Erika Dreifus

• “The Best Books for Middle School Readers with Jewish American Characters” (according to Jacqueline Jules, for Shepherd).
• “Jews and comic books — two deeply entwined entities — will be the subject of a new pop culture convention coming to New York this fall.” Find out more in Jacob Henry’s article for New York Jewish Week.
• From the New York-based Center for Jewish History: “Read any good Jewish books lately? Share your summer reading recommendations with the CJH community!” Note that they’re ready for that question: “What is a “Jewish” book?” Their response: “Like the Jewish community itself, this is a wide-ranging concept. It can be fiction or nonfiction, and it doesn’t have to be ‘about’ anything in particular. Maybe the author or characters are Jewish, it takes place in a relevant historical setting, or the themes echo traditional Jewish concerns.” They might share your recommendation in their e-blasts and on social media, “and each entry will enroll you in a drawing for fun CJH swag! (Prizes for U.S. entrants only.)” NB: I checked with them about a deadline—you have until Labor Day. (But why wait until summer’s end to share your suggestions if you have something to say now?)
• I’ll be spending plenty of time next week attending the annual conference of the Association of Jewish Libraries. This year, it’s taking place online (next year, they’ll be meeting in San Diego). It’s not too late to register; if you’re not an AJL member, but you are a student or retiree, you’ll be able to benefit from significant discounts.
• And I’ll close with this beautiful profile of Richard Chess, with an emphasis on the influence of religion on his poetry (by Thomas Calder for Mountain Xpress).

Shabbat shalom.