Tomb Tantrums and Other Musings

I've been traveling since the beginning of the year and am back in Bozeman where the snow is deep and the skiing season in full swing.

I attended a lively and most intriguing Princeton University sponsored symposium in Jerusalem mid January. A select group of scholars, archaeologists and scientists came together to discuss ancient burial practices in the Second Temple Judaism with a view to evaluating the Talpiot tomb in context. Serious scholarly presentation and discussion ensued. Since the Talpiot tomb is also identified by some as "the Jesus Family Tomb" there were predictable angry outbursts, with ruffled feathers and flying fur. The most surprising announcement of the conference came at the final session from Ruth Gat, widow of the archaeologist who first excavated the Talpiot tomb. Ms. Gat's statement left the audience momentarily speechless, then the fires of dissent rekindled until the heat became nearly unbearable. Although no conclusions were drawn, the assembly agreed that more exploration needs to be done and a motion was made to request permission from the Israeli authorities to re-open the tomb. Tune in later.

Interview for Random House e-Book

Here is an interview I did for the Random House e-Book edition.

Town and Gown Appearance

After a whirlwind visit to the Big Apple, I'm back in Bozeman and heading off to Billings to speak at Town and Gown tonight. The subject is Cuba, a place that seems to be in Limbo right now. It is very hard to predict what the future there will be. I note that Castro is on the ballot for another term in office, that is, El Jefe, not his brother Raul.

As the photographer Roberto Salas told me when I visited Havana last March, Cuba has two problems, "the embargo and blaming the embargo." Something will have to be done to improve the Cuban economy whether there are Castros or no Castros in power. Cubans are very resilient and very creative. Maybe one day they will be able to direct their own destiny.

My destiny in the next couple of days will be determined by the state of the roads, which I'm happy to report are in a relatively dry and drivable condition this morning. However, in Montana they say about the weather: "Ask me again in five minutes."

Dog Authors: A New Trend?

The last two book signings I attended were, in fact, paw signings.

Last Saturday Jag Schweitzer was signing his FIRST DOG (Farcountry Press 2007) at Bozeman's Country Bookshelf, A black-and-white border collie, prominent these days in the State Capitol of Helena, Jag was accompanied by his buddy Governor Schweitzer, who used the occasion to greet constituents and promote his bid for reelection. Jag assumed an independent air and schmoozed with his fans throughout the session, not allowing his dogship to be upstaged by the Gov. Author Jessica Solberg and illustrator Robert Rath were on hand to add a sketch along with their signatures, and Schweitzer, not to be outdone appended his own pawprint to the historic dogument.

A month ago I was a panelist at the Billings book fair. For me, a highpoint of the festivities was Tess Kahn's presentation of her new book, TRAINING PEOPLE: HOW TO BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR HUMAN (Chronicle Books 2007) A black labrador rectreiver, Tess of Helena as her nom de plume describes her, gave an admirable performance before a select audience. Her insight into human behaviour, its foibles and pitfalls, was quite hilarious. I rather wickedly asked her to sign a book for my cat Mimi, a first for her, which presented a small quandary, since Tess's intentions towards the species makes the U.S. military's routing of Al Queda seem like cats play.

Remembering Norman Mailer

Yesterday November 10th, Norman Mailer died in New York City. This country has lost a great literary figure whose inquiring mind challenged the conventions, and whose sharp pen rattled a couple of generations, while providing food for thought, for gossip, for debate, for delight. I have lost a friend.

I met Norman Mailer in 1963 and could count him as a friend in the subsequent decades. I can recall countless memorable occasions at the Mailers' apartment in Brooklyn Heights and in their sea front house in Provincetown in the 1960's and 1970's. It was there Norman taught my oldest son to swim.

I was sitting in the Brooklyn Heights watching television with the Mailer family one Sunday afternoon in late 1963 when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald, President John F. Kennedy's assassin. Norman saw the unscripted murder as it was happening and immediately understood its implications. For the next several years I would hear Norman discussing Kennedy's assassination from every possible angle, especially the conspiracy theories.

When I resigned my job as publicity director of Hawthorn Books because the company was sold, Norman recommended me to his publisher. At the time he was in Miami covering one of the boxing championships. He did not let distance deter him from helping out a friend.

Norman recommended my husband Gregory Hemingway to his agent when Greg decided to write a memoir in 1974. He then offered to write an introduction for the book, PAPA: A PERSONAL MEMOIR, which received the New York Times Book Review front page slot.

Thirty years later Mailer wrote a blurb for my own memoir, RUNNING WITH THE BULLS: My Years with the Hemingways.

Last year Mailer said of my illustrator son Edward's little cocktail book: HEMINGWAY AND BAILEY'S BARTENDING GUIDE TO GREAT AMERICAN WRITERS, "I like everything about this book except that I am not in it."

Farewell, Norman, you may be gone but you will not be forgotten.

Trick or Treat?

Halloween is a big deal in Bozeman for children and adults alike. Especially on a mild autumn night like yesternight.

Costumes are planned ages in advance. Routes are discussed. The best streets for getting booty are not always in the immediate neighborhood. Parents or older siblings may be roped in as chauffeurs. Receptacles can vary from pillow cases and garbage bags to plastic pumpkins.

The street where I live is one of the most popular venues in town. Last night between six and seven fifteen p.m. about one hundred supermen, monsters, witches,

fairies and recognizable popular cultural figures from two feet to six feet high, knocked on my door begging treats or threatening tricks if denied.

What a great custom to indulge in one night late in the year before the winter robs all joy of nocturnal outings.

Visit to a Paleontologist Extraordinaire

This morning I visited Jack Horner at the office in the Museum of the Rockies to discuss his life as a Curator of Paleontology for the past twenty-five years. My exclusive interview will be published in DISTINCTLY MONTANA's spring issue.

(I have written six other pieces for the magazine; here is a link to the most recent profiles of writer Deirdre McNamer and actor Peter Fonda.)

Jack Horner has made the most astonishing discoveries in the field of paleontology during the past quarter of a century. All of his major work has taken place in Montana and concerns dinosaurs. His work is showcased at the Museum of the Rockies which has the world's most extensive dinosaur collection and research facilities.

Jack Horner was the recipient of a MacArthur Genius Award in 1986.

Horner is a Montana native. He has had an amazing life. He was a technical advisor to Stephen Spielberg on his Jurassic Park movies. He even has a sizeable Wikipedia entry.

I cannot think of a better way to spend a Monday morning than listening to Jack Horner recounting his adventures in the field.