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Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

by Erika Dreifus on
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  • As I’ve already mentioned on my other blog, I hope that by the time The New York Review of Books publishes the second part of “A Jewish Writer in America,” which reflects a talk originally given by Saul Bellow in 1988, I’ll have been able to digest fully part one.
  • On the occasion of the release of MetaMaus, Art Spiegelman’s combination book/DVD about the creation of his famous Maus, Ruth Franklin writes: “What MetaMaus makes clear is that Maus, like the works of W.G. Sebald, exists somewhere outside of the genres as they are normally defined: We might call it ‘testimonially based Holocaust representation.’ But no matter what it is called, it gives the lie to the critics of Holocaust literature (as well as certain writers of it) who have insisted that either everything must be true or nothing is true.”
  • From The Literary Saloon’s M.A. Orthofer: “It’s always fun when literature and politics get mixed up, and Giulio Meotti’s wacky op-ed at Ynet, wondering: ‘Why do most of Israel’s prominent writers go easy on Jewish State’s enemies ?’ — which apparently amounts to Israel’s literary tragedy — is a fine example.” I agree with Orthofer that the argument isn’t handled well. But I’m less “indifferent” to that argument than he is.
  • New exhibit at the Yiddish Book Center in western Massachusetts: Isaac Bashevis Singer and his Artists. Runs October 16, 2011-February 15, 2012.
  • Andrew Silow-Carroll highlights an amusing anecdote related in Dwight Garner’s review of the new memoir by author Bruce Jay Friedman.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    1
  • As an academically trained historian of modern France, I subscribe to an active listserv on French history. This week, the listserv presented a review of The Hidden Children of France, 1940-45: Stories of Survival, edited by Danielle Bailly and translated by Betty Becker-Theye.
  • Barbara Krasner (The Whole Megillah) recently returned from Prague, where she visited the graves of Franz Kafka and Arnost Lustig.
  • I neglected to create a dedicated post on the 15th to announce the latest monthly Jewish Book Carnival. But it’s a good one, so please go over to the August host, the HUC-JIR librarians’ blog, and take a look.
  • Tablet profiles the impressive founder of Yaldah magazine.
  • Commentary magazine has launched a literary blog: Literary Commentary. According to the magazine’s editor, John Podhoretz, the blog “will be a place to discuss matters fictional, science-fictional, Jewish-fictional, and all other manner of story, and it will be the charge of D.G. Myers, long a professor of English literature at Texas A&M and now a member of the faculty of the Melton Center for Jewish Studies at Ohio State University.”
  • The Adventures of Augie March, by Saul Bellow, is Chicago’s latest “One Book, One Chicago” pick.
  • I purchased two novels for my Kindle this week: The Submission, by Amy Waldman (whom Eric Herschthal has just profiled for The Jewish Week), and, at long last, Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay, which I hope to read before going to see the movie (my parents saw it last week, and they are still talking about it).

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • This week, Josh Lambert’s new books column looks at an array of “post-Holocaust” titles.
  • Judy Bolton-Fasman reviews Avi Steinberg’s Running the Books for The Jerusalem Report.
  • Interesting item on “Creativity and Cultural Arts in Today’s Jewish Europe.”
  • I am going to have to go see this exhibit at The Jewish Museum.
  • A new podcast from The Book of Life reminds me that Joan Leegant’s novel, Wherever You Go, remains on my tbr list.
  • In the July-August Moment magazine: Katharine Weber’s review of the new Wendy Wasserstein biography by Julie Salamon. And much more.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • Another superb glimpse into French-Jewish literature, courtesy of Benjamin Ivry/The Forward.
  • Received an alert this week from the Museum of Jewish Heritage about what looks to be an excellent fall exhibition: “Emma Lazarus: Poet of Exiles.” Opens October 26.
  • Papers sought for a panel on “Translating the Holocaust” (event: Northeast Modern Language Association Conference, Rochester, N.Y., March 2012).
  • The PJ Library seeks a “PJ Goes to School Educator.” Job is based in West Springfield, Mass.
  • Jonathan Kirsch, on Jews and Baseball.

    • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2
  • One of this week’s highlights was the latest Jewish Book Council “Twitter Book Club”. Up for discussion this time: Deborah E. Lipstadt’s new book, The Eichmann Trial. If you missed the chat, you can read the transcript (the author participated).
  • Another fascinating piece by Adam Kirsch, this time about Israeli writer Lea Goldberg, whose novel And This Is the Light (trans. Barbara Harshav) is available from Toby Press.
  • New podcasts on the Association of Jewish Libraries website!
  • A writing prompt led to this lovely pre-Holy Days post from Frume Sarah.
  • I am going to have to see this film.
  • This week marked the six-month anniversary of my short-story collection, Quiet Americans, which was released last January. Read my “half-birthday” reflections here.

    • Shabbat shalom, everyone.