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Notes from Around the Web: Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Adam Langer likes David Bezmozgis’s new novel. A lot.
  • This New York Times article describes eating disorders among the Orthodox–and spotlights memoirist Naomi Feigenbaum.
  • A highlight of this week: chatting with my Jewish Book Council hosts and all the participants who stopped by the Twitter Book Club discussion of my story collection, Quiet Americans.
  • Another highlight: attending a preview performance of the new musical, The People in the Picture.
  • Finally, for the Sabbath, enjoy Marge Piercy’s poem, “Wellfleet Shabbat.”

    • Shabbat shalom, and chag Pesach!

    Job Alert: Media/Research Manager

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Based in New York, the Israel Action Network (IAN) seeks a Media & Research Manager. Details about the position are available here. Meantime, here’s some background on the IAN:

    “The Israel Action Network (IAN) is an unprecedented community driven effort by the North American Jewish community to counter the assault in Israel’s legitimacy. IAN is a partnership between the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) to provide resources, expertise and other support to combat the growing efforts to de-legitimize the State of Israel and the including calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS Movement), and other means to isolate Israel from the international community, to distort and blur Middle East reality and undermine the effort to achieve a viable two-state solution where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and prosperity. The IAN will work with Federations and Jewish Community Relations Councils across the continent as well as with other local and global partners to develop a strong, unified Jewish communal as well as a civil society response to these dangerous efforts.”

    Notes from Around the Web: Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • It’s still April, which means that it’s still National Poetry Month. To celebrate, The Forward‘s Arty Semite blog is featuring new poetry every weekday.
  • Also celebrating: Moment magazine, with a feature on “Ten Great Jewish Poets.”
  • Moment may have to add another poet to its list. This week, The Writer’s Almanac featured an absolutely stunning poem by Jacqueline Berger: “Why I’m Here.” Go read it.
  • In other news, Linda K. Wertheimer reports on an unusual writing workshop: at a mikveh.
  • New Jersey Jewish News interviews author Anita Diamant.
  • The shortlist for the Jewish Quarterly-Wingate Prize has been announced. (Hat tip: The Literary Saloon.)
  • Mark Shechner, Thane Rosenbaum, and Victoria Arons–judges for the Edward Lewis Wallant Prize–share their thoughts on “The New Jewish Literature.”
  • Don’t forget, it’s just a few days until the next meeting of the Jewish Book Council’s Twitter Book Club. Up on Tuesday (April 12): Quiet Americans! I really hope to see you there!

    • Meantime, Shabbat shalom!

    Words of the Week: Richard Goldstone

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    As you may have heard by now, a certain Richard Goldstone has had second thoughts about a certain report that bears his name. In The Washington Post, Goldstone writes, among other things, that “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.”

    Too little, too late. His report’s damage has been done. As always, Jeffrey Goldberg sums it all up perfectly, in a blog post and in an even more concise tweet: “Shorter Goldstone: Without evidence, I accused Israel of premeditated murder. My bad!”

    Notes from Around the Web: Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    (Today marks the beginning of National Poetry Month, and this link list appropriately begins with poetry for the occasion.)

  • On Monday, The Chronicle of Higher Education‘s Arts & Academe blog featured Erika Meitner’s poem, “Yizker Bukh.”
  • Adam Kirsch reviews and recommends Whitethorn, a new poetry collection by Jacqueline Osherow.
  • Yoram Kaniuk has won the Sapir Prize for Literature.
  • “Writer, historian and playwright Jane Mushabac will perform and discuss her Sephardic short story “Pasha: Ruminations of David Aroughetti” on Monday, April 11, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., in New York City College of Technology’s (City Tech) Atrium Amphitheater, 300 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The public is invited to this free event.”
  • Remember that my story collection, Quiet Americans is the Jewish Book Council’s April selection for its Twitter Book Club. Come tweet with us on April 12.
  • And if you’re a Kindle fan, here’s some extra good news: Quiet Americans is now available for the Kindle! And I’m giving away two “copies”!
  • Quiet Americans has also been chosen by a Pennsylvania synagogue for its May book group. I’ll be chatting with the group via phone when they gather. If you’re interested in inviting me to join your discussion of Quiet Americans–or even if you’d just like to peruse a few discussion questions–please click here for more information.

    • Shabbat shalom!