From My Bookshelf: THE INNOCENTS, by Francesca Segal

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Just a couple of days ago I mentioned that I’ve been reading The Innocents, the debut novel by Francesca Segal. As I noted, Segal’s book updates Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and transplants it to a tight-knit Jewish community in contemporary London.

I picked up a complimentary pre-publication copy (and had it signed by the author) at last month’s Book Expo America here in New York City. I also had the good fortune to catch one of Segal’s tweets about a reading she was giving at a bookstore in my neighborhood that same week, so I had the chance to hear the book’s opening section read aloud with a suitably British accent.

But it took a few weeks until I managed to start reading the book myself. Once I began, it was tough to put the book down. I’m not at all certain that all other readers will be as captivated by both elements of the book–the adaptation of the Wharton tale and the depiction of a Jewish community and its customs–as I was. But they sure captivated me.

I’ll leave you with a sampling of brief excerpts–passages that I found so resonant that they inspired me to dog-ear their respective pages and return to think consider them more intensively. (more…)

Friday Finds for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
2

For the weekend: some writing-related reflections, news, and resources to enjoy.

  • First up: Rachel Unkefer, whose many roles include leading Charlottesville’s WriterHouse, explains why she’s adding yet another facet to her identity: poet. There’s much here that resonates as I remember the path that led me to four online poetry workshops. For instance: “Recently there have been a few nagging ideas, though, that I haven’t known what to do with. They weren’t enough to base a short story on, even flash fiction. They could have been musings in the head of a character in a novel, but they had too much weight for me to relegate them to such a minor role. And they wouldn’t go away. Looking out my window or walking in my neighborhood triggered them. Maybe these are poems, I thought, but I don’t know how to write poems.” And so a new field of study–and writerly practice–is born.
  • In praise of the semicolon.
  • Hey, book reviewers! Looking for some fall titles to review? The Millions offers quite a preview.
  • Did you miss The International Conference of the Short Story, which recently convened in Little Rock, Ark.? Me, too. Luckily, Creating Van Gogh has a conference recap.
  • Finally, author Kyle Minor has made available an online “Sketchbook: Selections from my Writer’s Notebook, 2010-2012 (45,000 Words of Interview Excerpts, Links, Quotations, Mini-Essays, and Thoughts about the Craft and Art of Making Literature).”

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

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday, My Machberet presents a set of Jewish Literary Links to close out the week.

  • First up: I’m currently reading Francesca Segal’s The Innocents, a novel that updates Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence and transplants it to Jewish London. You still have time to read a copy yourself before the Jewish Book Council’s Twitter chat with the author, which is slated for July 16.
  • Also looking just a bit ahead: If you’re in New York, you may want to catch “Four Jewish Guys: Poetry and Performance,” scheduled for July 19 and featuring Jake Marmer, Jay Michaelson, Yehoshua November, and Philip Terman.
  • Not easy to read, but noteworthy nonetheless: “The American Girl in the Bunker,” a first-person account of a volunteer from New York serving in an IDF paratrooper unit–and dealing with rockets from Gaza.
  • Very different material, but also worth your time: Deborah Eisenberg’s new short story, “Cross Off and Move On.”
  • And over on Bagels and Books, there’s a nice recap of this spring’s Writers’ Festival in Jerusalem.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Habits of a (Slightly More) Productive Writer

    by Erika Dreifus on
    8

    I’ve discerned a couple of trends in my writing practice over the past couple of weeks.

    First, I’ve been getting up earlier each weekday, and sneaking in either a) more writing before I leave for the day job or b) a workout at the gym before the same. Both activities seem to be boosting my mood and energy level. I feel as though I’ve accomplished something important for myself before heading off to the land of 9 to 5. (Please remind me that I wrote this if and when I slip back into less-productive habits.)

    Slightly more interesting, or at least unexpected, is the extent to which I’ve been taking to heart from Midge Raymond’s Everyday Writing: Tips and Prompts to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life. (more…)

    Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    If it’s Monday, it’s time for me to share some opportunities with you. No application fees. Paying gigs.

  • Canadian journal Ryga (“a journal of provocations”) “welcomes submissions of previously unpublished poetry, prose and short plays that coincide with our editorial mission.” Pays: $100 (presumably in Canadian dollars). (via placesforwriters.com)
  • The Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize recognizes the “best poetry collection published by an Upstate [N.Y.] author” between January 1, 2011 and July 1, 2012. Confers a prize of $2,000. No entry fee. Deadline: August 31, 2012.
  • For writers in the Greater Hartford (Conn.) region: “The Wisdom House Writers Fellowship Program was created in June 2010 to support low-income writers residing in the 29-town Greater Hartford region* in developing their work. Consideration will be given to writers who cannot afford to attend the retreat facility on their own. The program was made possible through a grant from the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The fellowships provide local writers with an opportunity to focus on and develop their writing by providing a quiet environment at the Wisdom House Retreat and Conference Center in Litchfield, CT. The program covers accommodations and meals….Deadlines for receipt of applications will be the 1st of every other month (September 1, November 1, etc.).” No application fee. (via @femministas)
  • “The George Mason University, Department of English [Va.] invites applicants for a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Poetry position to begin fall 2013. Substantial publications (at least one poetry book published and substantial work toward a second) are required, along with a proven teaching record. The successful candidate will teach graduate and undergraduate courses and workshops (2-2 load) in a well-established MFA and new BFA program (pending approval), and also direct theses in the MFA. Academic and university service is required.”
  • The Peace Corps (Washington) is looking for a Writer/Editor, 826 Seattle seeks a Programs Coordinator, and 826 Boston is advertising for an In-School Project Coordinator.
  • Don’t forget that the July issue of The Practicing Writer is now available, and you can find plenty of additional contests & calls listed there.