Notes from Around the Web: Literary Links for Shabbat

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Ann Goldberg shares lessons learned at the Jerusalem Writers’ Seminar.
  • Carlin Romano reviews a new essay collection focused on Primo Levi and concludes: “Primo Levi was not just a Holocaust survivor or ‘great Holocaust author.’ He was a humanist who insisted on justice—one whose incisive voice against those who murder the innocent still speaks to all lands, and all cultures.”
  • A hearty Mazel Tov to Gary Shteyngart, the first American to win the Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction for his novel, Super Sad True Love Story. Named for the British humorist, the prize isn’t exactly kosher, though–it confers, among other items, a pig named in Shteyngart’s honor.
  • The Whole Megillah’s series on using social media to promote Jewish children’s books continues.
  • Finally, just in case you missed my musings on the Jewish Book NETWORK/Meet the Author programs, you’ll find my list of tbr discoveries here and an account of my Sunday evening here.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: Self-Interview Re: The Jewish Book NETWORK & Meet the Author Programs

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Q. Erika, what is the Jewish Book NETWORK?

    A. Well, Erika, according to the Jewish Book Council’s website, “The Jewish Book NETWORK is a membership organization of close to 100 participating sites, JCCs, synagogues, Hillels, Jewish Federations and other related organizations that host Jewish book programs. Through this NETWORK, the Jewish Book Council is able to provide extensive resources to the program coordinators, including introduction to authors interested in touring Jewish book festivals, advice from experts on topics that affect a book program, and a chance to learn from the experiences of others in the field. “

    Q. And what is “Meet the Author”?

    A. Again, right from the source: “Each year the Jewish Book Council sponsors a conference for all Jewish Book NETWORK members and their lay leaders in conjunction with the annual BookExpo America. This conference begins the new season of book festival planning. In addition to workshops and networking among the NETWORK members, the annual conference includes a program called Meet the Author. Through this event, authors are invited to speak to the members of the Jewish Book NETWORK in the hopes of touring and visiting with the Jewish book programs that are represented.”

    Q. So what does this have to do with you? Your book? (more…)

    The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers: #BEA11 Edition

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • Maybe you’ve heard about a little gathering taking place in New York this week? Something called BookExpo America? No? In that case, you may want to read this primer for some background. (hat tip to Jessica Strawser)
  • If you’re feeling left out because you aren’t attending BEA, don’t worry. I live here in New York, and I’m not attending either. But I am staying semi-informed by following online coverage, including occasional monitoring of the #BookExpo and #BEA11 hashtags.
  • Attention, reviewers and book bloggers: Just because you’re not going to BEA doesn’t mean you can’t find out which titles will be out later this year. Check out Barbara Hoffert’s BEA Galley & Signing Guide for some information nuggets. (Yes, you’ll have to do some detective work about pub dates, but at least this can get your started.)
  • Complementary conference info: a guide to BEA parties that don’t appear to require invitations.
  • A number of other literary events take place in tandem (officially or unofficially) with BEA. One of these is the Jewish Book NETWORK conference, which features a Meet the Author program. Tune in tomorrow for an account of my Meet the Author debut, which took place on Sunday.

    • TBR: Forthcoming Books by Jewish Book NETWORK Authors

    by Erika Dreifus on
    6

    One of the best parts of participating in the Jewish Book NETWORK‘s Meet the Author Program as one of the 2011-12 authors is the opportunity I had on Sunday evening to meet some fellow NETWORK authors whom I’ve admired for a long time. For example, I was able to tell Melissa Fay Greene how much I learned from The Temple Bombing; I finally met Joan Leegant; and, thanks to the privileges of alphabetical order, I sat right next to David Bezmozgis (whose novel, The Free World, I’m just starting to read on my Kindle).

    Many of the authors I had the good fortune to meet on Sunday–and others who may have shown up for one of the other sessions (this program is so large that not all of the authors can be accommodated in one evening)–are promoting books that have not yet been published.

    Here are just ten forthcoming titles that were discussed on Sunday and/or are featured in this year’s Jewish Book NETWORK guide that I’m especially eager to read. (And if you’re a book reviewer looking for summer/fall titles to review, maybe you’ll find some here to interest you as well.)

  • Ellen Feldman, Next to Love (Spiegel & Grau, July)
  • Martin Fletcher, The List (St. Martin’s, October)
  • Pam Jenoff, The Things We Cherished (Doubleday, July)
  • Jodi Kantor, The Obamas (Little, Brown, November)
  • Peter Orner, Love and Shame and Love (Little, Brown, November)
  • Alyson Richman, The Lost Wife (Berkley/Penguin, September)
  • Rebecca Rosenblum, The Big Dream (Biblioasis, September)
  • Philip Schultz, My Dyslexia (Norton, September)
  • Anna Solomon, The Little Bride (Riverhead, September)
  • Evelyn Toynton, The Oriental Wife (Other Press, July)

    • Two more things: Evan Fallenberg’s novel, When We Danced on Water, was released just last week. So, technically, it’s no longer “forthcoming.” But I wanted to give it (and Evan, an author I’d heard about but hadn’t met before Sunday) a shout-out here, anyway. I also have to mention Randy Susan Meyers’s The Murderer’s Daughters. Randy was there on Sunday to promote the paperback, and I told her very honestly that a copy is atop the stack on my nightstand right now.

    Reactions? Thoughts?