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Beyond Birthright: How Fortysomethings Can Cultivate Jewish Connections

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

ejewishphilanthropyToday’s eJewish Philanthropy newsletter includes an article by yours truly. Especially if you happen to a Jewish fortysomething, I hope you’ll spend a few moments reading “Beyond Birthright: How Fortysomethings Can Cultivate Jewish Connections.” (Lots of ideas here for those seeking Jewishly-inflected reading and writing resources, by the way.) Thanks in advance for taking a look!

Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Playwriting 101 Update

by Erika Dreifus on
3

GeorgeRemember back in April, when I shared with you my interest in learning how to write a play? Well, three months later, I thought that it might be time for an update.

My progress, such as it is, has been negligible. I’m only a couple of chapters into Kathleen E. George’s Playwriting: The First Workshop. Even so, I’ve finished reading A.R. Gurney’s The Dinner Party (discussed and assigned in George’s book), and I’m about to start David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross (analyzed in my current chapter). I’ve drafted my own first scene, and I’m looking forward to my next generative assignment.

I’m also trying to attend at least one live theater performance each month. My July foray will likely take place next weekend…though I may dodge my own requirement somewhat by watching a free performance of Glengarry Glen Ross from the comfort of my home thanks to Amazon Prime Instant Video.

I’m having fun with this–it’s always exciting to try to take my writing practice in new directions, especially when the stakes are low: I’m not being graded, I have no deadline, I’m not (yet) submitting work for anyone else to see. All of that may happen in due course, to be sure, but those pressures are off for the moment.

How about you? Trying anything new with your writing this summer?

Friday Finds for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Treasure ChestWriting-related resources, news, and reflections to read over the weekend.

  • “Unfortunately, it’s harder to create a memorable character than most people think.” So notes Silas House in an essay for The New York Times‘s “Draft” column. Fortunately, House offers some advice for surmounting the challenges in the same essay.
  • Also on the subject of crafting character: Karen E. Bender on “What Great Writing Can Teach Us About Trayvon Martin.”
  • On The New Yorker‘s Page-Turner blog, Casey N. Cep revisits a short story Eudora Welty wrote after the murder of Medgar Evers. (I remember reading about this in the correspondence between Welty and William Maxwell.)
  • The Renegade Writer specifies the first five things you need to do if you want to start freelance writing.
  • Great guidance for speakers and workshop presenters on negotiating honoraria. (h/t @JaneFriedman)

    • Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on Monday!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

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

  • Over on The Whole Megillah, Barbara Krasner hosts the July Jewish Book Carnival.
  • Congregational librarian Ellen Tilman reports back from the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) annual conference.
  • Rebecca Klempner wants to discuss which books are really “the best books for Jewish kids.”
  • A timely reminder of the ship known as the Exodus–and the Leon Uris novel of the same title.
  • A part-time job is available with the Westchester (N.Y.) Jewish Film Festival.

    • Shabbat shalom.