Writer. Reader. Reviewer. Resource Maven.

Does Your Kid Love Books?

by on Tuesday, January 03, 2012 (0) Comments

If you’ve got a little bookworm on your hands–or you’re perhaps looking for something to help ignite a spark–check out Moment magazine’s Publish-a-Kid contest: “We invite young readers to write book reviews. Winning entries will be published in the pages of Moment. And yes, there will be prizes, too! We’ve selected a list of books for you to choose from. Pick one or more that you enjoy or find intriguing and tell us why!”

The contest is open to “anyone ages 9-13,” and the magazine “encourage[s] children of all faiths to enter.” There’s no entry fee, and the deadline is February 15, 2012. You can read the 2011 winning entries online, and more about the contest, including the list of potential titles and the full rules/guidelines, right here.

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Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

by on Friday, December 30, 2011 (2) Comments

  • Some fascinating literary history involving Ralph Waldo Emerson and Emma Lazarus, courtesy of Benjamin Ivry on The Forward‘s Arty Semite blog.
  • Thanks to the Yiddishkayt site, I discovered a fabulous video profile of author Arnost Lustig (1926-2011) that was produced for Czech TV. Thankfully, there are English subtitles. And the profile perfectly captures Arnost, with whom I had the privilege of studying in the Prague Summer Program in 2004. Arnost would have turned 85 last week.
  • On her Jewish Muse blog, Linda K. Wertheimer reflects on writing about faith and related writings that she published this year.
  • It’s not common for me to publicly utter anything resembling a criticism of Israel. (See this poem on that subject.) On the contrary, one link I planned to share this week is The Jewish Week‘s editorial chiding The New York Times, which includes a number of sentiments that I share about the latter’s Israel coverage. But that same New York Times was also the source this week of an Israel-related op-ed that I find deeply disturbing—and this time my upset is not directed toward the newspaper. I hope that Yad Vashem will correct the injustice described in the piece (and confirmed by an easy online search).
  • After an inexcusable delay, I’m currently reading Joan Leegant’s Wherever You Go. I’m sorry that it took me this long to begin this excellent novel.

    • Shabbat shalom and Happy 2012, all!

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    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat (& Hanukkah)

    by on Thursday, December 22, 2011 (0) Comments

    Okay, so they’re a day ahead of schedule. But I’m setting out on a long weekend away, and I wanted to be sure not to neglect my weekly links!

  • I trust that you are all having a happy Hanukkah. I’m still kvelling over my own story (forgive me!) on the 2011 NPR Hanukkah Lights special. (And marveling over the fact that I’m sharing the radio-stage with Tamar Yellin, whose work I’ve admired for several years.) I’ve also written a little something about the story’s background and the research that went into it.
  • Remaining with the Hanukkah theme: Gail Fishman Gerwin’s “Are We Done Yet?” (courtesy of Your Daily Poem).
  • And if you’re still buying a gift or two, you may find some ideas within Josh Lambert’s latest books column for Tablet.
  • From Poets & Writers magazine, an account of a remarkable Jewish writing workshop: “Last year Poets & Writers funded two workshops in Tucson, Arizona, led by writer Deborah Mayaan and Rabbi Stephanie Aaron. We asked Mayaan to reflect on the first workshop, which occurred just a week after the shooting that took the lives of six people and injured thirteen others, including congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.”
  • Intriguing review by Steven Amanick–with a focus on literary evidence–of Gertrude Himmelfarb’s The People of the Book: Philosemitism in England from Cromwell to Churchill.

    • Shabbat shalom and Happy Hanukkah!

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    J-Job Alert: Book Festival Director Sought (Atlanta)

    by on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 (0) Comments

    The Marcus Jewish Community Center (Atlanta) is looking for a Book Festival Director: “As one of the MJCCA’s most critically-acclaimed and high profile programs, the two-week Book Festival of the MJCCA has a strong national and local status that allows the agency to attract best-selling authors and some of the country’s best speakers. Each November, the book festival engages more than 10,000 festival-goers with 45+ authors, speakers, and celebrities. Throughout the year, the festival hosts ‘Page from the Book Festival’ events that create year-long excitement for Atlanta’s readers.” For position details and application instructions, check JewishJobs.com.

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    Words of the Week: President Barack Obama

    by on Saturday, December 17, 2011 (0) Comments

    In fact, I am proud to say that no U.S. administration has done more in support of Israel’s security than ours. None. Don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. It is a fact.

    Source: President Barack Obama’s keynote address before the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial.
    Read the text online, or (even better), watch the President give one of his best speeches ever. (IMHO, as the kids say.)

    It didn’t hurt that he wished the group a “Shabbat Shalom”; mentioned that “NFTY, I understand, is in the house”; shared his fatherly concerns over the skirts and curfews involved when his daughter Malia attends Bar and Bat Mitzvah events these days; credited the Reform movement for its essential, foundational work on civil rights; and gave a D’var Torah worthy of a pulpit rabbi.

    But in the end, he needed to convince his readers that he supports Israel.

    He convinced me.

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