Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish news, primarily of the literary variety, from around the Web.

  • Jonathan Gondelman’s thoughtful review of a translation of Hans Keilson’s Life Goes On, in Jewish Ideas Daily.
  • Among the many recent appreciations of Edward I. Koch, my favorites include pieces by two writers I’ve admired for a long time: Jeffrey Goldberg and Thane Rosenbaum.
  • On Tablet, Jew-by-choice Jamaica Kincaid discusses her new book.
  • An intriguing list: “Top 25 Literary Classics About Israel.”
  • Remember this Keshet contest? The contest has produced The Purim Superhero, a new children’s book published by Kar-Ben. See this article from The Jewish Week all about this book featuring Nate, “a Jewish boy with two dads,” and the book’s author, Elisabeth Kushner.
  • Shabbat shalom.

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish news, primarily of the literary variety, from around the Web.

  • Listen to this radio interview with Nora Gold, all about JewishFiction.net, which Gold edits.
  • And speaking of Jewish fiction: Nicole Krauss’s “Zusya on the Roof” appears this week in The New Yorker.
  • David Curzon’s appreciation of poet Harvey Shapiro (1924-2013), courtesy of Jewish Ideas Daily.
  • Call for submissions: “The Israel Association of Writers in English (IAWE) is planning arc-23. The theme of this issue is: ‘beyond boundaries.’ We are looking for work that implicitly or explicitly explores the experience of transcending a boundary, for example personally, politically, poetically, or linguistically. Boundaries can be literal or symbolic. Creative interpretations of this topic are welcome.” NB: “Any resident of Israel, past or present, can submit original material. The material should be in English. Translations of Israeli authors from Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, etc. are welcome, provided that the original’s copyright holder has consented.” Deadline: June 30, 2013.
  • Mazel tov to the winner and honorable mention awardees for this year’s American Library Association Sophie Brody Medal, which “encourages and recognizes outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. The 2013 winning title is The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible by Matti Friedman. Honorable mentions: I Am Forbidden by Anouk Markovits, Nathan Englander’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, and The Lawgiver by Herman Wouk.
  • And you’ve still got some time to enter this giveaway. Two copies of Quiet Americans (which received a Sophie Brody Medal Honorable Mention last year) will be awarded!
  • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish news, primarily of the literary variety, from around the Web.

  • “As an agent, I attract a fair number of queries about Holocaust-related books because of my interest in Judaica. I rarely ask to see these manuscripts, and I’ve never taken on the authors as clients. I know I can’t sell their work. Not many editors, especially of children’s books, want to buy books about Jewish suffering. So why is my new book Holocaust-related?” Read all about agent/author Anna Olswanger’s experience in Publishers Weekly.
  • Mazel tov to Ellen Cassedy, who has won Grub Street’s National Book Prize for her nonfiction book We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust.
  • JewishFiction.Net presents an excerpt from Michael Lavigne’s forthcoming novel, The Wanting.
  • What Brahna Siegelberg gleaned from reading Philip Roth’s latest novels.
  • Last, but not least: As we approach International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I’ve opened another giveaway on Goodreads. This time, two copies of Quiet Americans will be awarded.
  • Shabbat shalom.

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen
    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish news, primarily of the literary variety, from around the Web.

  • It’s always an occasion when a new issue of The Ilanot Review becomes available. The Winter 2013 issue is now online. Its theme: “Foreign Bodies.”
  • Another accolade for Francesca Segal’s The Innocents: the National Jewish Book Award for Fiction. (Read the awards press release and my earlier impressions of the book.)
  • The January 2013 Jewish Book Carnival went live this week, hosted by People of the Books.
  • Novelist Ilan Mochari has some advice for Philip Roth’s biographer. In related news, registration for the upcoming Roth@80 conference is now open.
  • Finally: This is a special week for my story collection, Quiet Americans. Read all about it.
  • Shabbat shalom!

    Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish news, primarily of the literary variety, from around the Web.

  • I’m looking forward to delving into this special “Writing from Israel” poetry and translation feature from The Bakery.
  • Thrilled to see this interview with my former poetry teacher, Matthew Lippman, on The Whole Megillah.
  • See also an interview with Israeli poet Moshe Dor and translator Barbara Goldberg, courtesy of Moment magazine’s blog.
  • On Tablet: New translations of powerful Holocaust poetry by Chava Rosenfarb.
  • D.G. Myers interprets Howard Jacobson – and reviews Jacobson’s Zoo Time – for Jewish Ideas Daily.
  • Shabbat shalom.