Notes from Around the Web: Literary Links for Shabbat

  • 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!

    Notes from Around the Web: Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

  • Looking for some book suggestions? Check out these reviews from the spring issue of Jewish Book World. (Ahem, does one of those books look especially familiar???)
  • If you’re interested in writing Jewish-themed children’s books, you’ll want to take a look at this workshop offering.
  • Remember when I told you about The Forward‘s poetry contest commemorating the centenary of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire? Here’s the winning poem in English. (And here is a special section from The Forward presenting translations of coverage from 100 years ago.)
  • Josh Lambert’s latest books column for Tablet features a number of Italy-themed offerings. (And why not?)
  • Continuing with Italy: This week, I happened to discover Janna Malamud Smith’s striking essay, “An Italian Tragedy.” Smith’s father was Bernard Malamud; her mother was the daughter of Neapolitan immigrants.
  • In my previous life as a student and teacher of 20th-century French history, I would have been sure to attend next week’s event at Columbia University, a conference at the Maison Française on “The Rescue of Jews in France and its Empire during World War II.” The conference is free and open to the public, and it will feature evening film screenings by Pierre Sauvage, whose work I’ve mentioned on this blog before.
  • This Tablet story is the kind of thing I read and immediately begin envisioning as a work of fiction. I seem to be drawn to moral quandaries that confront families.
  • And speaking of families, here’s a glimpse of my niece’s Purim costume. (Of course, when R. first told me that she’d be dressing up as “Three Musketeers,” Aunt-Erika-the-Author imagined a more literary outfit.)
  • Shabbat shalom, everyone, and Chag Purim!

    Jewish Book Carnival: March Edition

    It’s the 15th of the month, and you know what that means!

    Another convocation of the Jewish Book Carnival!

    This month, the Carnival is hosted over on Linda K. Wertheimer’s wonderful Jewish Muse blog. Go on over and take a look at the links Linda has collected there. Dani Shapiro, Anita Diamant, and many others taking part. I’m looking forward to perusing everything more leisurely when I’m not at work (and not trying to squeeze too much–like drafting this post–into my lunch hour!).

    Notes from Around the Web: Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

  • The Jewish Book Council wants your recipes!
  • Job alert: the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) is looking for a Web Editor (the job is in New York). “The ideal candidate will have extensive journalistic experience and keen editorial judgment, familiarity with the broad range of Jewish communal issues, web editing experience, social media savvy, the ability to work quickly and juggle multiple deadlines, creative talent and the flexibility to be a team player and fill in with other editorial duties when necessary.
  • This week I continued to add links on my tribute page for Czech Jewish writer Arnost Lustig (1926-2011)
  • Here’s one way to share the title of any Jewish book you may be reading: Join in the #FridayReads fun on Twitter each Friday. Simply log in, post the title, and be sure to include the #FridayReads hashtag.
  • Speaking of Twitter, I am honored that the Jewish Book Council has chosen my story collection, Quiet Americans, as April’s Twitter Book Club title. Please join the discussion on April 12!
  • Shabbat shalom and chag Purim!

    Notes from Around the Web: Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

  • The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) is digitizing its publications (AJL News & AJL Reviews), and the new issues in the new format are available online for all to enjoy (look to the sidebar on the right-hand side of the screen).
  • Margot Singer has an essay, “A Natural History of Small-Town Ohio,” in the new issue of Ninth Letter (my copy is on its way). In this interview, she discusses the essay–including the role that religion plays in it.
  • Thank you, Umberto Eco. (And thanks to Natasha Solomons, whose Twitter feed led me to Monica Ali‘s link to the Haaretz article.)
  • The new issue of JewishFiction.net features stories by Orly Castel-Bloom (translated by Dalya Bilu), Peter Orner, Racelle Rosett, and several others.
  • I continue to build this tribute page to Arnost Lustig (1926-2011).
  • Shabbat shalom!