The Fruit of Her Hands

In the Shadow of the Globe

Readings & Events

About the Author

Other Published Works

About the Author

Photo © 2003 Peter Vidor

Michelle Cameron's The Fruit of Her Hands: the Story of Shira of Ashkenaz is forthcoming by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster in September 2009. Based on the life of the author’s thirteenth-century ancestor, Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg, a renowned Jewish scholar of medieval Europe, this is the richly dramatic fictional story of Rabbi Meir’s wife, Shira, a devout but rebellious woman who preserves her religious traditions as she and her family witness the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe.

Michelle's first full-length novel in verse, In the Shadow of the Globe, was published by Lit Pot Press, Inc., in late 2003. It has received excellent critical reviews, and was named as the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's 2003-4 Winter Book Selection. In addition, it has become a performance piece in various venues, including the Stella Adler Studio of Acting's Shakespeare Benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, as part of the Drew University's colloquium, Shakespeare in Performance II, the 2004 College of Saint Elizabeth's Alumnae/i Weekend (acted by Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey actors), the Vintage Players, and at the Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway in Cape May in 2005.

Michelle's poetry has appeared in several electronic and print publications, including Samsara Quarterly; Stirring; The Paumanok Review; flashquake, Literary Potpourri; Ink Pot; Lilith; LIPS; Uno; Midnight Mind; and The Paterson Literary Review. Honors include poems selected as First Place Selection for flashquake, “Editor’s Choice” in the 2002 Allen Ginsberg Contest, and the Best of Stirring Year Three.

Michelle is currently at work on a multi-generational novel set during the Jewish exile in Babylon.
By day, Michelle is Vice President, Creative Director at Interactive Media Associates, a digital agency specializing in Internet planning, design, development and Web marketing. A creative producer, writer and editor with more than 20 years of professional experience, her clients include New York City Ballet, Rutgers University, IATSE Local One, the New Jersey Historical Society, and C. R.  Bard.

Michelle lives in New Jersey with her husband and two college-age sons. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Author’s Guild, and the National Council of Jewish Women.