Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Catherine Gilbert Murdock grew up on a small farm in Connecticut and now lives in suburban Philadelphia with her husband, two brilliant unicycling children, several cats, and a one-acre yard that she is slowly transforming into a wee, but flourishing ecosystem. She is the author of several books, including the popular Dairy Queen series starring lovable heroine D. J. Schwenk, Princess Ben, and Wisdom's Kiss.

Murdock's new novel is Heaven Is Paved with Oreos.

A few weeks ago I asked the author about what she was reading.  Her reply:
Right now I'm reading Paul Among the People, a discussion of the writings of St. Paul as they relate to life in the Roman world in the first century. As anyone reading Heaven is Paved with Oreos knows, the Roman cathedral of St. Paul Outside the Walls (San Paolo fuori le Mura) plays a major role in the book, so I decided (rather belatedly, one might argue) to learn more about Paul, the man. Now I'm hooked! It helps that Sarah Ruden, who's a classicist by training, does a fantastic job with the translations and with explaining Roman culture. It's also fun for me to contrast the detail of his life with the actual church building, which has been cherished by generations of worshippers who probably didn't know anything about, say, the details of ancient Roman divorce law. The book's not YA -- no dragons -- but I gobbled up adult non-fiction back when I was a young adult; crossing over isn't a bad thing.
Visit Catherine Gilbert Murdock's website.

My Book, The Movie: Heaven Is Paved with Oreos.

The Page 69 Test: Heaven Is Paved with Oreos.

--Marshal Zeringue