Sunday Sentence

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

NJIn which I participate in David Abrams’s “Sunday Sentence” project, sharing the best sentence I’ve read during the past week, “out of context and without commentary.”

When we got to Auburn, the two of us, I couldn’t understand how he rose so high, so free of his name and his looks, how he became a leader, while I was just some other guy from the joke state of New Jersey.

Source: Pamela Erens, The Virgins

Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday My Machberet presents an array of Jewish-interest links, primarily of the literary variety.

  • This week brought the August edition of the Jewish Book Carnival, featuring news, reviews, and interviews from the world of Jewish books.
  • The week also brought this wonderful news: Marge Piercy has chosen my friend Rachel Hall’s gorgeous manuscript of linked short stories, Heirlooms, as winner of the BkMk Press/G.S. Sharat Chandra Prize for Short Fiction. Friends, you will love this book, and I’ll be telling you more about it as it continues its way toward publication.
  • Thanks to the Tikvah Fund, you can listen in on a recent conversation with Dara Horn on Jewish literature and life.
  • And thanks to our team at Fig Tree Books, you can enter a new giveaway to win an advance copy of Edward Lewis Wallant’s The Pawnbroker, featuring Dara’s extraordinary new foreword.
  • Speaking of Fig Tree Books, our August newsletter went out to subscribers this week.

    • Shabbat shalom to all

    Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

    by Erika Dreifus on
    5
    Stuart Miles/FreeDigital Photos.Net
    Stuart Miles/FreeDigital Photos.Net

    Good News (Which Shall Remain Mysterious, for Now)

    By far the best writing-related news I’ve heard this week has nothing to do with my own work. I am currently sworn to secrecy, but I promise that I will share this news and all of its happy sequelae as soon as I am able to do so. Let’s just say that I feel like raising a big virtual glass of champagne right now.

    Seriously, as far as I’m concerned, this is the highlight of my week. Maybe my month. Maybe longer. (more…)

    Words of the Week: Matisyahu

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Unknown-1“The festival organizers contacted me because they were getting pressure from the BDS movement. They wanted me to write a letter, or make a video, stating my positions on Zionism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to pacify the BDS people. I support peace and compassion for all people. My music speaks for itself, and I do not insert politics into my music. Music has the power to transcend the intellect, ideas, and politics, and it can unite people in the process. The festival kept insisting that I clarify my personal views; which felt like clear pressure to agree with the BDS political agenda. Honestly it was appalling and offensive, that as the one publicly Jewish-American artist scheduled for the festival they were trying to coerce me into political statements. Were any of the other artists scheduled to perform asked to make political statements in order to perform? No artist deserves to be put in such a situation simply to perform his or her art. Regardless of race, creed, country, cultural background, etc, my goal is to play music for all people. As musicians that is what we seek. – Blessed Love, Matis”

    Source: Matisyahu’s Facebook page.