Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • Lovely profile by Sandee Brawarsky of novelist Rachel Kadish and The Weight of Ink, Kadish’s latest book. (I’ve got a copy of this one waiting for me, along with Jennifer S. Brown’s Modern Girls, after attending a Scribblers on the Roof reading by Kadish and Brown this past Sunday evening.) See also Judy Bolton-Fasman’s take for JewishBoston.com.
  • Earlier this week, Moment magazine posted a remarkable poem by Julia Knobloch: “Ninth of Av.”
  • Job alert: San Francisco’s Jewish Community Library is looking for a Program Coordinator.
  • Good news! There’s now a Goodreads giveaway for Rabbi Shai Held’s The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion (volume 1). Wouldn’t you love to have this on your shelf in 5778?
  • And in case you missed it: This week brought the publication of an article (by yours truly!) taking note of the 20th anniversary of the 1997 publication of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent. (And citing some subsequent works of fiction that have followed in its path.)
  • Shabbat shalom, everyone. And a quick note: My Machberet will be “on hiatus” for a bit while I go attend a conference. Thanks for your patience. I’ll be back soon!

    Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • I love Sandee Brawarsky’s recent Jewish Week profile of poet Yehoshua November and his work; I was especially happy to read the piece just a few days before attending a Jewish Book Council “salon” that featured November and other honorees for this year’s National Jewish Book Award in Poetry (now the Berru Award in Memory of Ruth and Bernie Weinflash). Do read to the end of Brawarsky’s profile for news on upcoming appearances where you can watch/hear November present his poetry.
  • It’s almost Purim! Check out this timely excerpt (on the Tablet website) from Abigail Pogrebin’s soon-to-be-published My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew.
  • Speaking of Abby Pogrebin’s new book—you still have a few days left to enter this final pre-publication giveaway.
  • There’s much to inspire in this brief Hadassah magazine news item on a Bar Mitzvah boy’s efforts to bring books to kids in rural Africa.
  • Last, but by no means least: “Lilith Magazine invites submissions of quality short fiction, 3,000 words or under, for our Annual Fiction Contest. When selecting what you’ll submit, please remember our tagline. The magazine proudly spotlights both emerging and established writers. Winner receives $250 + publication. Deadline: 9/30/17.” No fee to enter. Details/submission instructions here.
  • Shabbat shalom and chag sameach!

    Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

    Just a few quick notes today.

    Event Video Available

    First things first: Following up on last week’s post about the event at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, I’m happy to share a video of the event, including each author’s presentation and the group discussion/Q&A that followed.

    In Other Event-Related News

    Speaking of events, a quick thank-you to everyone who came out to Columbia University’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies last night for “Still the People of the Book? A Discussion of Jewish Book Publishing Today featuring a conversation with Erika Dreifus, Fig Tree Books, Naomi Firestone-Teeter, Jewish Book Council, and Stuart Matlins, Jewish Lights, and moderated by Adam Kirsch, Jewish Studies MA Program Director.” It was wonderful to see so many friendly faces in the room!

    Last-Chance Pre-Publication Giveaway

    And while we’re on the subject of Jewish books—today brings the launch of one final pre-publication giveaway for Abigail Pogrebin’s My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew. I’m coordinating this giveaway on behalf of Fig Tree Books LLC, is publishing the book on March 14.

    Please go on over to Goodreads to enter.

    Pre-Shabbat Jewish Lit Links

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

    Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • This week brought us the latest Jewish Book Carnival, hosted for January by Deborah Kalb.
  • A detailed call for submissions from the Forward‘s Sisterhood blog. (Yes, freelancers–writers are paid for their work here!)
  • “J. the Jewish News of Northern California has an opening for a full-time editorial assistant who will handle a multitude of responsibilities. The position is based in our office in San Francisco’s Financial District, and will begin in late February.” The same publication is also advertising for a reporter.
  • A definite highlight of my week: Monday’s “Jews and Muslims in America” conference, presented in New York by the Shalom Hartman Institute. You can view a number of session videos here; if you’re media-focused, you may be especially interested in a panel on “Jewish and Muslim Media, Reporting, and Storytelling.”
  • And over at Fig Tree Books, where I’m Media Editor, we’re delighted with another enthusiastic review of Abigail Pogrebin’s forthcoming My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew (this time, from Library Journal). Plus, we’ve launched another giveaway—enter here for a chance to win an advance copy.
  • Shabbat shalom, everyone.

    Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

    From My Archive: The U.S. Office of Government Ethics

    Some of you have been hearing quite a bit lately about an executive-branch government agency called the U.S Office of Government Ethics (OGE). Here’s a fun fact that you might yet know: Once upon a time, I worked there.

    Moreover, back when I was testing the freelancing waters for the first time in the 1990s, I wrote an article about my former workplace. (And I sold it to a local paper for college students.)

    Since OGE is in the news anew, I thought that it might be worth digging up that old article from my archive. (more…)