I want to welcome author Aron Heller to Gilagreenwrites. Yes, I know—it has taken me a long time to return to spotlighting authors since October 7. For a long while, I could only focus on what absolutely needed to get done. I could not even bring myself to promote my own newest novel, The Inheritance, let alone reach out to other writers. And whome...
I'm pleased to welcome author and prosecutor Adena J. Bernstein to gilagreenwrites to discuss her new book Stolen Legacies: The Fight for Nazi-Looted Art, which explores Holocaust-era art theft, legal battles over restitution, and the ongoing fight for justice nearly 80 years after World War II. I had the privilege of working with Adena as an edito...
That's the beauty of historical fiction. You can do that. You can take a real person you admire, and have them cross paths with your imaginary people. My family immigrated to America from the Soviet Union in 1977. I was seven years old. I spoke no English. (OK, that's not true. I knew the words "apple" and "the." How do you translate the word "the?...
Writing is an adventure. It takes numerous twists and turns and alternate routes. It has its frustrations, but ultimately can lead to triumph no matter how long it takes to finish. --Jordan Steven Sher Bio Jordan Steven Sher is the author of four books, three of which focus on Bosnia. His previous two books are a non-fiction and an historical ficti...
"Today if you ask me what kind of Jew I am, I say Iraqi Jewish, because I want the world to know that there are Middle Eastern Jews." BIO Sarah is an Australian born, Iraqi Jewish writer, poet, and educator. She is the author of the award winning picture book, Shoham's Bangle and This is Not a Cholent. Her poetry micro chapbook, This is Why We Don'...
We are not a monolithic group, and our experiences have varied depending on time and place. Welcome to My Third Post in the Mizrachi Heritage Month Series Today, we have the privilege of hearing from the talented author Esther Amini. This marks our third post in the series, but it's our second visit to Iran, a country rich in history, c...
There is a world of exciting Sephardic-themed literature out there that I invite you to explore and perhaps contribute to yourselves. This my first in a guest post blog series honoring Mizrachi Heritage Month. Welcome, Sarah Aroeste! A guest blog post by author Sarah Aroeste The Jewish experience cannot be boiled down to Seinfeld, matzoh...
By Elaine Franklin Whenever I pick up a book, I feel a sense of happy anticipation. It's the same sense of excitement I feel when the lights go down at a play, or the movie is just about to start. I know I'm in for an adventure of some kind, and no matter what genre it is, I know I'll be going on an emotional journey. I'll meet new people, find out...
Sally Wiener Grotta (she/her) is an award-winning writer, photographer and speaker whose numerous books include: Of Being Women, a collection of feminist science fiction stories (NobleFusion Press, 2023) and Daughters of Eve, a collection of essays that mines the tales of biblical Matriarchs to explore modern lives and concerns (Bayit Publishing, 2...
It seems to me to be the primary business of living: learning, growing, gaining in understanding, broadening the scope of our minds till we can recognize how intrinsically connected we all really are. Like a lot of people, I grew up in a religious home. By that I don't mean in a family that simply went to church on a regular basis. Being rais...
When an agent or editor says: "Does this really need to rhyme?" it doesn't mean "I hate rhyme and will never represent it or buy anything that rhymes." In most cases, what they're really saying is: "Your rhyming skills still need some work." Debunking the Myth That "Editors and Agents Don't Like Rhyme" By Rebecca Gardyn Levington There's a misconce...
Which values stand out to you in your own writing that will preserve your legacy? Every year at our Passover Seders, we tell the story of our people, over and over each year, with the intention to pass along our values to the next generations. I do wonder, though, how many authors and illustrators who create today's children's stories r...
I am excited and honored to have Meryl Ain back on gilagreenwrites. This time, she's here to talk about what it's like to launch her second novel, a topic I know many writers and readers want to learn more about. Missed my interview with Meryl Ain about her first novel? "One of the unexpected blessings of the pandemic has been finding a robus...
In the way nothing happens for a reason, you can learn, grow and exploit what does happen. TWO NOVELS OF ISRAEL AND SYRIA by Howard Kaplan When I was a fledgling writer, I watched a Ken Follett television interview about his novel of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Though the locales were remarkably detailed, he explained that he h...
Finding Your Freedom: Getting Past the Resistance That's Holding You Back "I was afraid. I was letting the resistance get to me. And by doing so, I was holding back on sharing my gifts with the world." "Wow, another one?" It's often said in one third admiration, one third disbelief, and one third - "Maybe slow down a bit." No, they're not talking a...
"Encouraging the publication of more Jewish board books by spreading the word of new Jewish board books is one of the best gifts you can give our kids." Bio Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of multiple children's books including the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor winner and Junior Library Guild selection Dear Mr. Dickens. ...
"Within a couple of days he had produced an exquisite black and white storyboard that he had photographed himself and had arranged a meeting with his contacts at Hogarth Worldwide - London's premier post-production house." Author Bio Back in the distant mists of time, Alex spent three years at art college in Maidstone; a college that David Ho...
"Something I discovered early on in the novel writing process is that all I needed to do was tell the story, describe the settings and the characters, and let the symbolism emerge on its own." Although I earned an MFA in Creative Writing thirty years ago and wrote a novel as my thesis -- a novel I never tried to publish, as it felt like more of a l...
I love guest posts, and this one particularly resonated with me. I like to think I'm not alone in beating myself up when my writing routine falls apart or in worrying when I struggle to write. I'm thrilled to have Rabbi Amy Grossblatt Pessah visit gilagreenwrites and offer some deep and meaningful reflections on the practice and art of writing. Wel...
There is an urgent need for books with religiously diverse characters who don't stand out because of their religion or beliefs. by Author Marcia Berneger I want to welcome Marcia Berneger to gilagreenwrites. I'm so happy to have her here to share her thoughts on a topic on the minds of many readers and writers: diversity in children's books. ...
Author Eliezer Shore visits gilagreenwrites today. He offers advice to writers about "the creation of vibrant images" in the minds of their readers. Welcome to gilagreenwrites! BIO: Eliezer Shore is a Jerusalem-based writer, teacher and storyteller. His articles and stories have appeared in publications and anthologies worldwide. His most...
Ronni Robinson joins gilagreenwrites today with an important post about the pandemic and overeating. I'm sure many of you will find the information valuable and please forward to anyone you think might be benefit from reading it. Bio: Ronni is a Sandwich Generation member; she's the tired lunch meat layered between two kids in college and agi...
The Poetic Justice of Grief "You're already writing about your mother?" "It took me years to be able to write about my father." "Don't you need time to grieve?" "Wasn't it incredibly difficult to write about your parents so soon after they died?" These are the kinds of comments I received from people who couldn't believe I picked up my pen im...
Please welcome author Dr. Suzie Lowinger to gilagreenwrites. I'm delighted to have a former class participant as part of my site and I'm always happy to promote more English-speaking writers in Israel. Suzie shares her insights into character and character development and how our own creations can not only surprise us, but have something to teach u...
I'm so thrilled to have author Liza Wiemer visit at gilagreenwrites. With all of the difficulties of the current pandemic, it has given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful writers from all over the world as more people reach out than ever before. Today Liza shares a valuable tip for writers at any stage of manuscript develop...
by Susie Berg It is both a blessing and a curse of being a writer that most of us are also readers. The blessing is pretty clear: books! Covid lockdown? Bring on the "to be read" pile. Put every book I ever wanted to read on hold as an e-book at the library. Buy books to support independent booksellers and authors whose voices shout with both anger...
Please welcome author Meryl Ain to gilagreenwrites. Today Meryl discusses the title of her new novel and the layers of meaning she continues to discover behind it. By Meryl Ain One of the most frequently recurring questions I'm asked about my debut novel is: "What is the meaning of the title, The Takeaway Men, and why did you choose it?" No, ...
I'm delighted today to share with you a guest blog post from Montreal paranormal author Philip Mann who discusses what we choose to write about and Jewish genre fiction. Welcome Philip Mann to gilagreenwrites! One of the main features writers have in common is fear. Fear of expressing ourselves in public, fear of not doing it right, and especi...
Today's guest post is from author Shana Ritter. I'm honored to have her visit me here on gilagreenwrites. Today Shana shares her thoughts on writing during Covid-19. I'm sure so many of us can relate to her words. Welcome, Shana Ritter! One window in my study faces south towards a wide stretch of yard disappearing into trees, the other looks ...
by Melissa Klapper As a university history professor, I am often asked by my students how I first became interested in the study of the past.My answer is simple:reading.I was a voracious reader from a very young age and grew up in a home overflowing with books.And my very favorites, first as a child and then as a teenager, were books that brought h...
I'm a Backstory Rebel by Miriam Drori In one scene of my latest novel, Cultivating a Fuji, the main character, Martin, has to get himself an emergency passport. Martin, despite being intelligent, has no social skills and doesn't know how to stand up for himself. The scene shows the interaction between him and the woman who has to serve him at the p...
A decade ago, I won a partial scholarship to a writing program in Montreal at Concordia University. There I took writing courses with Mary Gaitskill and Jonah Winter and I met some wonderful writers. One of them was Rachel Biale and we've kept in touch on and off ever since. I'm delighted to host her on gilagreenwrites today and I want to...
This website has been up for over a year and my decision to interview authors and to ask them to contribute posts has definitely been my best one. It's allowed me to connect with and hear the voices of so many writers and it's been an honor. Today's post is from Deborah Mendez-Blaauw, who was also gracious enough to review my novel-in-stories ...
I was delighted to sit down with Ottawa Jewish Bulletin editor Michael Regenstreif while I was in Ottawa in September. By Michael Regenstreif Editor I discovered Israeli-Canadian writer Gila Green more than six years ago when I read her fascinating futuristic novel, King of the Class. As I noted in my review, published in the Ottawa Jewi...
"All I remember of my grandmother's house was her doll collection. I was five and overweight from too much Kentucky Fried chicken, dripping with the honey they'd give you in those bite-sized plastic containers, and I was as shy as any fat kid in a foreign country. I remember a room with low ceilings and walls that felt too close together, and...
Excerpt White Zion : "We're here," Bubby announced in a trembling voice. "How are you? Can you take us to him or should we go ourselves?""No, I can't do that," my cousin's wife slurred, she was clutching an empty bottle in one hand."Can you just tell us where?""I mean, you're too late."My aunt and uncle looked at one another and then back at ...
If you're like me you have a number of virtual friends, people you've interacted with in various capacities for years. Sometimes you even have to remind yourself that you've never actually met them in person. And when you do that, for a moment you find that hard to believe. You have so much in common, you've known them for so long, how can it ...
"The job of the fiction writer, as I see it, is to get inside someone else's skin." by Julie Zuckerman I'm happy to present a guest post today by author and fellow writer in Israel, Julie Zuckerman. Welcome, Julie! Bio: Julie Zuckerman's fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a variety of publications, including The SFWP Quarterly, The MacG...
Guest Post by author Larry Lefkowitz A few years back I told somebody that I was a writer. "Do you support yourself writing?" he asked. "No," I replied. "So it's a hobby," he said. Inwardly offended, I nodded in unconvinced agreement. Later, I thought about it. Almost all of my stories, articles or poems appeared in 'little magazines that paid in c...
I'm excited to share a guest post by fellow author living in Israel/writing in English, Miryam Sivan. Today she shares her instructive experience on what is a struggle for many writers: how to choose the ideal point of view for your novel. Stay tuned for an interview with Miryam this summer. The Many Shades of Point of View My recently ...
Writing Opportunities In Unexpected Places. Being a student has reminded me that if you write, you are a writer; write and write often; and opportunities to write really are everywhere. When I decided to get a MA in Technical and Professional Communication, I felt that I was betraying my creative writing self. I repeated, "This doesn't define you. You're still a creative writer.” Even when my professor said in research class, "to not be mistaken, this is a writing class," I still felt like a cheat. After a couple of writing intensive classes, it surprised me what I learned and relearned: writing practice comes in many forms and still adheres to basic writing rules. Honor deadlines There is always a deadline. That’s frightening when staring at a blank page. Gather research and focus on your writing goal with your deadline mind.Remember the 5 magic wordsAs I freaked about creating a budget...
Out of the Closet, Into the Fire:How I Burned My Old Darlings and Got Back to Writing FictionJoyce Barton (Guest Blog Post)I was coming off of a year of transcription and research for a nonfiction project and feeling ready to get back into fiction, but I was stuck. It had been so long since I’d used that muscle, could I even write fiction anymore?Write something new? What about my orphans, my piles and files of decades-old material—leave no story behind, I’d promised my characters, and myself.Here’s how I burned through my indecision (aka resistance) by feeding some old friends to the fire.State Your MissionI’m a writer, right? I write things down. So it seemed natural to define, in writing, what I wanted and why, when this would happen, how I’d get there, and commit to it—a good old-fashioned Mission Statement. Here’s my ‘Mission Bonfire’:Mission: Go through old files of stories and...
My summer guest post series is so successful, I'm continuing this summer.My first guest post is from Andrea Hunter.5 Reasons Why Every Writer Should be on Instagram You don't need me to tell you that social media is a powerful tool. It's evident in the fact that we can upload and share a photo, video, article, message, or opinion - on an ever-growing variety of social platforms - in a matter of seconds. That's pretty impressive in its own right. But the real power comes into play when you consider that the content you just posted has the potential to be seen by literally millions of people around the world.Millions.It's mind-boggling when you stop and think about how connected we are. I won't tell you that social media is the new word of mouth. (It is.)I won't even tell you that almost one-third of the global population is using some form...
With LoveBy Sari FriedmanIf I’m lucky, something spectacular happens at some point in my writing process. I fall in love. Sometimes I’m in love with my protagonist, but not always— it’s impossible to predict which character, setting, technical aspect or plot sequence will fill me with that combination of tender regard, affection, allegiance and the desire to start writing a sonnet.As I wrote my first novel, which is about a New Yorker who starts to remember her past-life 4,000 years ago in the Land of Canaan, I fell in love with the antagonist’s manipulative pyrotechnics. I loved the technical challenge of revealing the conniving of a hurt-causing personality. I’m not conniving in real life. I'm nurturing and empathic. Strangers have been known to call me “Mom.” But this meant that I’d never understood how a hurtful personality could function. And that led to my sometimes being very hurt. In practical terms,...
Revision Decisions"It hurts when someone calls your baby ugly." My co-author's comment rang painfully clear over the metallic thrum of the Metra train coasting along its tracks. We were on our way home after a writer's workshop in the city, and the "baby" she referred to was our book. After years of balancing schedules, juggling real-life responsibilities, and carving out countless hours to write together our novel was finally finished. The result? Over 250,000 precious words detailing the beginning, middle, and end of each of our fictitious characters' journeys. We did it! [insert enthusiastic high five] But even as newbie authors we were keenly aware that just because you peck out those two little words on the very last page: The End doesn't necessarily mean the end. In fact, quite the opposite is true. As fate would have it, one frosty winter morning, we each received an email announcing an upcoming...
I'm continuing my author guest posts this week and welcome Chana Bunim Rubin Ausubel. Dear Gila...As Long as the Candle Burns written by Chana Bunim Rubin Ausubel is “moving and inspiring. The author's stories are culled from her experiences throughout her working career,” (Jewish Book World). Ausubel's careers varied from directing a program in Headstart, to forming chapters for Emunah Women’s Organization throughout the United States. In Israel she put all of her heart and soul into directing and teaching students from all over the world returning to Judaism or in the process of conversion. Even as a single mother she was able to accomplish and contribute to many causes such as, the New York Conference for Soviet Jewry, founder of Gush Emunim in America and Ausubel was involved in forming the Israeli town of Bet El.“Chana openly discusses the challenges of supporting and raising four children in a single-parent home....
I liked Diana's post so much, I got permission to repost it. If you are in Israel Diana's novel, A Remarkable Kindness, is available at Steimatsky or you can get free shipping via bookdepository. Pope Francis in the Great Synagogue and Guess Who at the Open Door Bookshop in Rome on the Same Day. Posted on January 19, 2016by dianabletterPope Francis visiting the Great Synagogue in Rome, January 17, 2016Just an hour before I spoke at the Open Door Bookshop in Rome, Pope Francis was speaking at the Grand Synagogue just a few minutes away. It was the third time in modern history that a pope visited the synagogue. Quite incredible. Just to put this in perspective, historian David Kertzer, who wrote The Popes Against the Jews, said that throughout history, the Vatican forced Jews to live in ghettos (the word itself is Italian) and subjected them to forced conversions, expulsions and persecution. And now the Pope said, “Every...
If you want to know what it really feels like to live in Israel and why people stay, even when the challenges become formidable, then you should read For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odyssey –the book that captures that 'Only in Israel' feeling.Based on real people and true events, For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odyssey shows an inside glimpse of Israel through the experiences of a new immigrant over a period of 25-years. Through inspiring, funny and thought provoking stories, the book presents a positive yet realistic perspective of what it's like to live in the Land of Israel, fall in love with the country and the people, and cope with the many struggles that come with being an Israeli.Along with the wonders and miracles that accompany an uplifting life in the Holy Land, For Better and For Worse: An Israel Odysseyreveals the strengths and weakness of the...
Welcome to my newest guest: Margo Dill. I've been virtual friends with Margo for a few years now and I'm very pleased to introduce you to her latest novel, a YA paranormal romance with a catchy title: "Caught Between Two Curses." To whet your appetite, here's a line about her latest work: Seventeen-year-old Julie Nigelson is cursed. So is her entire family. And it’s not just any-old-regular curse, either—it’s strangely connected to the famous “Curse of the Billy Goat” on the Chicago Cubs. Practical Ways to Balance Motherhood and Writing by Margo L. DillI have a 3 ½ year old daughter and a 13-year-old stepson. This summer, it seems harder than ever to balance work and motherhood. I think it’s because the kids are older—they sleep less and want to do more. But I’m working on some practical ways to entertain and love my children while I also work as a writer.1. ...
I have opened up my blog to a series of guest posts from other writers for your summer reading enjoyment and I am delighted that my first guest is my friend and colleague Yael Unterman.Yael has just released her first short story collection "The Hidden of Things." Check it out!On Writing, Spirituality and Being a Mensch This piece is not an easy one for me to write. But it has an important message.In 2009 I published a work of non-fiction (biography), but the publication of my second book in 2014 – a work of fiction – was the realization of a childhood dream. Yet fulfilling a dream sometimes brings some huge challenges in its wake. As writers, our book is our “baby,” and we go to great lengths to ensure the welfare of our offspring. I, too, feel an abiding loyalty to my book and to the heart and soul I...
