Erika Dreifus

Toward the end of each week, the My Machberet blog presents a collection of links, drawn primarily from the world of Jewish books and writing.

• “Who was the real man behind the male protagonist of Lore Segal’s Her First American?” As part of the programming accompanying its current exhibit on Segal’s life and work, the Leo Baeck Institute will be hosting a free, online session on “Horace Cayton: Black Renaissance Man and Raconteur” next Thursday (February 12), Jeffery Renard Allen, who wrote the introduction to the newly reissued edition of Segal’s novel. Co-sponsored with Jewish Book Council.
• Open for applications until March 1: Jewish Book Marketing Grants, administered by Jewish Book Council with support from Maimonides Fund. Both pre-contract and acquired projects (as detailed on the website) are eligible. “Books may be fic­tion or non­fic­tion, for chil­dren or adults, and should be intend­ed to reach wide audiences. These grants are meant to assist books as they begin the jour­ney toward the mar­ket­place, giv­ing authors and pub­lish­ers a pro­mo­tion­al boost along with extra flex­i­bil­i­ty and sup­port to mar­ket the book effec­tive­ly. While grants will be deter­mined at pre-pub­­li­­ca­­tion stages, they will be des­ig­nat­ed for use in the mar­ket­ing and pro­mo­tion of the book to read­ers in the six months before or after the book’s pub­li­ca­tion date. Grant amounts will range from $18,000-$36,000, and will be issued direct­ly to the author with­in 6 months pri­or to publication.”
• In New York, Hadassah magazine is advertising for an Assistant Digital Editor. Salary range: $70,000-$75,000. No deadline indicated.
• From JNS: a terrific profile (by Steve Linde) of my friend Sarah Sassoon, “an author, poet and educator who now lives in Jerusalem with her family, [who] has emerged as a leading voice exploring the 2,600-year history of Babylonian Jewry, the experience of refugees and resilience, and the largely untold stories of Middle Eastern Jewish women.” Included within: a mention of the new podcast that Sarah is co-hosting and news about her next children’s book (which, per an increasingly frequent pattern here on My Machberet, prompts me to ask, when will an English translation be available?).
• And guess who pops up at the very end of the latest episode of The Five Books podcast? (If you’re in a hurry, I’ve queued up that “One Book Moment” for you here.)

Shabbat shalom.