to become their own representatives or perish.
GR: If we went on the ride of our
life, where is one place you'd like to be sure to stop along the way?
I would go back to my mid-thirties, and
rethink some of my strategies for writing and publishing.
GR: Would you be afraid to ride on the
back of my bike?
Yes, terrified. I have been once on the
back of a motorcycle – and vowed to never do it again.
GR: What can we expect from you in the
future? Any new projects?
I am working on two projects. The
biography of Hillel the Elder, named The Golden Rule. Some of
it is already published as a blog on my website as “a book in
progress” since I believe that feedback from readers is extremely
important, and also because I suspect that many books will be done
like that in the future. The second project is a book I was requested
to write for the Angela Thirkell Society of North America, who had
published several of my books. It is a totally different field – a
historical mystery occurring in the 1920’s. The book does not have
a name yet – but it is the sequel to Madame Koska and the
Imperial Brooch and will be her third adventure.
Thank you so much for chatting with me
today. I wish you the best of success and to always leave your hair
blowing in the wind!
Author Bio:
Ilil Arbel is
the author of a number of fiction and non-fiction books, including
biographies, memoirs, novels, and mythology/folklore. She has also
written articles, short stories, and Judaic myths.
Arbel has a
Ph.D. in the field of mythology and folklore but has also devoted
much study to her special interest in Jewish history, biography,
legends, and myths. She is currently engaged in writing the biography
of Hillel the Elder, the first century B.C. leader and religious
scholar.
Dr. Arbel was
born in Tel Aviv, Israel. She has lived and studied in Tel Aviv,
Paris, and New York and currently resides in Manhattan.
Author Links -
Publisher: 21st
Publishing
Release Date: Feb
12, 2015
Buy Link(s):
http://www.amazon.com/Moses-Son-Maimon-Maimonides-D/dp/0692339345/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424475030&sr=1-1&keywords=moses+son+of+maimon
Book Description (LONG): Born
into a distinguished family in medieval Cordoba, Spain, the young
Moses Maimonides was quickly recognized by his teachers for his
outstanding intellectual abilities and extraordinary versatility. At
the age of twelve, when his peaceful world was shattered by war and
persecution and his family was forced into exile, his religious and
secular studies continued. Despite the years of wandering and the
harsh conditions, he also developed into a writer and wrote
extensively until the end of his life.
After years of
wandering and relatively short stays in Morocco and Israel,
Maimonides and his family settled in Egypt. The Jewish community
quickly recognized his genius, and after completing his important
book, the Mishneh Torah, he was recognized internationally as the
chief religious and legal authority of the entire Jewish world. He
produced many books on diverse subjects such as philosophy, law,
religion, and medicine that are considered extremely important to
this day by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. Despite experiencing
loss and controversies, Maimonides rose to eminence as both the
official head of the Jewish community in Cairo and the private
physician to the sultan and his court.
His world was
full of contradictions. A man who abhorred excess of any kind,
Maimonides nevertheless lived as a member of a glittering society.
Cairo of that time was full of art, music, literature, elegant
fashions, priceless jewelry, and sophisticated food. He moved among
the sultan’s wealthy advisors and the elegant ladies of the royal
harem during the day, and among the Jewish scholars in the evening.
He was accused of supporting corporal punishment for wives, and at
the same time, people gasped at his revolutionary defense of women’s
rights.
His fame
brought controversy that is still raging—eight hundred years after
his death. At certain times his books were banned and even burned at
the stake. But no one could ever deny that his work was that of a
brilliant innovator and scholar who could reconcile religious
traditions with science and philosophy like no one else.
Book Description (SHORT): Moses
Maimonides brought controversy that is still raging—eight hundred
years after his death. At certain times his books were banned and
even burned at the stake. But no one could ever deny that his work
was that of a brilliant innovator and scholar who could reconcile
religious traditions with science and philosophy like no one else.
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