Jewish Book Carnival discussion

Greetings to all. I would like to share both a recent honor and an ongoing quandary. My holocaust-themed novel You, Fascinating You has been designated Editor's Choice by the Historical Novel Society and called "Faultless." The book has been well-received in several niches, but has received almost no attention in the Jewish media (despite my publisher's best efforts).

The book's protagonist was Jewish but married an Italian Catholic composer. She was not observant. I am wondering how group members feel toward books that feature secular Jewish characters who do not consistently practice the religion or conform to an ideal. Are such books less appealing to Jewish readers? How Jewish is Jewish enough?

All the best!

What constitutes a "Jewish" book has been the subject of much discussion for decades. While my RASHI'S DAUGHTERS historical trilogy is obviously Jewish - characters, themes, and historical situation concern Jews - others are not so clear cut. IMHO Holocaust-themed books are not automatically Jewish. If the character is a secular Jew and everyone else is Catholic, and her background has no bearing on the plot, then how is this a "Jewish" story? As for getting coverage in the Jewish media, I haven't gotten much attention either, so I have no idea what their criteria is.
Maggie Anton

Oh sweet mystery... Thanks for these insights, Maggie. In answer to what you may only have intended as a rhetorical question, my protagonist's Jewish identity becomes more pronounced as events progress.

Continued success with your trilogy!

Interesting question. It's like asking who is a jew.Your plot sounds perfect to me because it incorporates the reality that we face. so i think that the question should be how do we get this material to those who it will be enjoyed by most and who can learn the most from it. Please keep your writing real. I converted to Judaism my poor husband is a staunch secular jew.I teach hebrew school, he can't find the synagogue.I love books that help keep us all jews with all our different interpretations and our shared culture, our foods, music, literature and our ability to not be afraid to express our opinion.

Thank you, Mary, for reminding me of the spirit of my own Jewish upbringing. Every stream of Judaism was represented in my family, and acceptance and tolerance set the tone for our interaction. I would like to think that my books reflect this generosity of spirit and openness to different interpretations of Judaism and Jewishness. All the very best to you!

You, Fascinating You

Don't rely on your publisher's efforts. Take it upon yourself to contact the Jewish Literary Review, the Jewish Journal, and your local Jewish publication. Query them yourself. I had a very warm response from these folks and many of those who reviewed my book, published in other Jewish media.

My other thought is that if Jewishness isn't a theme or issue in the story, but only the background, that may be the reason the Jewish media isn't jumping on it. It's less a matter of 'who's a Jew' and more an issue of how important the theme of Jewishness is to the story.

There are a number of interviewers and reviewers who specialize in Jewish-themed books but, as I said, if Judaism isn't the MAIN theme, it's sometimes ignored.

Again, I don't think it's wise to rely totally on your publisher's efforts. If anyone's going to care about publicizing the book, it's the author. I think reviewers really appreciate the personal touch of being contacted by the author.

Thanks, Delin, for your insight. You're so right that an author needs to be actively involved in book promotion. On another note, I notice you've written a book about Rasputin. What a fascinating topic! Good luck with it.

I've had good response from local Jewish publications. Now it's time to explore further a field. Thanks for your suggestions. Continued success with your Jewish-themed books.

Thanks, Claire. I can understand why your saga of a Jewish family and its Torah scroll would be well received by Jewish periodicals at the local or national level. Onward!

Delin has a very good point about taking it upon yourself, especially if your publicist is employed by your publisher rather than an independent. I hired an independent publicist and I know she worked very hard on follow-up, which I've heard can get overlooked by in-house publicists. I got a little coverage for THE BOOKIE'S SON in places like The Jewish Advocate even though it's published by a micro-press.

Thank you, Andrew, for sharing your experience. What a wide variety of Jewish literature is represented in this group! I relate to the statement you make in your profile about growing up in a place that no longer exists. For me that place was Newark, home of Phillip Roth. My ancestors also came from places that no longer exist. This seems to be an overarching theme of Jewish literature.

You, Fascinating You

I'm new to this group and this very interesting and useful thread is the first I've read.

I'd say your question about what is Jewish enough becomes more and more relevant as our society as a whole becomes more diverse. What Jewish family doesn't have someone who is "different," whether non-Jewish, adopted from the third world, a convert from a very different background, etc.?

Of course, from such pressures and changes, we authors mine some great stories. (And, yes, I have an upcoming book "Jo Joe" with such a theme.)

Thanks for bringing a new dimension to the thread, Sally. I look forward to your upcoming book.

For those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving!

http://germainewrites.com/2012/10/a-l...

Adding to this discussion: some thoughts inspired by Tablet magazine's new series of original fiction.

http://www.erikadreifus.com/2012/11/o...

Brava, Erika, for your bold and thoughtful essay. You clearly have well reasoned views on this topic and present them with clarity and passion.

Let me take this opportunity to say how much I appreciate all that Erika does to promote Jewish literature through her blogs, essays, reviews, and other writings. Anything she writes is well worth reading.

Great article, Erika. As the author of what has to be quintessential Jewish historical novels - "Rashi's Daughters" trilogy and Rav Hisda's Daughter, Book I: Apprentice: A Novel of Love, the Talmud, and Sorcery - I may not be able to define "Jewish" fiction, but I know it when I read it. I agree with Erika completely that I expect Tablet Magazine's fiction to pass the "Jewish" test. After all, that's how Tablet identifies itself.

There are many venues for short fiction, and some excellent Jewish fiction can occasionally be found there, but when a site calls itself "a new read on Jewish life," I expect subject matter that is explicitly Jewish, not 'proto-Jewish' or 'near-Talmudic.'

Maggie Anton

Germaine wrote: "Brava, Erika, for your bold and thoughtful essay. You clearly have well reasoned views on this topic and present them with clarity and passion.

Let me take this opportunity to say how much I appr..."

Germaine, I'm really touched by this. Thank you!

Maggie wrote: "Great article, Erika. As the author of what has to be quintessential Jewish historical novels - "Rashi's Daughters" trilogy and Rav Hisda's Daughter, Book I: Apprentice: A Novel of Love, the Talmud..."

Thank you, Maggie, and thank you for posting this on the blog, too. I very much appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks, Maggie and Erika. On this question I consider myself a centrist, roughly between your positions and Tablet's. I think what's important is that we Jewish readers and authors not become polarized in our views (we have enough of THAT in our political lives) and remain appreciative of one another's contributions. Even in this small group there's so much diversity, and so much talent!

I'm looking for some good blogs about Jewish and/or historical fiction to link to on mine. Erika, you're more up on this than I am - can you please make some suggestions? Also feminist Jewish blogs.
Maggie Anton

Maggie, I've seen your site, and you're already linking to some of the ones I'd recommend. You might consider adding The Forward's "Sisterhood" blog, too. Check it out at http://blogs.forward.com/sisterhood-b....

Germaine...I read your book and thought it was well written. I reviewed it, and here is the link.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12...

No matter our level or degree of Jewishness, what is most important is the fact that we respect those who differ than our beliefs. We need to be tolerant of others whose Jewish identity isn't exactly like our own, and respect their choices. Actually, we need to be tolerant of others who are not Jewish, and respect their choices.

I don't think there's any disagreement regarding the importance of respect or tolerance. Judging from the response to my post about the Tablet fiction series, there's just some disagreement about what to expect from a magazine that bills itself as a source for "Jewish" news, ideas, and culture.

Whatever one thinks of Tablet's criteria for Jewish fiction, I'm grateful that they have articulated their views and given writers an idea of what they are looking for. I also give Tablet credit for publishing Erika's essay challenging those views—and Erika credit for her chutzpah :-)

I have messaged Lorri privately to thank her for the very generous review.

Just a point of information: I published the essay on my own blog. If Tablet has linked to or otherwise cited it, I haven't seen that yet, although I did have a perfectly pleasant exchange with the arts and culture editor before I posted the essay myself.

And yes, Lorri is a wonderfully generous reviewer!

Erika wrote: "Maggie, I've seen your site, and you're already linking to some of the ones I'd recommend. You might consider adding The Forward's "Sisterhood" blog, too. Check it out at http://blogs.forward.com/s..."

That one is on my list, also The Talmud Blog [http://thetalmudblog.wordpress.com/]
and
Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance [http://www.jofa.org/index.aspx]

My gaffe, Erika.

With Love, The Argentina Family: Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with Knishes

I've written a memoir that speaks to issues of growing up as an immigrant here in the US; an immigrant that is Jewish (practically in name only), that speaks Spanish (but not "Mexican") and whose grandparents were Russian. My story resonates with many I think; as we struggle to assimilate yet not lose our roots.

Best of luck with your memoir, Mirta.

Germaine wrote: "Best of luck with your memoir, Mirta."

Thank you!

Mirta, I hope that your intended audience finds your memoir. Best wishes.

From Chapter "Ascending", pages 191-195:

Kids were spilling out through the open doors and Hebrew music was being played quite loudly on the Hi Fi. The walls seemed to be held up by dozens of posters all depicting various locations in Israel. I read the unfamiliar words: Masada - Jerusalem of Gold - The Kotel.

Yosi came out to greet us and helped us find our way into a lounge area. People were all gathered around listening to a couple speak. Yosi said we had made it just in time.

“What’s going on?” I asked Silvia.

She whispered back, so as not to interrupt the lecture, “They’re visitors from Israel. They’ve come to talk to us about their experiences and to share information. Haven’t you ever heard of the Sochnut?”

“Soch-what?” I giggled.

“The Sochnut. It’s a Zionist organization. Lots of Argentine kids are making aliyah; students, young couples, even families. Israel is inviting her people to return.”

“Why are so many young people leaving?”

“It’s a political matter, as well as an emotional pull. On one hand, with all the military repression, we can hardly breathe, let alone plan for our future. The economy is getting worse every day; university students have no incentive to continue their studies. On the other hand, Israel needs us. We can be a part of history; rebuild and recreate a safe haven- our homeland.”

“But hasn’t it been safe here in Argentina? This is supposed to be Paris of South America-cultured and sophisticated. I mean, I know about the anti-Semitism and all, but…”

A young man standing nearby overheard our conversation and quickly positioned himself in between us; there was no mistaking his intent. Introductions were made and he immediately understood why I would have made such a statement. He looked at Silvia as if to say “May I?” and then he turned to me.

“Our great grandparents came here to escape the pogroms of Russia; they came to escape bigotry and ignorance. Unfortunately, it seems whenever there are problems, be they financial or political, the ignorant masses blame the Jews. It wasn’t long after our families arrived that a series of riots and massacres took place in Buenos Aires. It was called Semana Trágica (Tragic Week); a week in January 1919 that began with strikes and picketing workers. One conflict after another began taking place; mobs went lose all over Buenos Aires destroying property, injuring-even murdering innocent people. The city was at a complete stand still, held hostage between the rioters and striking workers. The Argentine Patriotic League took advantage of the mayhem and specifically targeted the Jewish population of Buenos Aires; inciting pogroms and adding new victims to the ever growing list of dead and wounded.”

“They ran through the streets in El Once, where our grandparents live, shouting “death to the Rusos,” Silvia interjected.

The young man nodded and continued, “This League, which received military training and was supported by the Church, identified “los Rusos” with the Bolsheviks and blamed them for the current state of affairs with the unions. Jews here in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America, were dragged from their homes, beaten, shot and killed.”

“I had no idea…”

“Most people think about Nazis hiding out in Argentina, but the anti-Semitism goes way back. Ask your parents, ask your new friends. Argentine youth look ahead and face an unstable future; they look back and see a frightening history. Israel is inviting people to come home and help rebuild. I think we need to at least listen to what they have to offer.”

Again, I realized how ignorant I was and how out of place I felt. For my fifteenth birthday, my cousins Monica and Rolando gave me a huge gold Star of David. I wanted to wear it as a testament but sadly; I didn’t have a clue what it stood for or what being a Jew truly meant. I lived in a Peter Pan world, traipsing around in Never-Never Land.

With Love, The Argentina Family: Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with Knishes