On 7 July I talked with Jennifer Heath, editor of The Veil: Women Writers on Its History, Lore, and Politics (University of California Press). Ms Heath has also created a traveling art exhibition The Veil: Visible & Invisible Spaces to complement the book. You can find out more about both book and exhibition at theveilbook.com.
I intended to also interview Anne Walthall, editor of Servants of the Dynasty: Palace Women in World History (also UC Press) but wasn't able to contact her in time. It's an interesting book that in some ways complements The Veil. Between the two books you come away with a different view of the meaning in Islam of harem, which literally means 'sanctuary' or 'forbidden space'.
To hear this program, click here.
posted by Eric Tomb and others 3:07 PM