Notes from Around the Web (and Twitter)

Disturbing, but unsurprisingly good short story by Nathan Englander in the current New Yorker. (Englander's Q&A with Cressida Leyshon piqued my interest, too.)
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Elena Kagan, Jewish feminist.
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Daniel Levenson reviews A Safe Haven, Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel, by Allis and Ronald Radosh
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via @JewishPub RT @KarBenPub Mazel Tov to Association of @JewishLibraries President-Elect Heidi Estrin! http://bit.ly/dpxb7B #Jewish#books
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via @bookoflifepod A brand new blog for folks who write Jewish kidlit! Cool! http://bit.ly/aaw6pA
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via @JewishIdeas A new book narrates the Jewish history of North Carolina http://www.jidaily.com/uXfrUCkqI/t
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Finally, please help me choose the author photo for my forthcoming short story collection, Quiet Americans!

Shabbat Shalom!

Notes from Around the Web

"Germau Mangistu (35), who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia 16 years ago, is a new star that has surfaced in the world of Hebrew short stories. Several weeks ago, he submitted a story to the annual Haaretz Hebrew short story contest and won first place. The award came as a surprise to Germau." Read more here.
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Attention, Twin Cities writers: "We're looking for film/book/theater/music writers for @TCJewfolk's new Jewish culture column. Unpaid but awesome. Hit us up." (via a retweet from @JewishPub)
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Dispatches from the International Writers Festival, Mishkenot Sha'ananim, Jerusalem.
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Nice article on PJ Library's positive impact on Jewish children's book publishing.
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Lots of super content in the current (35th anniversary) issue of Moment, and some of it is available/excerpted online: a symposium on Jewish identity (featuring the likes of authors Geraldine Brooks, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Gary Shteyngart, and others); a "guide" to Jewish American literary sites; and an interview with Lois Lowry.

Shabbat Shalom!

Notes from Around the Web

Some big news of my own: My short story collection, Quiet Americans, will be published in early 2011 by Last Light Studio books. Expect to hear much more about this here!
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New discovery: "Olah-la is a contemporary, online meeting place for writers, artists, and people interested in or connected to Israel." Accepts writing in English and French. (via placesforwriters.com)
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Lovely blog post on "Teaching Tots About Shabbat", by Linda K. Wertheimer.
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Remarkable account of "Mourner's Kaddish in Mumbai," set shortly after the terrorist attack of November 2008, by Akiva Freidlin in Witness.
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Allegra Goodman has another novel coming, and it has received a starred review from Publishers Weekly!
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And just in time for Passover readings, Jonathan Kirsch introduces us to poet Edward Hirsch's latest book.

Books, Books, and More Books

It's going to take me awhile to really absorb Kathy Bloomfield's amazing catalog of "books that matter" on forwords.com.

Here's a bit of the philosophy behind Kathy's choices:

"In addition to the best in Jewish children’s literature, we also look for secular books with Jewish values content. As I decide which of the many new, wonderfully illustrated and delightfully told stories I want to review for my catalog each year, I keep in mind Jewish tradition and Jewish VALUES. I then try to find those books that will convey the values appropriate to a specific age level and curriculum in the best and most effective way possible. Finally, and probably most importantly, I look for those books that will excite the imagination of the children, being taught in a way that will tie them firmly into the lesson being presented, and create for them an internal moral encyclopedia from which they can retrieve information to help them deal with life’s challenges in a Jewishly ethical way."

Sound good to you? Click on over to the site and download your own copy of the catalog.

(Thanks to the Association of Jewish Libraries for the tip!)

Notes from Around the Web

Poet Anne Whitehouse returns to Poetica's JWorld Cafe blog to discuss a Holocaust-related poem in her collection, Blessings and Curses.
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At the CUNY Graduate Center on March 4: Leon Wieseltier.
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The Boston Globe profiles Harold Grinspoon, the philanthropist behind the PJ Library, which provides books to Jewish children at no cost.

Save the Dates for Jewish Authors' Conferences

Look what I found via Twitter!

Sydney Taylor Book Award Celebrates Honorees with Blog Tours

From the Association of Jewish Libraries blog: "The Sydney Taylor Book Award will be celebrating and showcasing its 2010 gold and silver medalists and special Notable Book for All Ages with a Blog Tour, February 1-5, 2010! (A blog tour is like a virtual book tour. Instead of going to a library or bookstore to see an author speak, you go to a website on or after the advertised date to read an author’s interview.)" For details on books and participating blogs, click here.

Writing Contests from Moment Magazine

FOUR contests to tell you about:

New: Moment Magazine Memoir Contest: "Everyone has a story. Moment wants to hear yours. To celebrate the rich and diverse narratives of its readers, Moment is holding a memoir writing contest. We are looking for short personal essays/memoirs (no more than 3,500 words) about you or your family that have some kind of Jewish connection or content. Moment will review all submissions and award one first place award and two honorable mentions to works of outstanding writing."
Deadline: December 31, 2010.
Reading fee: $35 (pretty steep, in my view--I'm not sure I've seen many fees this high for a single-piece [vs. book-length] competition, and although this fee is more than twice the price of entering the fiction contest [see below] the first prize is only half as lucrative, but Moment didn't ask for my input when they came up with the rules).
Prizes: First prize includes $500, plus possible publication; two honorable mentions of $150 apiece.

And three annual contests to remember:

You Can Change the World Essay Contest: social action writing contest for high school students in grades 9-12.
Deadline: February 15, 2010.
No entry fee.
First prize: $500.

Publish-A-Kid(book review contest): open to anyone ages 9-13.
Deadline: February 15, 2010.
No entry fee.

Moment-Karma Short Fiction Contest: for "outstanding works of unpublished short fiction with Jewish content."
Deadline: December 31, 2010.
Reading fee: $15.
Prizes: $1,000/$500/$250, plus possible publication. "Winners may be invited to an awards ceremony. If so, the contest covers a round trip flight or train fare and one night hotel, if necessary. All travel arrangements are to be made by Moment."

Notes from Around the Web

I was really happy to see that David Harris had begun blogging for the Huffington Post...until I started reading some of the comments his posts have garnered. I'm no longer shocked--just saddened and sickened--by the vitriol (call it "disproportionate"?) directed toward Israel and anyone who attempts to defend her.
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Marjorie Ingall reports on "the children's books that traumatized a generation." So much recognition here! Her citation of Der Struwwelpeter brought back some memories of feeling frightened, sure, but also some very happy reminders of my German-born grandmother "performing" the tale of "Der Kaspar": "Ich esse keine Suppe, nein!"
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The program for London's Jewish Book Week (February 27-March 7) has been posted.

Notes from Around the Web

In the Jewish Journal, Rob Eshman describes a recent encounter with Israeli author Amos Oz. (via Ten Minutes of Torah).
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Mark Robichaux reviews We Were Merchants, a new book that "recounts the journey of Erich and Lea Sternberg, Jewish immigrants who escaped with their daughter and two sons from the Nazi terror in Germany in the 1930s and, speaking no English, went into the department-store business in the Deep South. 'We Were Merchants' also describes how the Sternberg family— Erich and Lea would eventually be joined at work by their sons, Hans and Josef, and daughter, Insa—spent the next half-century building up what became the country's largest family-owned department store, acquiring other stores along the way."
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"The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives is pleased to invite applications to its annual Fellowship Program for the 2010-2011 academic year. The Marcus Center's Fellowship Program provides recipients with month long fellowships for research and writing at The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, located on the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Fellowship stipends will be sufficient to cover transportation and living expenses while in residence in Cincinnati. Applicants for the Marcus Center Fellowship program must be conducting serious research in some area relating to the history of North American Jewry." Deadline: March 18, 2010.
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Naomi Firestone shares news of the debut of YM Books, a new venture from Yaldah Magazine. YM Books will focus on books for Jewish girls. (Writers, take note: YM Books is open to queries.)
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And speaking of the younger set: Over on Literary Mama, Rebecca Steinitz offers holiday reading suggestions - and features a number of Jewish holiday titles.
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Finally, I can't tell you how great it was to open an e-mail from Lilith and find out that my friend Rachel Hall's story, "The Things We Do," has launched a new fiction podcast series. "The Things We Do" won Lilith's inaugural fiction contest and was originally published in fall 2001. Yay, Rachel!

Getting in the Holiday Spirit

Thanks to this amazing list of "Rosh Hashanah videos," I located a very funny (and for me, nostalgic) holiday remix of a favorite Muppets tune. Hope you enjoy it, too!

New "Shalom Sesame" Series

The only problem with this news story about a new set of "Shalom Sesame" episodes is the detail about the release date: Chanukah 2010. I just have to hope that my six-year-old niece remains keen on Sesame Street; I'm pretty confident her interest in Israel is going to last.

Upcoming Events at the Museum of Jewish Heritage

News from the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust:

"The September-October public programming schedule at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will feature provocative discussions, intriguing authors, and talented performing artists. The Museum welcomes author Zoë Heller who will speak about her well-received book, The Believers, on September 9. On September 13, families of all ages are invited to American Girl: Meet Rebecca Rubin with author Jacqueline Dembar Greene. The premiere of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, A Radio Play by Meyer Levin, will be performed on September 14. Following the performance, author Cynthia Ozick, historian Neil Baldwin, and others will discuss the controversy surrounding the play and its fall into obscurity. Novelist Dara Horn will discuss her latest book, All Other Nights, on September 16 with Tablet Magazine’s Alana Newhouse.

In conjunction with the special exhibition Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges, a panel of leading academics will discuss Racial Laws: Nuremberg & Jim Crow on October 14; and on October 28, Professor Stephen H. Norwood will talk about his groundbreaking work The Third Reich in the Ivory Tower: Complicity and Conflict on American Campuses.

The Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company will present the world premiere of their new work Tribe, as part of Nextbook’s Jewish Body Festival on October 21. On October 25, author Hans J. Sternberg will discuss his memoir We Were Merchants: The Sternberg Family and the Story of Goudchaux’s and Maison Blanche Department Stores with author Eli N. Evans."

For more information on these programs, consult the Museum of Jewish Heritage.

For the Kids: New Holiday Web Site from Behrman House

Just received this a couple of days ago from Behrman House, and I think it will be keeping my soon-to-be six-year-old niece busy for quite awhile!

We have just developed a new website, www.ElijahRocks.net, that can help you and your family learn about the Jewish holidays. The website provides fun, interactive computer games that explore concepts from our latest holiday book Jewish Holiday Treasure Trail, plus holiday blessings, dictionaries of key words, and word puzzles.

Just click on www.ElijahRocks.net, or type it into your web browser. After the site downloads (it will take about 20 seconds), select a holiday—Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, and more. Then the fun and learning begin!

As you and your family surf the website, you’ll begin learning more and more about the Jewish holidays. By purchasing Jewish Holiday Treasure Trail, you’ll continue to build your family’s holiday knowledge and traditions. As an introductory offer, you can get FREE SHIPPING for one copy of this title. This special offer is only good through June 5, 2009, so act now! Please mention code: TREASURE when ordering.

We hope you’ll visit the website with your child throughout the year, and spend time together learning about the Jewish holidays.

Chag Pesach Sameach

Taking a few days off for Passover. Eager to see how my mom will appease/reward the little ones (we'll have seven of them under eight attending) after the afikoman hunt. Here's an image of a previous year's gift: All hail the Dancing Matzah Man!

Write On for Israel Invites Applications

From a notice in The Jewish Week:

"We are pleased to announce that applications now are being accepted for 'Write on for Israel,' an extensive and exciting two-year program to train a select group of high school juniors to become advocates for Israel through journalism.

A project of The Jewish Week, 'Write on for Israel; teaches students about Israel, Zionism and the Arab-Israeli conflict and empowers them to become effective advocates through writing, broadcasting and public speaking.

Qualified sophomores entering their junior year of high school in the fall of 2009 are invited to apply for the fellowship. Applications can be downloaded from our website at www.writeonforisrael.org."

Application deadline is May 22, 2009.

Notes from Around the Web

I promise to write about the Jewish Fiction Writers' Conference I attended on Sunday in the coming days. In the meantime, here are a few noteworthy links:

Over on the Jewish Book Council's blog, Naomi Firestone shares information about creative writing seminars to be held this summer in Jerusalem.
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Naomi also breaks this story: "We’ve been waiting years for the Jewish equivalent of Samantha, Kirsten, Felicity, Molly, Nellie, and Addie, and we finally have it: Rebecca Rubin. Rebecca will be officially released in May 2009." (Now I'll have a particularly good reason to take my niece to American Girl Place.)
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And on a much more somber note (via an interested friend): Bradley Burston's response to Anne Roiphe, and others.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the winners of this year's Sydney Taylor Book Awards, administered by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) to recognize Jewish children's and teen literature. If you're looking for reading options for the younger set, as I always am, the titles honored by this award program provide excellent possibilities. Find out more about this year's winning books, authors, and illustrators here and here, and follow the exciting blog tour, too.

Talmudist-in-Training

It's been a rough couple of days, for reasons I may explain another time, but I was cheered enormously this morning by a report from my sister about her daughter (my five-year-old niece), who is clearly receiving an excellent religious upbringing.

Unlike her younger brother (not to mention her Aunt Erika!), little R doesn't fall asleep very easily, and often chats with her various stuffed animals before drifting off. Last night, as my sister paused outside my niece's bedroom door, she heard R holding the following discussion with "Bunny" and peers:

"So when there are 3 stars in the sky on Saturday night, then Shabbat is over. But what, do you ask, happens when you can't see any stars at all? Then Shabbat would last forever....Hmmm. That really makes no sense."

I think we have a Talmudist on our hands.

Tenth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference

This message arrived in my e-mailbox this morning.

Some of you may be interested in the Tenth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference on November 23 at the 92nd Street Y in New York. We invite everyone to attend and ask that you pass on this announcement to others you think might be interested.

Thanks.

Anna Olswanger, Conference Coordinator

Tenth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers' Conference
Sunday, November 23, 2008, 9 AM to 5 PM
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
$95 before November 1, $110 after November 1
Fee includes kosher breakfast and lunch

The 92nd Street Y Buttenwieser Library and the Jewish Book Council are cosponsoring the Tenth Annual Jewish Children's Book Writers'Conference at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan on Sunday, November 23, 2008, from 9:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

Featured speakers are associate agent Michelle Andelman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, publisher David E. Behrman of Behrman House, executive editor Michelle Frey of Alfred A. Knopf and Crown Books for Young Readers, editor Larry Rosler of Boyds Mills Press, director Joni Sussman of Kar-Ben Publishing, and illustrator’s agent Melissa Turk of Melissa Turk & The Artist Network.

Award-winning author Johanna Hurwitz will give opening remarks, and the day will include sessions on publishing and writing in Israel, the Sydney Taylor Book Award and Manuscript Competitions, and individual consultations with editors and agents from past conferences.

The registration form is available for download at www.92y.org/content/pdf/jewishchildrensbookwriters.pdf. Call 212-415 5544 or e-mail library@92Y.org for additional information or to request the form by mail. The final registration deadline is November 17.

If you write or illustrate children's books for the Jewish market, this conference is for you!