Open for questions

I think I shall be nice to my mother in public places more often. She doesn't read my blog (unless I direct her here specifically) but she did ring to say she's dropping by next week. Wednesday, to be precise.

By 'dropping by' I mean she's driving for hours and hours and hours and hours to get here. And that she is definitely staying overnight and if I play my cards right she might even stay until Saturday. Traditional Friday night dinner! Yay!! (limited number of invitations might be possible - drop large hints)

To celebrate, I'm opening up both my blogs for questions. Here, for the next week you can ask me whatever question you want. The other blog I'll open to questions when Mum gets here so she can answer them - she knows all sorts of things about Australian cooking in the twentieth century because of her culinary skills and her age and the number of people she has talked to about cooking over the years. So modern Australian food history questions from Wednesday and all other questions here, now, whenever you're ready.

If your question takes more than a quick answer or touches on matters too private then I will apologise nicely. Otherwise, anything goes. If a question's offensive I might get sarcastic. Or I might not.

Last time I did this I had lots of historicalish questions. Not a single person asked my shoe size. This is just as well, because my shoe size is not something that can be explained in a few words.

PS Sydneysiders - I will be teaching that Medieval Imagination course in July. If you have any questions about medieval heroes or magic or ghosts or related stuff, you might want to save them for the course when you will have two full days to get a better understanding.

PPS Yes, I answer religious and political questions. Sometimes I answer them elliptically, though. I have strong religious and political thoughts but very rarely expect anyone to share them.

PPPS What did I say last time? Oh yes, if no-one asks questions then I won't do the open post again.

(no subject)

I suddenly realised that quite a few of my blog readers (especially new ones!) don't know me well and have no idea what sort of questions they might want to ask me. Some of you know me from writers' groups or through something organisational (eg running the speculative fiction carnival or helping with SF conventions). You might not know if you want to ask questions at all, or why I should put an open question thread up on my blog.

So - in case you're wondering if there was a question you wanted to ask - in no particular order:
I am Jewish;
I am Australian;
I am an historian;
I was ten years in the public service;
I was twenty years in the women's movement;
I'm happily middle-aged (forty-five, in case it worries you not to know);
I'm a published writer (both fiction and non-fiction - one novel out) though rather unimportant in the leagues of published writers;
My PhD was in matters historiographical and is very obscure (as PhDs are);
Most of my history is Medieval (but not all) and most of it is social and cultural rather than political;
I consult with writers about how to transfer history to fiction (not as easy as it sounds) and stuff. Lots of stuff.

I'm sure there's more to me than that, but that's all I can think of.