This little gem could have been written yesterday, right? Nah. Try a thousand years ago.
If more of us listened to the lessons history has to teach us, the world would be a far better place than it is today.
Witness for the prosecution – a fine embodiment right here of why I love my job so danged much. I was fishing around, doing research for my next novel, when I stumbled on the story, and – most importantly – the words, of the poet, warrior, philosopher, and Talmudic scholar, Samuel Ha’Nagid. He rose to the position of Vizier in the court of Sultan Badis ibn Habus, founder of the stunning architectural confection that is the Alhambra in Granada. Yes, The names tell the story – Samuel was Jewish, and a leader of his community. He also led the Sultan’s army. A Muslim army. That’s not a typo. Not to mention, his poems and writing are shatteringly powerful. Yet he’s all but lost to most of us. Have any of you heard of him before now?
So many powerful voices lost through time. We really need to start listening to them.
Meaghan Wilson Anastasios 