Interview with Dawn Eden
about "The Thrill of the Chaste"

Added November 15, 2006

Joyce: In the Library Reviews welcomes Dawn Eden!

Your writing is very candid and you shared some intimate thoughts and situations with your readers. Was this difficult to do?

Dawn: No, not at all. I'm an exhibitionist by nature, so it was harder to resist showing off or telling lurid stories just for the sake of being lurid. The only hard part about being intimate was discussing my family in a way that my parents, who are divorced, thought was fair -- I did run that chapter by them and made some changes after receiving their feedback.

Joyce: In our sex-obsessed society, do you feel like "one crying in the wilderness"? What do you think it will take for women to embrace chastity?

Dawn: I don't feel that I'm crying in the wilderness, because there are a few other authors writing intelligently about chastity, most notably Wendy Shalit, Lauren Winner, and Jennifer Roback Morse. For women to embrace chastity, all it will take is for them to keep trying to "have sex like a man," as it's called on "Sex and the City" -- they'll discover, as I did, that the culture's prescription for happy singlehood is a sham.

Joyce: Do you feel there's hope for our society, or have imperfect morals become too firmly entrenched in our culture?

Dawn: I think there is always hope that some hearts can be changed, and that's why people of faith have to keep countering the culture, regardless of whether the majority ever come around.

Joyce: Before adopting a lifestyle of chastity, what does a woman need to address first: the state of her heart on a spiritual level or the thoughts in her mind?

Dawn: I would say the state of her heart -- but keeping in mind that if one changes one's behavior, one's heart, which may be initially reluctant, will eventually follow. That's why St. Maximilian Kolbe said in essence not to worry about whether one loves enough, as long as one has the will to love -- because where the will to love is, the love will follow.

Joyce: As I was reading your book, I thought of the Bible verse where Paul wrote: "...these things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel..." (Phil. 1:12). The insights you gleaned through dating can certainly make an enormous difference in other women's lives, as they learn about God's love for them. Did you receive your inspiration to write this book from a certain passage of Scripture?

Dawn: I was inspired by different Scripture passages throughout the writing process. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." God lights the ground around our feet so that we can see the next step. We have to then step out in faith, trusting that He'll light the next step. He always does -- eventually. In the meantime, we have to wait, which goes against our impatient nature -- but the reward always makes it worth it.

Joyce: You presented solid biblical reasons for embracing chastity. How did you develop these insightful ideas?

Dawn: Thank you so much! I've read reams of G.K. Chesterton, as well as C.S. Lewis and St. Augustine. Those authors' insight into Biblical truths helped me better understand how to live out my faith. Also, Christopher West's Good News About Sex and Marriage, a distillation of Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, dramatically enlightened my understanding of the meaning of sex.

Joyce: You're in the New York metropolitan area (by the way, I'm a Jersey gal!). Do you think it's more difficult to embrace chastity in a large city, simply because of the sheer number of singles who don't espouse that belief? Or isn't location an issue?

Dawn: I'm a Jersey gal too! It is indeed more difficult to embrace chastity in a large city because of peer pressure. But an advantage is that you really stand out, so that, as you become more comfortable in your own skin as a result of chastity, people become drawn to you.

Joyce: I loved your writing style and the clever phrases you used. (The catchy title is a perfect example!) You seem to love words and you understand their power. What's next? Will you be writing another book?

Dawn: I am terrifically eager to write another book -- as soon as I can think of a topic! I'm hoping that readers' feedback on The Thrill of the Chaste will help me come up with a subject for a follow-up.

Joyce: Thank you, Dawn, for spending time with us and for writing a book that is as real as it is relevant. I sincerely hope many women will be inspired and encouraged by your words.

Dawn: Thank you so much again, Joyce. I'm so happy that you've been touched by the book. Knowing that you read so many books for your job, that's a great compliment for this first-time author.

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