Writing

An interviewee shakes hands with an interviewer. Another interviewer sits beside them.

August 19, 2020

"Planting Seeds": A Writer's Job Interview

Lilah Peck

Of all the interview questions I’d prepared for, I didn’t think of this one: "Why are you a writer?”

Topics: Writing, Fiction

2019-20 Rising Voices Fellow Madeline Canfield's Notebook

August 14, 2020

My Worn and Faded Yellow Notebook, a Living Record

Madeline Canfield

In my notebook, I recount anecdotes that bear the mark of the past I am reckoning with today.

Topics: Jewish History, Writing

August 10, 2020

"Since Parkland": Writing the Stories of Youth Victims of Gun Violence

Ellie Klibaner-Schiff

With "Since Parkland," I tried to celebrate other kids' lives and acknowledge the failures that ended them.

Topics: Activism, Journalism, Writing

Rebecca Walker Is Born

November 17, 1969

Rebecca Walker, who has achieved international recognition for her writings on feminism, motherhood, and multiracial identity, and for her contributions to feminist thought, was born on November 17, 1969.

August 3, 2020

Finding My Words Through Writing During Coronavirus

Ilana Drake

Because my life has virtually become virtual, writing is now one of my primary means of connecting.

Topics: Writing

Forverts Columns and Headlines from 1917 about Suffrage

July 15, 2020

"Froyen Interesen": How Yiddish Newspapers Addressed Suffrage Before and After Women Won the Right to Vote

Sarah Quiat

JWA's Program Manager, Sarah Quiat, does a deep-dive into Yiddish newspapers from the 1910s to see what people had to say about women's suffrage.

Topics: Women's Rights, Writing

June 23, 2020

Through the Window: Interview with Author Ameya Narvankar

Ambika Sambasivan

As part of the Association of Jewish Libraries’ program Through the Window: A Diversity Exchange, we interview Ameya Narvankar, author of LGBTQ children's book Ritu Weds Chandni.

Topics: LGBTQIA Rights, Fiction

Tamara Kamenszain

Tamara Kamenszain, born in 1947, was a highly regarded Argentine poet. She was also a literary critic especially interested in avant-garde poetry and in questions of gender in literary expression. Women’s experience and Jewish identity are among the themes of her poetry.

Mina Fridman Ruetter

Mina Fridman Ruetter (1922-2003), an Argentinean-born Jew, was the most prominent leader of the Yiddisher Kultur Farband (YKUF) beginning in the 1970s. She studied and worked as a writer, teacher, and translator in organizations linked to the Communist Party and the Soviet Union. She was a highly visible leader and the disciple of YKUF intellectuals such as Pinie Katz and Samuel Gordon.

Episode 41: Coming of Age with Judy Blume (Transcript)

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret Covers

Episode 41: Coming of Age with Judy Blume

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Judy Blume's classic teen novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, a story that normalizes the experiences of teenage girls: what it’s like to have your first period, your first bra, your first kiss… what it’s like to feel uncomfortable in your own body and confused about who you are. Margaret, who comes from an interfaith home, with one Jewish parent, goes through these teen rites of passage and also grapples with her religious identity. Judith Rosenbaum and Nahanni Rous recently re-read the book with their own pre-teen daughters, Ma'ayan and Shalvah.

Oil painting depicting the Brooklyn Bridge

April 21, 2020

On Survival: My Grandma and I Are Both High-Risk

Julia Métraux

My grandma has thrived despite the odds. I’m afraid she won’t survive this.

Topics: Family, Writing

April 13, 2020

Interview with Sarah Blake, Author of "Naamah"

Rebecca Long

Exclusively for JWA, author Sarah Blake discusses her novel Naamah.

Topics: Bible, Fiction

Episode 39: Esther Safran Foer: We're Still Here (Transcript)

Episode 39: Esther Safran Foer: We're Still Here

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Every family has hidden stories, but some are more deeply hidden than others. Esther Safran Foer’s parents both survived the Holocaust, but most of their relatives were killed. Like many survivors, Esther’s parents rarely spoke about their experiences… which left her with a lot of unanswered questions. Esther has spent much of her life piecing together the truth of her family story. In this episode, Judith Rosenbaum talks with Esther about her new memoir, I Want You to Know We’re Still Here, which chronicles this lifelong search.

Jennifer Weiner / "Mrs. Everything" cover

March 17, 2020

An Interview with Jennifer Weiner, Author of "Mrs. Everything"

Dina Adelsky

Exclusively for JWA, Jennifer Weiner discusses her book Mrs. Everything.

Topics: Fiction

How Yiddish Changed America cover cropped

March 5, 2020

What's Yiddish Got to Do with It?

Justine Orlovsky-Schnitzler

Ilan Stavans and Josh Lambart’s new anthology, How Yiddish Changed America, and America Changed Yiddish, is the perfect text to help you test the waters of Yiddishkeit.

Topics: Jewish History, Non-Fiction