Shhh...there's inspiration in that silence
Re-reading 'The Red Tent,' reading into Hagar's story, and an invitation to listen to the silences between the lines for the story that's yours to tell. Plus: This week's poem.
Inspired by silence
I first picked up Anita Diamant’s novel The Red Tent about 25 years ago. My daughter read it several years later when she was in high school. And I recently gifted a copy to a young woman who is like a niece to me.
This is the story of Dinah, Jacob’s only daughter. In the Bible, her entire life is reduced to a few lines in which she is portrayed merely as the victim of a rape that set off a bloody massacre perpetrated by her avenging brothers.
In Diamant’s retelling, Dinah is fully animated. We witness her coming of age amongst a tribe of brothers and a wise, nurturing circle of mothers including Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah. Plus, although the story takes place after Sarah’s death, we get a glimpse into the sacred Grove of Mamre, where her presence was still strongly felt.
The Red Tent was foundational to my own feminist re-visioning of who our foremothers might have been — and thus my own place in the tradition. And so I am heartened to see how reading this novel continues to awaken similar feelings in the young women I share it with.
Re-reading the book now, as I endeavor to reimagine Sarah’s story through poetry, I was even more awed by Diamant’s accomplishment. And when I visited her author page online I was inspired and encouraged by what I learned.
When Diamant took up the momentous challenge of writing The Red Tent at age 40, she’d never written a novel.
Nor did she have a strong Jewish background growing up.
Also, she focused her research on the archeology, history, and daily life of people in the Ancient Near East in around 1500 BCE, and barely consulted rabbinic texts. Now that’s chutzpah!
On her website she explains, “I began to study Jewish literature, culture and texts as an adult learner and still consider myself a beginner.”1
Whereas I tend to see my lack of scholarly background and training as a deficit in writing about Sarah, I can see how for Diamant, coming to the material with fresh eyes was a plus. She was free to explore the story unencumbered by preconceived notions and predetermined assumptions.
Feeling inspired by Diamant’s boldness? Read on for opportunities to pick up your pen and dream new life into ancient tales.
If you haven’t read The Red Tent, or if you haven’t read it recently, now’s the time. Maybe this story will spark a desire to give voice to a character from a myth or legend who hasn’t had her full say yet.
The next book on my list 👇🏼
As I’ve mentioned before, Savina Teubal’s book Sarah the Priestess opened my eyes to new possibilities for who the biblical matriarch Sarah might have been.
I recently tracked down a copy of Teubal’s other book Hagar, The Egyptian. And just a few chapters in, I’m already thrilling with excitement and poetic possibilities as I wade into Hagar’s story.
Often dismissed as merely Sarah’s handmaiden or Abraham’s concubine, an attentive reading of the biblical text reveals Hagar as a compelling character in her own right.
Let’s start with this:
In Genesis, a story that is clearly concerned with the power of naming (Adam names the animals, names are elevated through the genealogies, God renames Sarah and Abraham, etc.) …
… Hagar is the only person, male or female, who gives God a name.
Today’s poem honors the woman who named God
Listen to my poem, “Hagar,” below. In future newsletters, I’ll share more poems about the relationship between Sarah and Hagar, as well as my personal connection with Hagar’s story.
“Hagar,” by Tzivia Gover. Copyright Tzivia Gover, 2023, all rights reserved.
This newsletter is not a spectator sport.
Pick up a pen and open your imagination in these upcoming workshops:
Sarah’s Tent: Weaving a Shelter of Words with Dreaming and Drumming
Fri. Oct 6, at 8 am PT / 11 am ET / 5 pm CET / 7 pm GST / on Zoom or via replay
Harvest the gifts of ancient feminine wisdom through the archetypes of the Hebrew matriarchs using chant, writing, drumming, and dreamwork. With Tzivia and Lisa Moriah, of the Temple of Divine Radiance. *Paid subscribers to this newsletter receive 20% off!
Stories from the Shadows: Writing Unvoiced Characters
Saturday, October 28th, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Hybrid: in-person/online with Writers in Progress Studio, Florence, MA
Slip between the lines of familiar bible stories, myths, fairy tales, or iconic stories from popular culture to find characters who have something to say, but haven’t had a chance to say it! In this imaginative workshop, we’ll give voice to marginalized or misunderstood characters and give them a plotline all their own. $75.
Learn about me, my books, 1:1 dreamwork, and writing sessions at www.thirdhousemoon.com.
Read the complete interview with Anita Diamant, author of The Red Tent here: https://anitadiamant.com/the-red-tent-frequently-asked-questions
Tzivia, thanks for the backstory on The Red Tent and Diamant. It's amazing to know she wrote it with fresh eyes. That book was pivotal for so many women when it was published. I haven't read it for years but I recall the part about naming the baby, it still stands out in my mind. Needing to know the baby first.
I look forward to the information you share about Hagar.