In the Beginning: an Egg, a Mask, a Woman is a collection of poetry by Susan J. Rogers. The three sections of the book, "Tara Poems," "Songs of Ama-terasu," and "Ways of God/dess," all begin with illustrations by Luisa-Maria Potter. Many of these poems retell mythic stories from cultures around the world. Others are rewritten versions of personal history that include the goddess as protector. Goddesses include the ancient European Bird Woman, Tara, Ama-terasu, Uzume, and Cardea. Several of these poems have been published in Blue Hole: A Magazine of the Georgetown Poetry Festival, The Enigmatist and other publications. In addition, some were featured on the Texas Nafas show on the public cable television station in Austin, Texas where the author was interviewed about her poetry. Some of these poems first appeared as lyrics to songs composed by the author and have been previously recorded.