Erika Dreifus

Each week as Shabbat approaches, the My Machberet blog presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

Last Friday, I wrote that we might be at the start of a “new normal”—but I was trying to keep the weekly post as routine as possible. I’m going to try to stick to that m.o. today, too, to the extent that it’s possible.

• Right on schedule: The March edition of the Jewish Book Carnival, a monthly roundup of Jewish literary links from across the blogosphere, went live this week.
• From the U.K. comes the news that Linda Grant’s novel A Stranger City has won the 2020 Wingate Literary Prize, an award which recognizes “the best book, fiction or non-fiction, to translate the idea of Jewishness to the general reader.”
• I’ve been anticipating the release of the HBO adaptation of Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America for months. And the first episode aired on Monday. There’s so much excellent supplementary material to check out surrounding what is truly a major cultural production. You might begin with Janis Freedman Bellow’s essay for Jewish Review of Books. And after you’ve caught that first episode, you’ll learn so much about it through a new podcast dedicated to the series.
• Speaking of podcasts: Tablet‘s “Unorthodox” so many “bonus” offerings while we’re dealing with current events. Among my favorites to date is Stephanie Butnick’s conversation with Adam Kirsch about “what to read now that you might have a bit more time on your hands.”
• Although a number of my own scheduled Jewish literary events have been canceled/postponed, I remain available to make “virtual” visits/appearances. And I’m not alone. Check out this ever-growing list of similar offers on the Jewish Book Council’s website—and please do mark your calendars for my first official Zoom-based reading from Birthright: Poems, on April 5. It’s free; you can register here.

May we all have a safe and healthy Shabbat shalom.