Elsa Marston
children's author

Fiction, young adult
SANTA CLAUS IN BAGHDAD--AND OTHER STORIES ABOUT TEENS IN THE ARAB WORLD
Eight stories about teens in Arab societies
FIGS AND FATE: STORIES ABOUT GROWING UP IN THE ARAB WORLD TODAY
collection of short stories
Some further thoughts on FIGS AND FATE....
Notes about the stories
poetry
SONGS OF ANCIENT JOURNEYS: ANIMALS IN ROCK ART
poems inspired by animals depicted in Southwestern rock art
fiction, young-adult
THE UGLY GODDESS
a tale from ancient Egypt
nonfiction
WOMEN IN THE MIDDLE EAST: TRADITION AND CHANGE co-authored with Ramsay M. Harik
a look at the variety of women's lives in the Middle East and North Africa
history
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE
THE PHOENICIANS
THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS
stories in Y-A collections
"Lines of Scrimmage"
in FIRST CROSSING AND OTHER STORIES OF IMMIGRANT TEENS
"Scenes in a Roman Theatre"
in MEMORIES OF SUN: STORIES OF AFRICA AND AMERICA (2004)
"The Olive Grove"
in SOUL SEARCHING: THIRTEEN STORIES ABOUT FAITH AND BELIEF

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Welcome to my strand of the worldwide web! Don't worry--it's not sticky. You can make your way around it easily to learn something about me and what I write for young people. And maybe I'll meet you, one of these days!

Although I grew up in Massachusetts and have lived in Indiana for years, much of my writing is about the Middle East--where I've also spent quite a bit of time. I hope that if you're a teacher, you'll find my books, stories, and articles helpful for class discussion. To help get the talk flowing, I've included some "let's talk about" questions for each book. Of course you can read the books and stories on your own, too. (Many adults find them an enjoyable introduction to the Middle East, past and present.)

Sometimes books get a second life. SANTA CLAUS IN BAGHDAD AND OTHER STORIES ABOUT TEENS IN THE ARAB WORLD is an expanded second edition of FIGS AND FATE, including three additional stories and notes on each story. The "Santa Claus in Baghdad" story has also been made into a film, by Raouf Zaki of RA Visions, an independent filmmaker in the Boston area. He somehow managed not only to find a large and terrific cast, from age seven to seventy (including my granddaughter Savannah, one of the school girls in the story), but to create colorful, authentic-looking "Baghdad" sets and crowd scenes in Boston, with some backgrounds shot in Cairo. The Lebanese musician Marcel Khalife, one of the best-known composers and performers in Arab music today, gave permission for his music to be used in the film.

"Santa Claus in Baghdad" premiered at the prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival in August, 2008. (I was thrilled to see the way my story was brought to life!) It won several other distinctions at various film festivals across the country in 2008 and 2009. It's now available on DVD, which includes educational material such as a discussion guide for classroom use and a "behind the scenes" view of the excitement, confusion, and creativity that go on at a studio shoot. Raouf the Filmmaker wants to make the film easily available to public schools; it's suitable for middle school to college, and also for adult audiences. Please see the film's website--www.santaclausinbaghdad.com, also a link from this website--for information about prices.