Interview with Crime Writer June Trop — S. 5, Ep. 21

Debbi Mack interviews crime writer June Trop on the Crime Cafe podcast. For your podcasting needs, I use and recommend Blubrry Podcasting. I also recommend Stitcher Premium, if you’re a fan of podcasts. If you like true crime or crime fiction, there are loads of podcasts out there for you. And with Stitcher Premium you can listen to the exclusive archives from Criminology or bonus episodes from True Crime Garage. You can also listen ad-free to episodes of your favorite podcasts. I’ve subscribed, and for only $4.99 a month, it’s nice to have ad-free entertainment. Just go to www.stitcher.com/premium and use the promo code, CRIMECAFE, to try it out absolutely free for a month. Unfortunately, I can no longer provide transcription show notes, but will resume doing so when finances allow. I have tried to note at what time various discussion topics come up in the recording. [02:40] June talks about how she discovered Maria Hebrea, the woman who inspired her protagonist, Miriam bat Isaac, while researching a paper for a class on the history of chemistry. [04:43] June describes the nature of her protagonist, Miriam bat Isaac, a female alchemist, along with the illegal nature of her work. [06:10] June explains how she found information on a topic with few records to verify its accuracy, except for references to Hebrea's work made by her successors. [07:15] Much of what June learned through research revealed surprises about Hebrea. Along with alchemy, she was an inventor. Her inventions are well-known, even if she isn't. [08:30] June explains why alchemy developed and why it was outlawed. Alchemy is still alive, but "barely breathing." Alchemy is the forerunner of modern chemistry. And alchemy is still pursued, as a "fringe" pursuit. [12:09] June talks about her books and the series. How Miriam bat Isaac uses alchemy, and the role it plays in the stories. [13:40] June describes the research she did for her novels and the kinds of details she familiarized herself with, as well as