About Dr. Lise Meitner: Inspiration for Hannah’s War
One of the great luxuries of living in New York City is having access to the Public Library’s extraordinary microfilm collection; it was there that I read the issue of the New York Times on the day the Americans dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. In the Times’ summary of the complex and secret history of the Manhattan Project, one paragraph leapt off the page: “The key component that allowed the Allies to develop the bomb was brought to the Allies by a “female, non-Aryan physicist.’” Who was this woman, I wondered, And why isn’t her face staring out of every science textbook?
Read MoreHannah’s War menu for Book Clubs
Because Hannah Weiss is Austrian, as is her colleague at Los Alamos, Peter Reichl), I put together a menu of Austrian dishes, the kinds of Austrian specialties that might invoke happy memories of the old world and better times.
Read MoreEDITH WARNER’S CHOCOLATE CAKE
Edith Warner lived in a little house beside Otawi Bridge. During the Manhattan Project years, she operated a small tearoom in her home, always frequented by Los Alamos scientists. Oppenheimer recognized that his research and project teams needed to feel appreciated…and well-fed. He arranged for Edith to have access to otherwise-rationed supplies; she was given…
Read MoreOp. Ed: Trinity Test Anniversary
July 16th will mark the 75th anniversary of the first atomic test, known as Trinity. The day is rightly known as the day the world changed forever, entering into the “nuclear age.†The Trinity test was the result of an extraordinary number of characters, circumstances, and scientific principles that came together like pieces of an…
Read MoreJuly 16th Trinity Test Birthday: New Content for Book Clubs
July 16th will mark the 75th anniversary of the first atomic test, known as Trinity. The day is rightly known as the day the world changed forever, entering into the “nuclear age.”
Read MoreIf Martinis aren’t the drink for you, try “The Manhattan Project.”
• 2 ½ oz Santa Fe Spirits’ Silver Coyote Whisky – hard to get outside New Mexico, so substitute your favorite rye or bourbon • ½ oz sweet vermouth • ½ oz Chartreuse • 2 dashes bitters (Angostura is the tradition) Stir for 30 seconds with ice, strain into 2 chilled cocktail glasses. Garnish with a maraschino cherry – a…
Read MoreOppenheimer’s Legendary Martini or “The Manhattan Project”
J. Robert Oppenheimer was said to have existed on “martinis, coffee, and cigarettes” when he was directing the Allies efforts to build the bomb in World War Two. Many crucial formulas were scrawled on cocktail napkins by the leading scientists of the Manhattan Project during Oppie’s nightly martini parties at his house on Bathtub Row.
Read MoreNew for Book Clubs: Virtual appearances and downloads
You need a mention in the first words what this news is. I’m thrilled to have a new section on the website designed and built specifically for book clubs. Downloads for bookclubs and book-a-virtual appearance. There is nothing I love more than talking with Book Clubs about Hannah’s War; the dynamic engagement with readers bring the characters, the story, and the themes of Hannah’s War to life. I have done many Virtual Q and A’s with Book Clubs on Zoom and Skype; the conversations are inspiring and enthralling for both writer and readers. Find out more on the new Book Club page!
Read More5/13: Join Jan Eliasberg and Martha Hall Kelly on Facebook Live!
Tune in at 4:00 PM EST/ 1:00 PM PST on Martha Hall Kelly’s Facebook Page to join the discussion.
Read More5/12: A Read of The Day book club Zoom event with Jan Eliasberg and Rick Koster
Tue, May 12, 2020, 6:30 PM EDT Bank Square Books and The Day present a Q&A with author Jan Eliasberg for her new book, Hannah’s War. Jan will be in conversation with Rick Koster of The Day as part of a new book club, Read of The Day, co-hosted by The Day and Bank Square…
Read MoreNew Article in The Day: Novelist Jan Eliasberg reimagines amazing story of female physicist and the atomic bomb
Novelists are routinely inspired by big moments and charismatic figures from history. But a brief allusion to an anonymous person in a 75-year-old newspaper article? Not so much. And yet Jan Eliasberg, an award-winning screenwriter and director of film and television, was perusing microfilm in the New York Public Library and came across an issue…
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