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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 2018)
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sistersdauthordupdfordbookdaward By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief To hear Gary Leiser tell it, he wrote his Oregon Book Award-nominated scholarly tome on prostitution in the eastern Mediterranean world of the Middle Ages “by accident.” Over a period of 20 years of study in various Middle Eastern topics, he kept com- ing across references to the oldest profession. “On a whim, I started col- lecting these references,” he said. “Twenty years later, I discovered I had 80 pages of notes.” Combining those notes with fresh research, Leiser produced “Prostitution in the Eastern Mediterranean World: The Economics of Sex in the Late Antique and Medieval Middle East.” And that book is one of five final- ists for the Oregon Book Awards Frances Fuller Victor Award for General Nonfiction “Nobody’s more surprised than I am,” Leiser told The Nugget. The subject matter — per- haps unexpectedly — casts an interesting light on actual life under both Christian and Muslim rule in a region that formed a frontier between Islam and the West for hun- dreds of years. “This book describes how people really behaved,” Leiser said. Regardless of the moral teachings of the dominant faiths of the region, prositu- tion was never illegal under either Christian or Muslim rule. In Egypt, Leiser points out, it actually became a state enterprise. Everywhere, it was deeply entwined with the society and economy of the era. “Prostitution had a sym- biotic relationship with all kinds of trades and was inte- grated into the economy,” Leiser said. Property owners found bordellos to be lucrative rent- als. Tradesmen made their livings providing jewelry and clothing for “public women.” “Public women were dis- tinguished from other women above all by what they wore,” Leiser said. Clothing was often ele- gant, and the women were unveiled and painted their lips. Leiser notes that it seems that women “went in and out of the business depending on how the economy went.” Not all of the public women were native to the region. Leiser points out that there was a tremendous influx into the Middle East during the Crusades. “We have accounts of shiploads of ladies coming in from Europe to serve the troops,” he said. Leiser points out that modern Islamic radicalism, which is profoundly puritani- cal, gives a false impression of what life was like in earlier times. “Islam was tolerant of prostitution — as Christianity was,” he said. He noted that he has never found evidence of a woman being put to death for prosti- tution in the period. That tolerance was, in large part, due to the under- standing that the trade served as a kind of safety valve for male desire, and served a nec- essary function in the protec- tion of “respectable” women. And, then as now, “it was an almost guaranteed money- maker, no matter what the economy was.” Leiser acknowledges one unavoidable flaw in any accounting of prostitution in those early times. There is a virtually absolute absence of accounts from women. “The women don’t speak for themselves,” Leiser said. The historian is left to tease out information from a record that doesn’t neces- sarily deal with the topic directly. Born in 1946, Leiser grew up in Oregon. He studied anthropology and Middle East Studies at Portland State University (BA, 1969) and attended the British Middle East Centre for Arab Studies at Shemlan, Lebanon. He com- pleted a PhD in medieval Middle Eastern history at the University of Pennsylvania (1976). Finding that academic jobs were scarce, he worked for the U.S Defense Department in various capacities until his retirement in 2008. He lived and worked in Turkey for a number of years and has published widely on the social history of the medi- eval Middle East. He has translated the most impor- tant historical works of M.F. Köprülü, a leading Turkish historian of the 20th century. Leiser has been living in Sisters for about three years, having come here often as a boy to enjoy the playground of Central Oregon. Order “Prostitution in the Eastern Mediterranean World: The Economics of Sex in the Late Antique and Medieval Middle East” through Paulina Springs Books in Sisters, 541-549-0866. 7 HotdButtereddRumd headeddtodSisters Hot Buttered Rum, originally conceived on a backcountry trip of high school and college bud- dies as a way to re-imagine Appalachian string band music from the vantage point of the High Sierra, has since found its way into the hearts, minds, and bodies of thousands. They’re brining their music back to Sisters on Saturday, February 10, at 8 p.m. at The Belfry. Central Oregon’s own Honey Don’t will open the show. Hot Buttered Rum has toured the nation more times than its members can count, and yet still holds true to its goal to make California’s own acoustic music, full of desert fire, glacial snow- melt and everything in between. Tickets for the 21-and- over show are $15. The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave. in Sisters. PHOTO PROVIDED Hot Buttered Rum returns to Sisters for a show at The Belfry on Saturday, February 10. Mark your calendar for... Author Presentations Friday • 2/9 • 6 PM Jim Anderson TALES FROM A NORTHWEST NATURALIST Jim Anderson will present a slideshow about the natural world and how he got started in his career as a naturalist. For decades he has been sharing his knowledge and passion for nature in Oregon by educating visitors to OMSI, the Oregon Zoo, and Sunriver Resort, as well as leading hikes and working on local conservation efforts. Friday • 2/23 • 6 PM Rick Steber LITTLE WHITE MAN: SHOYAPO SHOYAPO Rick Steber tells the story of Jimmy Cornelison, a young missionary sent where Dr. Marcus and Narcissa Whitman lost their lives 50 years prior. The young minister faces a congregation of the descendants of those who committed the murders. The David and Goliath battle of the dominance of the white man’s religion between Chief Peo and Jimmy Cornelison is explored, highlighting many prejudices and injustices experienced by the native people of Eastern Oregon. Sunday • 2/25 • 4:30 PM Liz Thomas BACKPACKER LONG TRAILS: Mastering the Art Happy Valentine’s Day Gift Certificates Available of the Thru-Hike Liz Thomas is well known for hiking light, fast and solo; she broke the women’s unsupported speed record hiking the Appalachian Trail. Her book lends Thomas’ extensive knowledge and equips the reader with everything they need to know to conduct a fun and effi cient thru-hike. She is one of the most experienced hikers in the United States. Friday • 3/2 • 6 PM Maria Mudd Ruth A SIDEWAYS LOOK AT CLOUDS How much do you know about the clouds you see every day? When Maria Mudd Ruth fi rst moved to Seattle, she was surprised by how little the populace knew about the beautiful clouds hanging overhead, so she made it her mission to learn all about them. In a delightful combination of humor and accessible science she shares what she learned, providing both a clinical look at clouds and a guide to natural formations. We can order & receive most books in a couple days – free shipping! SHOP LOCAL for: Books, Games, Toys, Gifts, Audio Books 541-549-1784 161-C N. Elm St. hair | massage | nails | facials | makeup
