Elisabeth Mehl Greene

Tobit Detours retells the story of Tobit from the Protestant apocrypha and Catholic canon. Featuring thirty-nine pieces from a revolving cast of characters, this version highlights peripheral perspectives beyond the title character and his son Tobias, expanding the story to include such points of view as an archangel, a demon, and the many integral female voices left out of main narrative as well as adding personas that emerge from the margins, such as the Queen of Assyria. Tragedy and comedy intertwine as poem monologues present the story in parts, characters joining in ensemble scenes. Modern references as well as biblical and literary intertextual connections flavor the poems, blending influences such as Nahum, Byron, and Ani DiFranco with the ancient text. Tobit Detours centers on journeys and distances as Tobit sends his son Tobias to retrieve funds in a faraway land, where he meets Sarah, who ultimately travels far from her family to join her new husband's household. Practical separations of the characters as well as metaphorical distances between what is hoped for and actual circumstances all connect to our present experiences of a pandemic-burdened existence, our paths detouring into unknown dangers and providence.

What if the women of the Bible told their own stories? Lady Midrash: Poems Reclaiming the Voices of Biblical Women brings to life alternative interpretations and forgotten female perspectives from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Following in the footsteps of Jewish midrash, a storytelling tradition that explores the gaps in scripture, these poems re-examine the experiences of Biblical women. Sidelined heroines are celebrated. Supposed villainesses get to speak for themselves. Lady Midrash reverses convention, probes familiar narratives, attends to small moments, highlights peripheral and silent characters, and names the nameless. The imagination of midrash provides the reader with a creative space to rethink assumptions and reconsider the accounts of women in the Jewish and Christian traditions. ""With creative imagination and careful scholarship, Elisabeth Mehl Greene reclaims the sacred value of biblical women. These compelling narrative poems give honor to the cursed, voice to the voiceless, names to the nameless, agency to the powerless, recognition to marginalized females and the Female Divine--thereby affirming all women in the image of Divine Wisdom. The enlightening foreword, introduction, and endnotes also make Lady Midrash ideal for church study groups, academic classes, and personal exploration."" --Jann Aldredge-Clanton, Chaplain; Teacher; Author of Seeking Wisdom: Inclusive Blessings and Prayers for Public Occasions and Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians ""In this accessible collection, Greene gives voices to women in the Bible who have been silenced for too long. Greene's well-informed poems bear witness to the ways women have contributed to God's grand story, while also challenging readers to see the Bible in all its complexities. Reading these poems has deepened my appreciation for scripture and for the women whose lives are inscribed there."" --Melanie Springer Mock, Professor, Department of English, George Fox University ""In Lady Midrash, Greene has written a series of poems that pique the reader's imagination and encourage us to learn and imagine more about women in the Bible. For study groups, these poems will stimulate spirited discussions and sacred contemplation as Ms. Greene's creativity and imagination open up the reader to new facets of well-known stories."" --Carol Blythe, Alliance of Baptists Elisabeth Mehl Greene is a writer and composer working in the Washington DC area. She is a visiting researcher at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. Greene received her doctorate from the University of Maryland. Lady Midrash is her first book.