Pre-Shabbat #JewLit Links

by Erika Dreifus on
4

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

  • “Two Brothers,” a poem of Purim and Passover, is the latest brilliant work from Julia Knobloch to appear on the Jewcy site.
  • I no longer work for the publisher who brought Jessamyn Hope’s debut novel Safekeeping to readers, so I have no financial incentive to share the fact that you can buy it at all. But I love this book. (As I’ve said before—and I’ll say again—it reminds me of Amos Oz’s kibbutz fiction. If that appeals, then so will this.) And Safekeeping is currently a Kindle special for just $2.99, so if you’ve been waiting to purchase it, now’s a good time!
  • Yesterday was International Women’s Day; I’m going to extend my observance over the weekend by taking a closer look at Beth Kissileff’s “list of inspiring books by Jewish women” over on The Wisdom Daily.
  • Reminders about some other posts that appeared here on My Machberet this week: a call for fiction from Moment magazine, and a poem from my own archive.
  • And if you’re looking for some weekend viewing, consider this recording of authors Dara Horn and Ruby Namdar in conversation about “Jewish time, language, and stories,” with Sandee Brawarsky. I’m looking forward to watching it, myself.

    • Shabbat shalom, chaverim.

    MOMENT Magazine Seeks Short Fiction

    by Erika Dreifus on
    6

    Posted here with permission from Susan Keselenko Call, Moment‘s fiction editor:

    “Moment Magazine is putting together a fiction issue this summer and we are looking for previously unpublished short fiction, up to 4,000 words. We do pay a small fee—in the $300-350 range. Flash fiction/graphic stories, etc. also welcome. (Not entirely sure what the pay scale will be for shorter work but DM me with questions.) Please send work to me before May 1 at collsusanj(at)gmail(dot)com THANKS!”

    NB: If you’re sent a submission to Moment‘s fiction contest, and would like to have the same piece considered for this fiction issue, please re-submit to Susan directly and indicate that you’ve already entered the piece in the contest. Note also that for this opportunity, Susan has indicated that Jewish content “helps” but is “not a strict requirement.”

    In Memoriam: A Poem from My Archive

    by Erika Dreifus on
    9

    This weekend brought the sad news of the passing of Charles Elbaum, a charming man whom I had the pleasure of meeting when his middle son and my bff became engaged in the early 1990s. Over the years, I’ve had the joy of sharing many Elbaum simchas with their family.

    Beyond his warmth and sweetness, Charles was quite brilliant (he was a physics professor at Brown University). He was also a Holocaust survivor.

    In his memory, I share here a poem I wrote shortly after his eldest grandchild became a Bat Mitzvah, in a service that featured one of these rescued scrolls. (more…)

    Words of the Week

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    “The new state was sealed north, east, and south by hostile borders and washed on the west by the merciful Mediterranean—the sea into which its children dove as if into the arms of complete freedom and from which they learned the audacity they made their trademark, and into which Fanya never stepped after she saw a jellyfish floating in its waters.”

    Source: Rachel Kadish, From a Sealed Room

    (Cross-posted on Practicing Writing as a “Sunday Sentence”)