Shira of Ashkenaz

In the Shadow of the Globe

Readings & Events

About the Author

Other Published Works

About the Author

Michelle Cameron's Shira of Ashkenaz, an historical novel set in medieval France and Germany, relating the life of Michelle's ancestor, Rabbi Meir ben Baruch of Rothenberg, the Maharam, will be published by Pocket Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). Publication is slated for the autumn of 2009.

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), and as a fully staged version by the Vintage Players.

Michelle's poetry has appeared in several electronic and print publications, including the e-zines Riding the Meridian; 2River View; Samsara Quarterly; Stirring; The Paumanok Review; jerseyworks; and flashquake, among others. Her print magazine and anthology credits include poetry in 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 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 marketing, particularly for performing arts, non-profits, publishing, eCommerce, and catalog shopping.

Michelle is a creative producer, writer and editor with more than 20 years of professional experience. She concentrates on clients such as New York City Ballet, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, IATSE Local One, and mr.steam, as well as marketing communications for IMA itself. Previously, Michelle served as director of design services, overseeing the activities of the content, graphics, user performance, and HTML production groups for a local Internet firm. She also worked on diverse project teams for a wide variety of corporate clients, including AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Aetna US Healthcare, KPMG, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

Prior to that, Michelle was a technical editor and writer at Banyan Systems, and was instrumental in that company's foray into on-line documentation. She began her career as a corporate and academic writer and editor, and worked at Radcliffe College in the Office of Public Information and for the Radcliffe Quarterly.

Michelle also teaches as an adjunct faculty member for the College of Saint Elizabeth's Communications department, where she teaches presentation skills, message design, and public relations and business writing in the Fast Track Program.

Michelle lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society.