Author Bruce Feiler

Celebrities, Celebrity Q&A, People
on November 30, 2003
feiler_bruce_ap1_c
https://americanprofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2003/11/feiler_bruce_ap1_c-150x150.jpg

What is author Bruce Feiler working on now?

—Andrew J., California

Feiler, the author of six books, is currently in the Middle East researching his next book, a Biblical trek through Israel, Iraq and Iran. He’s also very involved with the activities surrounding his last book, Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths. “I was in New York on Sept. 11 and watched the Towers fall,” he says, explaining how he got the idea for the book Abraham. “I knew that Jews, Christians and Muslims had a shared father in Abraham. Could he be a source of reconciliation?” After the book’s release, communities across the country began having “salon” interfaith discussions about Abraham. Each discussion is led by a local moderator who follows a professional study guide. The discussions have been held in homes, bookstores, churches, synagogues, mosques and libraries. “I wanted to get 50 of these conversations going on around the country, but 5,000 people have started these dialogues, so it’s really quite boomed,” says Feiler, 39. “It’s a way to sit down and have an easy and safe interfaith discussion.” Feiler has done little sitting himself as he’s traveled to more than 60 countries on five continents, immersing himself in different cultures and experiences. His first book described his experiences teaching in a small Japanese town and his third depicted the year he was a circus clown. The Yale graduate also has written books on country music and his year at Cambridge University. He’s now working on a documentary based on his best-selling book, Walking The Bible: A Journey By Land Through the Five Books of Moses. He returned to his hometown of Savannah, Ga., in July to marry Linda Rottenberg. Feiler, who lives in New York City, enjoys reading, juggling and collecting masks from around the world.