Jewish Literary Links

The words "Jewish Lit Links" are printed over what appears to be a portion of a Torah scroll.

  • Discovery of the week: The new WriteJewish website (and the first People of the Book retreat).
  • Deadline approaching (March 1) for this opportunity for writers of Jewish fiction: “Paper Brigade, the annual literary journal of Jewish Book Council, is pleased to announce its first open call for short story submissions. Stories should be between 1,500 and 7,000 words. We encourage authors to familiarize themselves with Paper Brigade before submitting. Submissions must be previously unpublished. Please send only one story at a time, along with a $3 reading fee. Stories will be considered for both print and Paper Brigade‘s digital arm, PB Daily. All authors will be paid for published work.” (NB: As I’ve mentioned before, in general, I do not share fee-charging writing calls/competitions. But since the pool for specifically Jewish writing is so small, I make exceptions—especially when writers ARE compensated for accepted work.)
  • No deadline listed in this announcement: “Hope United Church of Christ in Sturgeon Bay (Door County), Wisconsin is seeking a Scholar who is interested in a 30-day residency in May 2020. We are specifically looking for a scholar/student with expertise in Reconstructionist Judaism. We see in this tradition a model for a ‘big tent’ community of faith that is comfortable with a wide range of beliefs while operating within and respecting a beloved cultural tradition and identity.” The Scholar “would present three one-hour Adult Education programs, speak during a worship service, and meet with members of the congregation once a week to share your knowledge through informal conversation.” The Church will provide time for study/writing, housing, a stipend, transportation reimbursement, and some meals.”
  • This week has brought the latest episode of the “Soon By You” web series (yay!). And it’s a newsworthy one, as Hannah Dreyfus reports in “‘Soon By You’ Sitcom About Orthodox Dating Scene Introduces LGBTQ Characters, Challenging its Fanbase.”
  • As a writer whose past work has been recognized by the committee that awards the Sophie Brody Medal—”given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature”—I’m always eager for the annual announcement. That news has arrived: “This year’s winner is Thomas Wolf, author of The Nightingale’s Sonata: The Musical Odyssey of Lea Luboshutz, published by Pegasus Books….Honorable mentions include Leah Hager Cohen, author of Strangers and Cousins, published by Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House; Alice Hoffman, author of The World That We Knew, published by Simon & Schuster; and Daniel Okrent, author of The Guarded Gate: Bigotry, Eugenics and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians and Other European Immigrants Out of America, published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.”

Shabbat shalom.

Label "Jewish Lit Links" is printed over what appears to be a segment of a Torah scroll.

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