Writer and director Jan Eliasberg didn’t have a hard time putting herself in the position of her book’s protagonist in Hannah’s War, because she’s been there. As a woman in a male-dominated profession, Jan easily imagined Hannah Weiss— a Jewish physicist working towards splitting the atom in Third Reich era Germany.
Jan Eliasberg has written and directed for theater, film, and television, including shows like Miami Vice, Criminal Minds, and Nashville. In this episode Jeniffer and Chad speak with Jan about her novel, Hannah’s War. The novel was inspired by, and tells the story of, Hannah Weiss, a Jewish physicist working on splitting the atom. Hannah realizes the destructive potential of her work but as a woman, was not listened to, nor credited. Jan talks about how she was inspired by her discovery of the real-life Jewish, female Physicist in an old NYT article, who remained unnamed and uncredited for her work.
Jan discloses who she can imagine playing Hannah if her book is optioned for a film. Which as it turns out, may actually happen. She’ll also enthrall you with a reading from Hannah’s War.
You can find her here:
