Books and Beliefs

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2011-09-12T19:42:00.000-05:00

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Shame as a sin

2011-09-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

We have all felt shame. It's a universal emotion. It's also something of a taboo. No one wants to talk about it because we all know what it feels like, and it's just . . . icky. It can make us feel worthless, stupid, ugly, judged.

The thing about shame is that it makes us feel bad about who we are, not what we've done (or not done). During this month of Elul, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we're encouraged to look over the past year and take a kind of inventory. What would we do differently? To whom do we owe amends? How can we change our behavior and choices in the next year?

But shame is different. Shame doesn't say, "You made some mistakes and you can make teshuvah (literally "return," but also repentance) and apologize and make changes so you don't make those mistakes again." No. Shame says, "You suck, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Our machzorim--High Holy Day prayerbooks--talk about mistakes and sins and a myriad of things we do that we know we shouldn't do but we do them anyway.

I'd like to propose that allowing shame to dictate our self-worth is also a sin.

I'm reading this book called I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't) by Brene Brown, Ph.D. It's about shame and perfectionism and personal power. It defines shame (p. 5) as "the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing we are flawed and therefore unworthy of acceptance and belonging."

We are all created b'tselem Elokim--in the image of G-d. If we believe ourselves, images of G-d, to be unworthy of love and acceptance and belonging, then we diminish G-d. Remember that old quip, "G-d don't make no junk"?

This goes back to what I wrote about yesterday, struggling with how much to say, how open to be. Because underneath it all is the fear, "If people knew the truth about me, they wouldn't like me anymore. They wouldn't respect me or read anything I write. I would be a failure." And if I say too much here on the blog, well then, maybe people would figure out that what my shame is telling me is true.

Says Dr. Brown, "Shame forces us to put so much value on what other people think that we lose ourselves in the process of trying to meet everyone else's expectations."

If we lose ourselves, do we also lose G-d?

In the Torah, we're told, "You shall not take vengeance nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the L-rd." (Vayikra [Leviticus] 19:18) Would not believing oneself worthless and undeserving be equivalent to bearing a grudge--against yourself?

Further, if we do not love ourselves, then how can we possibly love anyone else? Because obviously it makes no sense to treat others with the same disdain and disgust with which we treat ourselves when we feel shame. We are not told to hate others as we hate ourselves. We are told to love. That makes (appropriate) love of oneself a mitzvah, a commandment. (Remember, we're not talking about self-aggrandizement here--we're talking about shame. If anything, shame can lead to self-harm.)

Encouraging people to take stock of their lives at this time of year is a given. Guilt is practically expected. But how do you guard against shame?

Perhaps I'll have more answers when I finish this book.

Apologetics

2011-09-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

Apologetics (Greek): to defend, explain, or justify a position, sometimes religious, often through writing.

I've been on hiatus for a year. It wasn't exactly planned, but the longer I went without writing, the more it seemed like I should be 100% behind my decision to return, if I did. (I am, by the way, returning. Just in case you wondered.)

One of the questions bloggers struggle with is "how much do I say?" When you're blogging anonymously, there's some more leeway you can take, as long as you're not giving away personally identifying information. When you're writing under your own name, everyone knows it's you. I've had people I know, who never comment on the blog, come up to me in person and say, "You know, I totally agree with what you wrote."

Um . . . what? What I wrote? Where? When? Ah . . . the blog.

I've gotten a lot of support over the years, for which I'm grateful. I've also gotten some nasty comments. I've been verbally attacked, on a very personal level, for what I've written. That's where I really had to take some time and figure out how much I was willing to say and how much I respected my own opinion.

Yup. That last part bears repeating. I needed to figure out how much I respected my own opinion. Sounds like a weird thing for a writer to say, but often we're a sensitive bunch, and even more often, until we're toughened up by editors and publishers and reviewers and critics and readers (if we ever are), we doubt ourselves.

For reasons I'm not going to go into here, it was only in this past year that I finally, really "got it" that I have an opinion, and that my opinion matters. Wow. It was a big revelation, believe me. It took a long time for me to go from "my critics are always right and I'm always wrong" to "I don't have to listen to them, or accept what they say. And further, they might be full of shit."

Oh yeah, I'm also learning how to swear.

So, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to write about, but it'll be my take on life and Judaism and books and writing and anything else that strikes my fancy. And I reserve the right to delete comments that take aim at me. After all, it's my blog. And I count. (Yippee!)

2010-09-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

Just before Rosh Hashanah I wrote about my aversion to blanket "if I've hurt you, please forgive me" statements as a method of teshuvah (which technically means "return" but is often used to mean repentance, as in a return to G-d). I am not alone.

Maimonides first outlined the steps of teshuvah, steps that one must go through to fully return, whether the thing you're asking forgiveness for is between you and G-d or between you and another person. But I'm not going to talk about that. I'm going to let Bev and Sara talk, in this excerpt from Strength to Stand:

Sara watched from her peripheral vision as Eli approached David and then led him out of the house, the look on her husband’s face like that of a boy about to be taken out to the woodshed. The door closed behind them and she let out a deep breath. Maybe Eli could pound some sense into him.

She stood and stretched, then set the book down on the sofa and went to the kitchen. “Okay, put me to work,” she said to Bev.

“Uh uh,” Bev said, shaking her head and chopping a head of broccoli into smaller florets and collecting them in a bowl. “I cook tonight. You relax. Don’t think I don’t know who’s been keeping us in clean towels all week.” She stopped and looked at Sara. “Or you can stay here and keep me company.”

“I can do that.”

“Good.” Bev returned to her chopping. “You want to tell me what happened Shabbat morning?”

“Not really.”

Bev reached for a scrubbed carrot and began slicing it on the diagonal, creating long, thin strips. “Okay. You want to tell me why David’s been in the doghouse for three days?”

Sara picked up a broccoli floret that had fallen on the counter and put it in the bowl with the others. “There are five steps to forgiveness in Judaism, right?”

Still slicing carrots, Bev looked thoughtful. “Hmm. I thought there were three.”

“David gave a sermon this past fall about forgiveness—teshuvah. I remember he was nervous that it sounded too preachy, which I thought was kind of funny. It all tied into a bigger picture about how we need to make teshuvah for ourselves, not only for the person we’ve wronged, how forgiving isn’t the same as forgetting, and how not forgiving can keep us from moving forward in our lives. He really put a lot of himself into that sermon.”

“It sounds like it.”

“He worked on writing it for over a month. As good a speaker as he is, he gets anxious about the High Holy Days and actually starts practicing, like he’s in speech class all over again. I must have heard that sermon a dozen times.” She stared at the growing mound of sliced carrots. “I wish he’d done a little less practice delivering it and a little more practice doing it.”

“Hasn’t he apologized?”

Sara ticked the steps off on her fingers. “According to his sermon, first you have to recognize that you did something wrong. Then you have to decide you’re not going to do it again. Third, you confess what you did and fourth, go to the person you wronged and apologize. And last, you take steps to keep it from happening again.”

Bev stopped slicing and wiped her hands on the white dishtowel hanging from the oven handle. She looked at Sara. “Okay. I think when I learned it, one and two were combined and three and four were combined. So why is David still in trouble?”

“He did apologize. He admitted he wasn’t listening to me with an open mind and that he rejected anything I said that wasn’t already in his perception of how things should be regarding the shul and my role in it. But we never resolved it. I’m waiting in limbo, and since he seems to think that my forgiveness will solve everything and we can go back to being a happy family without ever addressing my needs, I’m not ready to forgive him yet. How can I if the problem that started it all is still there and still unsettled?”

Bev sliced a jicama in half and set one half-sphere aside. “You need to give him a chance to redeem himself, Sara. Maybe he needs your forgiveness before he can consider your needs without a guilty conscience.”

“Maybe. But it would be much easier for me to forgive him if I knew we’d work toward a solution. Right now I’m afraid if I forgive him, he’ll think things are all better and we’ll never address my role. Or worse, we’ll wind up repeating Saturday night.”

“You might have to tell him exactly that,” Bev said, stripping the fibrous brown peel off the turnip-like vegetable. “He may be able to recite the steps of teshuvah backwards and forwards and upside down, but Sara, he’s a man. The male brain sometimes needs to hear these things explicitly stated. And occasionally repeated. Slowly.”

Sara laughed. “I guess I was hoping it was as clear to him as it is to me.” She watched Bev slice the jicama into half-inch wide shavings. “What do you think Eli’s saying to him?”

Bev pursed her lips. “Oh, I don’t know. They have a really deep friendship. Well, you know that better than I do. Eli doesn’t have any really close friends in Spokane. He has lots of distant friends, and I mean lots. But his nickname for David—when he calls him ‘bro’—he doesn’t take that lightly. He’ll do right by him.”

“Eema?”

Sara turned toward the voice. Jonathan was standing in the dining room, looking forlorn, a clump of orange Play-Doh in his hair and smaller bits clinging to his clothes. She managed to stifle a laugh. “You need some help cleaning up, Jonathan?”

“Judy did it. She didn’t like that I poked a hole in her turtle so she smooshed it on my head. She got a little off the plastic you put down, too.”

“And why did you poke a hole in her turtle?” Sara asked calmly.

Jonathan shifted his feet. “’Cause she took all the orange and I got green. She says orange is a girl color and green is a boy color, but I like orange better.”

“Does that make it okay to destroy something of hers?”

“No.” Jonathan hung his head. “But if she gave me the orange like I asked, then I wouldn’t have gotten mad. It’s her fault her turtle got a hole.”

Sara glanced at Bev. “Time to put that first step of teshuvah to work.”

Teshuvah and Controversy: is the relationship causal or casual?

2010-09-08T00:54:00.001-05:00

So here it is just before Rosh Hashanah and I'm about to create some controversy. Maybe. For the two people who still read my blog (Hi there!). But maybe this is good and well-timed, like so few other things in my life, so maybe it will work out.

Okay, here goes. You know how lots of people post generic "If I have hurt you in the past year, I'm sorry" statements on blogs and Facebook statuses (stati?) and email and all manner of mass-directed communication?

I hate those. I really do. It is at or near the top of my Rosh Hashanah Pet Peeve List. And I'll even tell you why.

Yes, you could go back into my childhood where, by the ripe old age of seven, I developed an intense interest in religion and was shocked by the idea that some Christians -- nice Christians who lived in my neighborhood, even -- did all kinds of things the church considered sinful, then went to church on Sunday and said a forgiveness prayer with everyone else, while the pastor said they were forgiven because 2,000 years ago the Romans executed one of many, many thousands of Jewish "troublemakers" and he forgave them so now everything's peachy and they can go do whatever they want now and just go get forgiven again on Sunday.

You could go back there, and I'm sure my odd view of comparative religions as a seven-year-old might play a factor. But you might get an even better view of why this is such a pet peeve if you were to have been a fly on the wall during a particularly powerful conversation with my mother (aleha hashalom). Confronted, rather politely in fact, with an overwhelming amount of evidence that her acts of "discipline" were far more likely to succeed in casting calls for "Mommy Dearest" and not in teaching children anything like what she'd intended, she admitted to all such acts, offered a few of her own that I didn't know about, and then proceeded to say, "I know I did these things. I know I could have made better choices. If I've hurt you, I'm sorry."

How do you fess up to years of what most states in the country define as abuse and then say, "If I've hurt you, I'm sorry"? If I've hurt you? If?

Whatever the source, these "blanket apologies" are not apologies. Any apology that is a form of an if-then statement is not an apology. (If I've hurt you, here's a generic sorry. If not, please ignore this message. You decide which camp you fall in.) No, that doesn't work for me. That's a cop-out. That's an end run. That's just wrong.

Actually, what that is is a way to avoid facing those you've hurt, and looking for all the world like you're still apologizing to them. But in my view, you're not. Not yet.

A true apology means that you have to talk to the person (not in a text message, not on Facebook, not through Twitter, not in an email, even worse in a newsletter or some other formal communication) and tell them that you're sorry and for what. That's the key. If you don't know why you hurt me, how can you avoid hurting me again? If I don't tell you what I'm apologizing for, how do you know which action I regret and am trying to mend?

A blanket statement (If I've hurt you in the past year, I'm sorry. We good? Case closed. Let's grab a beer.) may look good on the outside, but it does nothing to actually mend a relationship harmed. Not until you go to that specific person and offer a specific apology for a specific event, will that harm truly be repaired. The rest is all window dressing.

And if I have harmed you in the past year? Well, if I've given you a specific apology about a specific harm and you've accepted it, let's go get a drink. If I haven't yet, I might have forgotten, or I might not even know that you were hurt, in which case I wouldn't want you to have to make due with a blanket apology. Let me know what I did to hurt you and I will do my best to apologize and make sure it doesn't happen again. And then we can put it behind us and grab a beer. (Why beer? I don't even drink beer!)

To everyone else, may you have a joyous and peaceful New Year, filled with fun, food, and memories, and surrounded by people you love. Shana tova, k'tivah v'chatimah tovah.

New Jewish Book Carnival

2010-07-15T16:51:00.001-05:00

Review Jewish books? Write Jewish books? Love Jewish books? There's a new carnival for you!

The Association of Jewish Libraries has just started a Jewish Book Carnival that will run monthly, building community among blog writers and readers and sharing information on Jewish books.

The inaugural edition can be found at http://jewishlibraries.org/blog/?p=366.

Tips For Writing

2010-07-12T22:25:00.000-05:00

Write the story within you. Most writers will tell you to write the book that's in you right now, the book you think about every waking minute, the book you have no choice about writing. Don't write the book your publisher wants, or the book your mother wants, or the book that's guaranteed to make the New York Times bestsellers list. If it's not the book that is kicking and screaming to get out of your head and onto paper, you'll only wind up being disappointed in it, and it probably won't please your publisher, your mother, or anyone at the New York Times. Hand in hand with that goes...

Believe in yourself. This is crucial to not only writing well, but selling the book you do write. If it's too elusive, too overwhelming, or causes you to snort derisively, please consult with a good therapist.

Keep a journal of ideas. You can keep an actual journal or book and write down story ideas, character names, plot twists, and so on. Or you can do what I do which is messier but also works: I write ideas down on slips of paper, backs of envelopes, paper napkins, or anything else I can get my hands on and then keep them all in a box that I call my Idea Box. Whenever I want an idea for a story, or I need some way to develop a plot or I need a character name, I reach into my Idea Box and pull them out. Usually one of them fits. UPDATE: I also use my iPod Touch for this, writing ideas into a memo or note and sync-ing it with my laptop. I name them all starting with "Useful Bits:" and categorize them as "Writing" so I can group them efficiently.

Don't be afraid to improve. In other words, don't expect your first writings to be perfect. They won't be. It's the nature of growing as a writer. Use each opportunity to write as a chance to develop your craft. A year from now, you'll look back on your writing and be surprised at how far you've come. That's good: it means you're growing. The scary part is when you look back at stuff you wrote years ago and it looks exactly like the stuff you wrote yesterday. That means there hasn't been enough growth. Even published writers aren't perfect writers. I was first published over twenty-five years ago and I'm still learning and growing as a writer.

Read writing books. You can find them at any local library. One of the many better ones is Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. As a writer, you are an artist, and all artists need to learn their craft from those who have already succeeded. Books about writing will answer a lot of questions about fiction and non-fiction, synopses, characterizations, dialogue, plot, setting, description, and so forth. They are a wellspring of information, so take advantage of them.

Be a prolific reader. The more you read, the more you will see how other successful writers practice their craft, and the more you'll learn about your own.

Learn to see life from others' perspectives. Practice this in your everyday life and it will open up new worlds. Maybe you were miffed at the woman driver in the white minivan because she cut you off in the parking lot at Target and stole your space, even though you were waiting patiently with your turn signal on. But what was SHE thinking? Maybe her version went like this:

Jeez, I'm so sorry, I know you're waiting for that space, but I have to get inside and get some cough medicine for my son, who's coughing so hard, there's blood specks now. I'll be as quick as I can. I'm so sorry! I had to leave him home with his ten-year-old sister and I don't trust them home alone. Plus, the furnace repairman is coming in twenty minutes, and I can't afford another copay at the doctor's office until payday. Please forgive me for taking your space. Maybe you have a sick child at home, too. So sorry, so sorry! I'm hurrying!

Use your childhood traumas. Did you grow up in a less than idyllic setting? Many writers did. Somehow, childhood trauma and the creative arts go well together. Use it to your advantage. Parents divorced? Death in the family? Child abuse? Frequent moves and no friends? School bullies? Foster care? Family alcoholism or mental illness? If you can answer yes to any of these, first, consider therapy. Then, realize that you know firsthand what sells novels: CONFLICT. You know about betrayal and abandonment, about neglect and abuse and love as a double-edged sword. You've seen the dark side of life. Consider it research and use it in your writing. But...

Don't write your autobiography as a novel. Rarely does this work well in fiction. Creating a fictional character who shares some of the same characteristics is fine, and often successful, but make sure there's a clear boundary between that character and you.

Avoid procrastination. You can read writing books and take writing classes to improve, but you can also take it to the extreme and hinder your writing. Whether it's a fear of failure or a fear of success or just coming to the realization that learning about writing is easier than actually doing it, there comes a point where you've learned everything you need to know for now and you just need to sit down and write!

Write without editing yourself. I know this goes against what you may have learned in the classroom, but the important thing is first to get down the ideas. After you've written your first draft, then you can go back and check spelling, move words or sentences around, correct any grammatical errors, change words, cut stuff out or put new stuff in. Too often, we're trying to correct our writing before it ever makes it onto the paper, and that can stifle ideas and creativity. Instead, just write first, even if you're not sure what word to use or how to spell it. You can always mark it and check it later. Often times, I can't think of the exact word I want to use, but rather than stopping my writing and thinking about it for a long time, I'll use a >similar word< and mark it the way I just did. Then later I can go back and figure out that the word I really wanted was 'synonym.'

Learn the rules before you break them. Yes, you are occasionally allowed to break the rules in fiction. But before you begin sentences with 'but,' learn the rules. In non-fiction, journalism, and free-lance writing, good grammar is essential. In fiction, you have more leeway, but rule-breaking must always be for a good reason and not just because you can. Picture yourself with a finished manuscript, a contract with a publisher, and an editor who is a former English teacher. If you can provide a really good argument for why you broke a rule in a particular sentence or paragraph, keep it. If not, use correct grammar.

Keep on writing. Use every opportunity to write, whether it's in a class or not. Lots of people are published but that doesn't make them good writers. Good writers are hard to come by, and, in an amazing defiance of logic, they don't always get published. They're still good writers. Good writing can earn scholarships, win awards, and help you get jobs and promotions. Good writing can help you succeed at whatever you want to do, whether it's writing for a living or not. Take every chance you have to write, and see it as an investment in your future. It doesn't matter what you write about. It only matters that you keep writing.

Write through writer's block. Stuck? Unmotivated? Unfocused? Set a timer for five minutes and do a free-write. Just write about anything: classes, family, friends, your social life or lack thereof. Write about not being able to write (this is my favorite). Write about how you feel, how you want to feel, or what it feels like not to feel anything. Describe your difficulty with writing in as much detail as possible. What does it look like? How does it sound? What's the physical feeling? Write a conversation between you and your writer's block and make it serious. Humorous. Melodramatic. Hint: this technique also works for research papers and dissertations.

Endings happen. Every story needs an ending, whether you plan one or just stop writing that story one day. Planned endings are better; your readers will like you for it and will feel a sense of closure with your story. I often begin writing without an ending in mind, just letting the story take me where it will. About halfway through the story, though, I start thinking about the ending. How do I want it to end? Does the good guy win or lose? Does the nice guy finish first or last? Does my main character succeed beyond her wildest dreams, or does she fail miserably? Then I think about how to get there (to the ending) from here (where I am in the story).

I may still use some obstacles to make it hard for my protagonist to succeed, but I start working toward whatever I want my ending to be. This works whether my story is one page or one thousand pages. Then, when I have an outstanding idea of something that could happen in the story that I know will mean adding many more pages to the story or changing the ending, I have to make a decision. Sometimes I throw out my old ending and use this new idea to keep the story going. More often, however, I write the idea down and put it in my Idea Box, then keep going with the planned story. This keeps me to my page limits, and allows me to use my great idea with another story. After all, there will always be another story.

Stupid Questions

2010-07-11T22:38:00.001-05:00

Firefox no longer remembers this blog in its auto-fill history, so clearly a blog post is long overdue.

I had a kind of stupid question earlier today and, as I am a quasi-Digital Native, I searched for the answer online. Because where else is one most likely to find the answers to all of the stupid questions than online?

Turns out, I wasn't the only one to have asked this particular stupid question. I found it posted on Yahoo! Answers. And amazingly, I found an intelligent answer. (What, exactly, the question was is irrelevant.) And then I thought I'd head over to the Books & Authors category, just for fun.

I don't know what I was expecting—I should have been expecting stupid questions—but "fun" wasn't it. Mostly, it was a lot of people asking "What do you think of this for a story?" and then posting 17,000 sentences all in one paragraph with a notable lack of correct grammar and punctuation.

It hurt. It physically hurt. So I clicked off and decided to check Facebook and email for the one-hundredth time that hour.

Honestly, I don't want to be mean. I do support those who want to write and be creative. But let's get real. There is a lot of resource material out there (in the world, not necessarily all on the Internet, unless of course you're looking for answers to stupid questions) about writing. You don't even need to visit your local library anymore, though I do highly recommend frequent library visitations.

Don't just post a lot of blather and then ask, "Do you like my story?" I can say that 99.9% of the time, if you have to go to Yahoo! Answers to find out, the answer is NO.

So how do you get to be a better writer? Or learn to write a story? Start by reading. Read voraciously. Make that highly recommended trip to the local library (and then keep going back). And I'll post my own list (separate from Stephen King's writing techniques) shortly.

Still Active...Just Not Here (except now, and in the near future)

2010-07-04T00:14:00.000-05:00

Guess what? I'm on Facebook. Yep, me and like five billion other souls all looking to connect over pokes and tweets and catching up while raising virtual livestock and growing cartoon plants. I've been very active out there in FB-land with my own author page, publisher page, and of course my profile where I can get caught up on the lives of my friends without ever having to talk to them.

In fact, I'd love it if you'd go to my author page (http://artist.to/sheynagalyan ) and click to "like" it. That way you can stay even more in touch with the book goings on, like a delightful review left just today that has me all happy inside and ready to tackle the next round of editing on Strength to Stand.

That doesn't mean I won't be back here. Despite my occasionally lengthy absences, I do consider this blog a sort of friend, and I treasure all four regular readers out there. I have some plans for this blog, too, like how does a fiction writer, with a niche genre, go about getting a publishing contract without, 1. Spending their own money to some person or company that may not know--or care--what they're doing; 2. Spending months or years looking for an agent (who may or may not know what they're doing) who will then spend months or years shopping your manuscript around to publishers who may wonder if the author knew what he or she was doing when writing the book. How does the new world of ebooks and Kindles and Nooks and book downloads and Just-in-Time manufacturing and Ingram's new "Espresso Book Machine" affect us as writers and readers. How can we best get what we want to say to those who want to hear it?

(If you figure out the answer to that last question, let me know.)

Or topics like, What's scary about going with a small press? What's scary about going with a great big New York publisher? Is it ever okay to friend your publisher/editor/author/cover artist on Facebook? Why is the book business looking more like the music business and why does that bother a lot of book people?

It's just me and my opinions and observations, with a Jewish twist. Because that's what I do.

Write on...

2009-11-05T13:19:00.001-06:00

It's a working lunch with Mitzvah, the Mutt. Although I'm having Japanese Pan Noodles with tofu and Mitzvah prefers burgers!

B is for Branding

2009-10-29T18:15:00.005-05:00

I've been reading a lot about branding lately, and no, I don't mean the type that involves hot fires and cattle. I mean personal branding, that new Web 2.0 idea that you're not just a human being, you're also a brand.

A personal brand is essentially what you're super-good at and why you're unique, and the best personal brands also identify their target audience/market/customers. When I worked at a local food shelf in the mid-90's and was the only one who could sweet-talk a computer into coughing up needed info from our database (I eventually created a new database for them), they started calling me "Techno-goddess" and I will admit that affected to some extent how I saw myself. I was actually good at something and people appreciated it!

Today I ran across this article: Does Your Brand Tell a Powerful Story? - Brand Story - Entrepreneur.com in which it suggests that telling your brand story is what will set you apart from all of the other people who do the same thing you do and are also good at it.

But in this age where social media has practically eliminated privacy from our lives, where many feel that they have to tweet and blog and update their statuses (stati?) just to have their presence on the planet acknowledged, where do we draw the boundaries?

I can see the Twitter conversation now...
SomeTwit @birdword LOL The day couldn't get longer. Taking a break now. #toilet
birdword RT @SomeTwit Taking a break now. #toilet Me too. Who else?

I mean, how much of us do we need out there?

One of my favorite bits of comedy is from a 60's Peter, Paul & Mary album with a track called Paultalk. Noel Paul Stookey is talking about society's obsession with itself, noting that first we had a magazine called Life. Then there was a magazine called People. Not all of life, just people. And then, in a brilliant bit of self-obsession, came Us. Not them. Only us. Finally, he said, he expected any day a magazine called Me. A dozen pages of Reynolds Wrap®. (Ironically, this comedy bit was performed long before Self magazine came out.)

And here we are. Me. And not just Me, but Me 2.0. (There's a book by than name, too, btw. All about--wait for it--personal branding.)

There are things I could share that make me unique, that make me stand out from all of the other Jewish suspense author/publishers out there (because there's so many of us). But do you really want, or need, to know that I tripped over a sprinkler head when I was seven and broke my little finger and it never healed right and it's now forever bent? Do you really need to know that I keep insisting on the spellings of catalog and dialogue and see nothing wrong with the inconsistency? (And my editor can't stand that.)

How personal do I need to get to personally brand myself and stand out from the crowd?

Well, apparently all you need to do is look for the Jewish author/publisher with the crooked pinkie who can't spell. Somehow, I don't think that's what the personal branding experts had in mind.

New Reads for the New Year

2009-09-25T16:40:00.002-05:00

I recently read two books that I think of almost like opposite ends of a spectrum. The first book, The New Jew: An Unexpected Conversion by Sally Srok Friedes, was one she sent to me after reading this blog (Hi Sally!). The second, The Shiksa Syndrome, I found in the new fiction section of the local library.

The New Jew is a true story of a former Catholic who pursues conversion to Judaism despite her husband's reticence and the less-than-welcoming attitudes of rabbis she meets (see my review). In The Shiksa Syndrome, a born-Jewish woman pretends to be non-Jewish in order to attract and keep a Jewish boyfriend (see my review). One is running to, the other running from, and at the heart of both is what it means to be Jewish.

Good food for thought during these Days of Awe.

FTC Disclaimer: please see disclaimer notes at the end of each review. Thank you.

The New Jew: An Unexpected Conversion by Sally Srok Friedes -- Book Review

2009-09-25T16:34:00.005-05:00

"The New Jew" has become very personal for me. It came along at just the right time to highlight what I have and what I’ve lost, what being Jewish means and what being part of a Jewish community means. It is a love story with Judaism and Jewish community, complete with awkward beginnings, passionate disagreements, and a honeymoon.

The book begins with the death of author Sally Srok Friedes’ mother-in-law in present time. This was a poignant start, as I had just lost my mother when I began reading. The funeral and shiva (first week of mourning) descriptions truly depict Judaism and a Jewish community at its best. We are then taken back to the beginning of the author’s journey to becoming Jewish, back when becoming Jewish wasn’t a goal at all.

Time and again, the author tries to get more involved in learning about Judaism so that she doesn’t feel so lost and ignorant when around her husband’s family and folks at the synagogue, but each time, she is insulted, ostracized, and marginalized by rabbis who are opposed to interfaith marriage and see her marriage to husband Michael as a crime against Judaism. It is to her credit that she perseveres.

I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster with her, embarrassed when a rabbi uses his Rosh Hashanah sermon to rant about interfaith marriages and presenting Judaism as an exclusive by-invitation-only club rather than welcoming those who might add to the Jewish community. I was saddened by Michael’s distance from Judaism while he resists Sally’s embrace of it, even as I knew his was a completely normal reaction. I cheered when Sally finally found a rabbi—and a synagogue—who could truly appreciate not only who she was, but who she could become.

Everyone’s Jewish journey is different, and yet there are shared elements that remind us how we are all connected. In "The New Jew," we can all find ourselves within these pages.

FTC Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of the book from the author, with the understanding that if I was willing and able to review it here, I would. If not, I wouldn't. I received no other compensation and there was no expectation of the type of review (positive/negative).

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff -- Book Review

2009-09-25T16:26:00.003-05:00

When I first finished reading "The Shiksa Syndrome," I wanted to say that I didn’t like it. I wanted to say that because it frustrated me. On far more than one occasion, I was arguing and groaning in irritation with Aimee Albert, the main character and the woman through whose perspective we read the story. Then I realized that more than anything, the book was effective. It engaged me and got me emotionally involved. Laurie Graff did her job and did it well.

Aimee is a Jewish woman who loves being Jewish, but her boyfriend doesn’t seem all that into what being Jewish means to her. She decides, therefore, to find a Jewish man to date. But the more she looks around, the more she discovers that all the eligible Jewish men are dating non-Jewish women. Intentionally. So when she and her non-Jewish best friend Krista are at a kosher wine tasting and in walks gorgeous, rich, and Jewish Josh Hirsch, Aimee doesn’t correct him when he assumes she isn’t Jewish.

In fact, she sees this seemingly minor omission of her identity the linchpin of her success at keeping Josh for a boyfriend. Lies build upon lies, and Aimee’s true identity is buried beneath the layers until she’s not sure exactly who she is anymore—the shiksa (non-Jewish woman) Josh wants her to be, or the Jew she knows she is.

What I do take issue with in the book is that it presents the vast majority of Jewish men as completely uninterested in being Jewish and finding a sort of status in dating a non-Jewish woman. It does focus on a very New York Jewish dating culture, with which I’m not familiar, so maybe some of it is regional.

I was annoyed with Aimee for her subterfuge and for betraying who she is. I was annoyed with Josh for being so dismissive about his Jewishness. But I fought and laughed and cried along with the characters, and kept thinking about the story long after I’d closed the cover, which is really at the heart of what makes a good read.

FTC Disclaimer: I received no compensation, not even a copy of the book, in return for this review. In fact, I found the book in the new fiction section of the library and it looked interesting so I checked it out. And it stuck with me enough I had to blog about it.

2009-08-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

All done presenting. Now I can relax and enjoy.

2009-08-14T15:11:00.001-05:00

I'm speaking...NOW!

2009-08-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

I'm here...finally!

2009-08-13T20:22:00.001-05:00

Testing the ability to update from my phone.

Staying in Sync

2009-08-13T20:08:00.004-05:00

I'm speaking tomorrow (Friday, August 14) at the MIPA/IBPA Regional Publishing University. In addition to working on my presentations, I'm setting it up so that right before I get up to speak, I can text a note from my phone and have it update here, as well as on Facebook and LinkedIn, among others. More to make a point than because I want to blast my status around the known universe.

So, we'll see if it works. Stay tuned!

Reading Jewish

2009-07-14T20:54:00.003-05:00

I read a lot, although admittedly, my recreational reading time is generally about thirty minutes before I fall asleep each night. Something like a year (or more?) ago, I was going to write reviews of the books I was reading anyway. In fact, a publicist I know started sending me some of the books that crossed his desk, so I could have many from which to choose. Alas, I dropped that ball.

I read two of the books, The Godfile: 10 Approaches to Personalizing Prayer by Aryeh Ben David, and Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry by Scott A. Shay. I really liked them both and had things I wanted to say. But life has a way of happening and I never got around to writing them. I plan to change that. My apologies, Stuart!

I enjoy reading suspense/thriller/mysteries with even occasional Jewish references, and lately have been devouring books by Linda Fairstein and Paul Levine.

Then, by chance, I found The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff. I just finished it last night, wanting terribly to take the main character aside and give her a good talking-to. It was like a Jewish Grease gone wrong (for her), and a good read, about a Jewish woman pretending to be Not (eg: Not Jewish) in order to catch the attention of a Jewish man who is looking "outside the tribe." I'll write a full review shortly.

Tonight, I'm starting on a new book, both new to me and new to the world: The New Jew: An Unexpected Conversion by Sally Srok Friedes. There is actually a strong tie between finishing The Shiksa Syndrome and starting The New Jew: the idea that Judaism is big enough and strong enough (and similarly, that G-d is big enough and strong enough) to accommodate Jews with a wide variety of practices and beliefs.

Now I'm going to stop blogging so I can get to reading.

Warning: Cute Kid Story

2009-07-11T23:38:00.003-05:00

Wow, I guess it's hasn't been as long as I thought since I posted last. I was on another blog that I've badly neglected and that kind of inspired me to write something, just to let my two readers know I'm still alive. So I thought I'd share a comment from Younger Son today. We were talking about a birthday party Older and Younger Sons will be attending tomorrow and how the invitation said to bring the "water weapon of your choice."

Younger Son: I can use my new water pump squirter at the party tomorrow.

Me: Yes, you can.

YS: Cool! I just hope it doesn't rain.

Me: It might; we could get a few showers tomorrow.

YS: I guess G-d has a water weapon too. And G-d will win. G-d always wins.

And for a relative change of subject, my best friend in high school also has two boys and has the awesome-est way to refer to them: Son the Elder and Son the Younger. I love this! So much that I think I may use it here in place of my less creative descriptions. So very First Century, the time of my favorite rabbis. Gotta love the history.

Chemically Enhanced Marketing

2009-06-11T19:51:00.002-05:00

Hi. My name is Sheyna and I'm an introvert.

Usually.

I had a bad headache today and took one of the most effective OTC headache meds for me. It has a painkiller that helps my headache. And it has caffeine, which I've discovered helps my marketing skills.

Caffeine makes me happy. It boosts my self-confidence, decreases my anxiety, and brings out the closet extrovert in me. I can accomplish, overcome, and succeed. I am the person I dream myself to be. That's the upside.

The downside is that I don't regularly "do" caffeine in any form, so when it hits my system, it's effective. It also can make me a little jittery, a little scattered. By this afternoon, I felt I should have a sign on my forehead that read, "I am not as disorganized as I appear."

So I can use it when I need it, but I have to use it sparingly. I'd like to use it every day. Who wouldn't want to wake up feeling good about herself, ready to take on the world? Especially when you've had a lot of experience not feeling that way?

Apparently for some people, the same effect is achieved with alcohol. I'd like to think that the caffeine-enhanced me has far more common sense than the alcohol-enhanced me. Actually, I know from experience that the alcohol-enhanced me is sleepy and not nearly as fun. But I would hate for anyone to think that I advocate any kind of chemical enhancement for marketing (or other) purposes.

It's a dilemma. Caffeine gives me the edge I need to really put myself out there. But it's only effective with occasional use, and marketing is a full-time job. Some day I'll figure out how to get the upside of caffeine without the downside. Until then, maybe I will have a refill on that coffee...

How Much Affliction?

2009-04-13T18:00:00.003-05:00

Matzo is the "bread of affliction" (Devarim 16:3), also referred to as the "poor bread," and bread of poverty or oppression. But just how much affliction is enough?

The observance of Pesach (Passover) provides for us a different sort of bondage. Those of you who observe Pesach know what I'm talking about. Shouldn't every box of matzo come with a free jar of Metamucil? Or a Fleet enema?

For some of us, it's annoying and potentially embarrassing. For others, such as those coping with IBS, it can cross the line into a health issue. One physician claims it's life-threatening.

So how much affliction is too much? At what point does it cross that line?

There are things one can do to try to offset the symptoms:

eat high-fiber Pesach-friendly fruits and vegetables such as raspberries (8g fiber/cup), pears (5.1g fiber/med pear), artichokes (10.3g fiber/med artichoke), and broccoli (5.1g fiber/cup) - although brocoli has its own digestive issues. According to the Mayo Clinic, from which these numbers come, "Recommended fiber amounts for women is 21 to 25 grams a day and for men is 30 to 38 grams a day."
drink lots of water
exercise
try prune or mulberry juice
when the symptoms are too severe to treat with food, water, or exercise, try a warm bath or heating pad

Additional fiber content information is available on this fiber chart.

We were meant to understand what it's like to go without luxury foods (like bread) for eight days. We were meant to see ourselves as if we're also leaving Egypt. We were not meant to understand through matzo what it feels like to be disemboweled (IMHO).

Only three more days to go. Meanwhile, those raspberries are looking really good.

Amazon in the News Again

2009-04-12T16:51:00.005-05:00

I'm not sure if Amazon.com keeps making these controversial decisions due to some inherent flaw (sort of like the classic input-output error), or if it's intentional to keep them in the news, even if it means protests and losing customers.

From Amazon.com itself, through Mark Probst's blog: "In consideration of our entire customer base, we exclude "adult" material from appearing in some searches and best seller lists. Since these lists are generated using sales ranks, adult materials must also be excluded from that feature."

There are lengthier explanations and open letters making thier way around Twitter including:
BookSquare: Open Letter to Amazon Regarding Recent Policy Changes and
Publishing Talk: An Open Letter to Jeff Bezos

Makes you wonder what's next. If sex is taboo, maybe religion and politics are next.

UPDATE 4/13/09: Amazon.com claims it was all an error.

The REAL Me

2008-11-20T12:50:00.002-06:00

Along the lines of my previous post about being on Facebook, I've decided to stop hiding behind my avatar. Don't get me wrong -- I love my avatar. I even went so far as to take a printout of my avatar to my hair stylist and say, "My hair is really close to this, but what can you do so that it can look exactly like this?"

My stylist said she's had a lot of people bring a lot of different photographs in before and say, "I want my hair to look like that," but no one had ever before brought her a cartoon...

But I have decided that if I'm going to bare my face to the world on my Facebook page, I can afford to do it here, too. And so, a fond farewell to the avatar that served me so well.

This is the real me.

Not now, honey, I'm Facebooking

2008-11-20T12:33:00.005-06:00

I've done it. I am now socially networked. And there must be something wrong, because I am having WAY too much fun with it.

Whoever thought that throwing a sheep at a shul friend or sending flair to Husby when I'm sitting four feet away could be so fun? Okay, more to the point, this takes the term "global community" to a whole new level.

I'm pretty much an introvert. This is why I write instead of the myriad other things I could be doing that would actually make money (that, and the voices in my head won't leave me alone). So putting myself "out there" seemed a little scary at first. I'm okay with it now. No stalkers have appeared outside my home, at least 50% of the email I get is still junk (I'm not interested in cheap meds, fake handbags, or lengthening my organ), and all of the readers who have identified themselves to me seem to be nice, stable folks.

I have a full profile for people whom I know (more or less); I have a page for those I don't. And if you're on Facebook, I'd love it if you'd swing by and become a fan. (Because we all need fans and it looks really sad otherwise.)

Meanwhile, I'll work really hard on my part and keep up with the blogging again. Deal?

Jews and Halloween - some personal thoughts

2008-10-31T14:29:00.003-05:00

Today is Picture Day at school. Yep, on Halloween. The reminder explicitly states "No costumes, please." Now, it is a Jewish school, so I asked Oldest Son (7) if they'd talked at all about Halloween and why the school doesn't recognize it. He said no, which I thought was too bad, because it would have been a great learning experience about what constitutes a holiday and the difference between religiously-based "American" holidays and purely secular American holidays.

We started out not celebrating Halloween at all. I have nothing against it; it's just not my holiday to celebrate. I have friends who follow earth-based religions and celebrate the original meaning of Halloween. I have secular friends who simply enjoy dressing up in costume and participating in the sugar rush. And for my kids? Well, it's complicated. Sort of.

I could say that the lure of dressing up and getting candy was just too much for the boys, but that's not entirely true. We have our own holiday where we dress up in costume. And we give treats to friends and those in need (though we get treats from friends, too). 10 points to the first person who guesses which holiday this is. But that's different from Halloween, according to the kids, because we don't go around our neighborhood. Would they feel differently if we lived in a Jewish neighborhood? I don't know.

But that's not all. We live in one of those old-fashioned neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone, where we watch each other's homes and dog-sit and run next door to "borrow" a cup of sugar when you run out while making cookies. We have block clubs - neighborhood-defined monthly get-togethers primarily for social purposes, but if there are crimes in the area, we work together with the city and law enforcement to deal with it.

I'm the block club captain for our neighborhood, and I feel a certain amount of obligation to the neighbors to participate. I don't want our house to be one of those that the neighbor kids can't go to on Halloween. And the best way to designate our house a "Halloween-friendly" house is by having a lit jack-o-lantern. At the same time, I'm not convinced it's fair to give out candy and not let the boys go trick-or-treat themselves.

So we compromise. The kids pick out their Purim (whoops! I gave it away) costumes in October, and get to use them twice, once for Halloween and once for Purim. We carve pumpkins and talk about how pumpkins are part of the fall harvest that we celebrate during Sukkot. We hand out kosher candy, even though we're the only ones in the neighborhood who care.

And we acknowledge that there are commonalities among our seemingly disparate holidays. Pagans believe that Halloween is a time when the barrier between the spiritual realm and the earthly realm is thin enough to cross over. It's easy to initially dismiss this as superstitious, but Jews believe the same thing during another holiday, when the barrier between the heavens and the earth is thinnest and prayers are most likely to reach their Destination. 50 points to anyone who can name that Jewish holiday.

Tonight will be more than a CandyFest, even if that's the most important part for the kids. It will be an experience in identity, community, and comparative religions.

Yes, But Did It Speak?

2008-07-10T17:04:00.003-05:00

Oldest Son came home from Jewish summer camp today with the question, "Guess what we had today?" Before I could answer, he continued. "We had a big storm and lightning struck a bush and it caught fire. But everyone's okay."

I couldn't ignore the opportunity. "You had a burning bush at camp?"

"Yeah. The fire department was there and everything."

I was still finding this amusing, since no one's safety was in question. "Did anyone speak from the bush?"

A big smile beamed from his face. "No! Not that kind of burning bush. This was a real burning bush. I didn't see it but I heard someone tell my counselor. People were in the building and saw the burning bush and called the fire department and they put the fire out before it caught anything else on fire."

I guess they go all out for having Jewish experiences at camp.

Back to Work

2008-07-03T17:51:00.004-05:00

The kids are off to day camp on Monday (for three weeks), which means I can get back to work! Ergo, also back to the blog.

I have such ambitious, noble intentions.

Strength to Stand is in the hands of my editor. It's progressing more slowly than I'd have liked, but it's still progressing and I can't complain about that.

I've been working on the business end of things for a while now and my creative side is yearning to come out. This balance thing, it's so hard.

Strength to Stand

2008-01-30T08:25:00.000-06:00

Todah rabah to everyone who wrote to me! The overwhelming vote was for Strength to Stand: A Rabbi David Cohen Novel.

Initial bound galleys have been sent to four beta readers with two more going out within the next week (due to their schedules). One the beta readers who graciously volunteered is the J-blogosphere's own Mother in Israel! I'm a teeny tiny bit nervous (read: I'm terrified) about this part of the process because it's the first time the book is "public." It's the first time with this book that I get criticism. But the idea is that critical comments will help me do Edit #2 so the book is even better when it gets to my book editor.

Someone asked me why I call them beta readers. I use the term in the same sort of way that an initial version of computer software is called "beta" and those who use it and check for bugs and problems with the software are "beta testers." Beta readers are looking for bugs and problems with the book.

While they're reading, my job is to: 1) start Book Three in the series; 2) work with the designer on a cover - which you'll all get to see and vote on; 3) round up names for possible pre-publication blurbs, 4) work with marketing on a catchy pitch and summary, and 4) think about ways to let everyone know about the book when it hits the store shelves.

Anyone interested in hosting a blog tour next summer/fall? Okay, it's a bit early for that, but file it away somewhere because I will be asking more earnestly later!

Come to think of it, if you know a prominent author, rabbi, Jewish educator, or someone else with a nationally recognizeable name who you think might be interested in reading an advance copy of Strength to Stand and writing a short endorsement (provided they like it, which, of course, they will - I hope!) - or if you fit any of the above criteria - send me names by email or in the comments. I'll email you to get contact info on where to send the advance copy.

Onward and upward!

Strength to Blog

2008-01-15T14:21:00.000-06:00

With thanks, Haveil Havalim #149 is up at Life in Israel. Many, many thanks are also due to SoccerDad, who started HH and is handing over the reins to Jack.

Now that the important stuff is out of the way, let's get to the real reason I'm here.

I need more feedback, people!

Those who've written, thank you! Your opinions are quite valuable since I am, after all, writing for an audience. (The books, that is. Well, the blog is for an audience, too, but I'm not selling the blog. Who would want it anyway?)

With the help of those who have commented and emailed, I've been able to narrow down the choices. Here's what didn't make the cut, and why:

Anger Avenged - nice alliteration, but negative overall; closely related to the plot but not clearly so

Broken Pact - not as related to the story as other titles; too close to Jodi Picoult's The Pact

For the Miracles - taken from the Chanukah liturgy and known to many Jews, it's an unclear title for non-Jewish readers and has more to do with the timing of the plot, not the story itself

In Your Midst - taken from the beginning of the Haftarah portion read on the first Shabbat of Chanukah, it's actually very much related to the plot as well. However, not quite intriguing enough

Payback - a great title, which explains why there are at least 20 other books out there with the same title. I'm sure I can be a little more original than that.

Rededication - related to the meaning of Chanukah (and its definition), it's too ho-hum (as opposed to ho-ho-ho, which would be a book titled "Christmas")

Rewards of Vengeance - again, negative sounding and perhaps not quite the value readers would go for

Faith and Fear - too similar to other titles, sounds like "Tales from the Inquisition," still negative

Chosen by Faith - suggested by Steve (thank you Steve!). I like the thematic connection and choice is something we all face every day. When it came down to it, though, I had to rule it out because Judaism is far more about action than faith. Plus, I don't want Barnes & Noble to shelve it in the Christian Fiction section like they did with Destined!

Now the short(er) list:

As in Days of Old - taken from part of the Shabbat liturgy, it originally had a great deal to do with the plot, but, as often happens when a book is being written, the characters take over and go in other directions. Such is the case here and I'm not sure it targets the plot well enough; also kind of ho-hum

Safety From Within - taken from the book text, it is both descriptive and ironic, but I'm not sure how well it really captures "suspense"

Strength to Strength - a common Jewish phrase, a wishing of wellness, can't say it isn't "strong" but is it descriptive enough?

Strength to Stand - also taken from the book text, it has everything to do with Chanukah, the plot, and gives an image (to me anyway) of a battled hero finding a way to continue on; probably one of the finalists

Strength to Prevail - similar to Strength to Stand, but less alliterative, suggests the ability to win the war, not just the battle, definitely conjures up a struggle (good)

Meanwhile, as I'm being all self-absorbed with getting this book ready to launch and doing my other wifely and motherly duties and fighting off a bad case of bronchitis, many of those around me are probably not happy with my timing. A whole bunch - and I mean a really... lot of people... are having major life cycle events lately. B'nai mitzvah, births, deaths, moving, changing schools.

I'd planned this for a relatively quiet time of year (no one wants to beta-read a novel a week before Passover, for instance), and now lots of folks have lots going on. Well, lots of people have lots going on a lot of the time. I have a lot of things going on a lot of the time, which is why I'm having to make some hard choices about going to the lots of things that lots of others have going on.

So that's the update. Keep your feedback coming!

Vote for a Title

2008-01-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Note: Additional potential titles added 1/10, 1/11! Plus updates! See below.

Now that I've written a bit more about what Destined to Choose is about, I want to share what Book #2 is about.

I have an in-progress 25-words-or-less summary of Book #2, working title: As in Days of Old, which is:

"Minneapolis Rabbi David Cohen intervenes to help catch a violent stalker while David's wife decides to get more involved in his career."

22 words. Not a lot to play with there, but I'll keep trying.

Now for the longer version of what it's about:

It's almost Chanukah, and Rabbi Batya Zahav, a Reform rabbi, David's friend, and wife of Arik, an Israeli-born Minneapolis police sergeant, is being stalked. It begins with threatening letters but quickly escalates. No witnesses, few forensics, and no idea who the stalker is or why he's targeting Batya.

Frustrated by the lack of progress, Arik involves David in his own investigation, leading them through a chain of fundamentalism and hatred hidden beneath the city's facade of "Minnesota Nice."

Simultaneously, David's wife, Sara, decides she no longer wants to be on the sidelines of David's career, and initiates actions that could jeopardize his future as a rabbi. While balancing all of this, David is also hosting a friend from rabbinical school and his wife, who find themselves dragged into the middle of a crime scene instead of enjoying a vacation.

That's off the top of my head, so it will change (dramatically, I hope) before it gets to any sort of official print.

And here's where I can really, really, REALLY use your help. I need some feedback on potential titles. What do you like? What do you not like? Why? Do you have a better title? (Acknowledgement will be given for anyone who comes up with the published title!)

You can leave comments or email me, because I really want to hear from you!

Here's what I have:

As in Days of Old (working title)
Anger Avenged
Broken Pact
For the Miracles (modified)
In Your Midst
Payback
Rededication
Rewards of Vengeance
Faith and Fear (new)
Safety From Within (new)
Strength to Strength (new) (also a common Jewish phrase)
Strength to Stand (new)
Strength to Prevail (new)

The published title might be one of these, or might be none of these. I'm too close to it and have been calling it one thing for too long. So knowing what you now know about the book (ask questions here if you need something more - except the ending, which I won't give away), what's your vote? (You may vote for more than one.)

Update: As of Thursday, 1/10, I've had quite a few responses both in the comments below and through email. THANK YOU! The general consensus is that title prospects 1-8 are likely not high in the running, but based on various suggestions, five more (9-13) have been added. I will note that I have a new favorite for lots of reasons, but I'd like to hear what you think first.

Update #2: Having just answered the comments I've received on the blog so far, I realized that I wrote something rather key:

"this book is less about choice than it is about standing up for what you believe in, especially when that belief is threatened."

While Judaism is certainly more than just a set of beliefs, the above statement really is the heart of the book.

Bonus Features 1: Behind the Summary

2008-01-02T14:35:00.000-06:00

I said earlier that I thought books ought to have a bonus features element like DVDs do, with input from the director, outtakes, deleted scenes, the-making-of featurettes and so on.

And then I thought, well gosh, those are great things to put on a blog!

I've also been thinking about Batya's comment that a pitch for the second book must be for those who are new to the series, not for those who have already read Destined. And she's right.

In fact, when I started Book #2, I wanted it to work as a stand-alone novel, where you could read it without having first read Destined, or read them out of order, or whatever, and it would still make sense. (I read mystery series all the time out of order.)

And then I realized I had failed to do one very important thing: I don't have a summary of either book on the blog! (Bad Sheyna)

Until now.

Which brings us to the first in a whole bunch of bonus features, some of which I'm really excited to share because they were part of the research I did (hours and hours of research) for the series and while readers get to see the result of all the research, you don't always get to see the cool details.

The text on the back of the book reads:

When Anna Rosenfeld writes a college philosophy paper, she never expects it to jeopardize her relationship with her grandfather, Avram, or leave her alone and afraid on the streets of Minneapolis. Help comes in the form of Rabbi David Cohen, spiritual leader of Avram's synagogue, who is struggling with his own personal demons admist difficulties with both his family and his congregation.
Trained in both psychology and Talmudic argument, and armed with his faith in G-d, David must help Anna and Avram face the real issue that divides them before time runs out. Set against the backdrop of Tisha b'Av - a time of mourning commemorating multiple instances of causeless hatred - they bring together their memories and experiences as they confront evil itself and answer a cry for help that no one expected.

That was the official "teaser," though now, some four years later, I'd tweak it a bit.

In my experience life is complex, so there are several subplots as well:

David's family is feeling the effects of him rarely being home, resulting in an unhappy wife (Sara) and his oldest son (Ben - 8) acting out at school and in synagogue
The adult son of a prominent board member wants to marry a non-Jewish woman who is more intrigued by Wicca than she is by Judaism, and David is caught in the middle
The board president (Billy) is far more interested in increasing the shul's budget than the spiritual quality of the lives in the congregation, and when David refuses to abandon ritual for fundraising, Billy is determined to find a different rabbi for the shul
The cantor exercises the at-will clause in his contract and leaves for a large, influential synagogue on the West Coast, giving David and the board less than two weeks notice and no one lined up for the High Holy Days

A Jewish bookstore owner called Destined to Choose "Rabbi Small [series by Harry Kemelman z"l] meets Faye Kellerman," which was awesome praise, I thought. I need to get her permission to use that as a blurb!

What more do you want to know?

Setbacks Are Just Alternatives to Success

2008-01-02T12:55:00.001-06:00

Today was the deadline to have the manuscript ready for beta readers, having allegedly gone through the out loud reading I mentioned earlier.

Minor setback: I got sick and this is the second day I've had no voice. (I only wish I could say it was all that new year's cheering, but alas, I was in bed early due to aforementioned illness.)

Wanting to press on, however, I found an alternative. I couldn't read anything aloud, but Husby could! And, it turns out, this may well turn out to be an even better way of checking the ms for understandability, word use, and so forth.

And so we read on...

Why It's Good to Read a Book Aloud

2007-12-30T21:44:00.000-06:00

Most readers aren't aware of everything that goes into a manuscript after it's written but before it can be prepared for publication. But you aren't most readers because you're here and I'm going to share with you all the fun (sort of) ups and downs.

So, I finished writing the manuscript (shorthand: ms) last Wednesday. But before I can print out half a dozen copies and give them to my beta readers (more on that in a moment), it needs a read-through.

Out loud.

What may look good on paper and even sound fine when you're reading silently can be downright nasty when spoken aloud. That's not good. Downright nasty doesn't belong in a published book. I did this with Destined and it was amazing how many things I caught:

How many times do characters begin their dialog with "Well,"?
Do two or more characters use the same idiosyncratic speech pattern?
Is the point-of-view (POV) consistent, or is there "head jumping"?
Just how many times do you just use the word "just"?

Oh, there is so much to find, so much to correct. And it doesn't work quite as well when you're reading it aloud to yourself. Because, after all, you wrote it.

So we look for an audient. (I figure if many people in attendance is an audience, then a single person listening is an audient.) In my case, Husby is quite convenient.

Consequently, over the last few days (excepting Shabbat, of course), I've been reading the ms to him out loud. Lemme tell ya, my voice is starting to fade, and we're only to chapter 13. But it is already making a difference in what I'm able to catch both in basic errors and in structure and word choice.

Since Tuesday is a holiday (we did our New Year thing back in September; this one we celebrate pretty much simply by buying a new calendar), on Wednesday, the plan is to print and bind about half a dozen copies of the ms and give them, with a complimentary red pen, to my beta readers.

What are beta readers? They're people I've specifically requested read the ms and mark it up. I trust them to tell me the honest truth. If there's something that needs fixing, I want to know about it so I can fix it! Anything they love, hate, don't understand, anything that needs clarification, isn't accurate, or is a must-keep - they mark it and I use it to do Edit #2.

A few people who were beta readers for Destined have volunteered to read this one. And my favorite, to be honest, was a reader who wrote not only comments to me for purposes of the next edit, but also comments to the characters! I'm looking forward to her comments on this ms.

So that's the latest update. Husby gets to hear a bunch more chapters read aloud to him and then I'll move on to the beta readers. And all this before it gets to my editor, who will I hope, edit it within an inch of its life so that it can be the best book possible.

Hey Hey Haveil Havalim #147

2007-12-30T21:33:00.000-06:00

Want to know what's going on the Jewish blogosphere? Go to this week's Haveil Havalim over at Soccer Dad's blog and see who's doing what or to whom.

Really. Go. I'll wait. You can always come back here and read more when you're done there. (Plus there's a link there back here, so you won't forget.)

Chapter and Terse

2007-12-26T18:00:00.000-06:00

88,197 words

2,920 paragraphs

403 pages

33 chapters

20 major characters

6 beta readers

3 book editors

1 novel

DONE!

2007-12-26T12:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, the first major edit of the completed manuscript of the second in the Rabbi David Cohen series is DONE!

Today's assignment is to break it into chapters. I don't write chapters as I'm actively working on the ms so much as I write sections. Later some will become chapters and others will remain sections within a chapter.

I need to look at how the story flows and where a good breaking point for a chapter would be (with an eye always toward cliffhangers and other nefarious means of keeping readers from putting down the book), and then also look at how many pages are in each chapter, to achieve some balance throughout the book.

Next up, making printed copies for my beta readers, who will have something to curl up with and mark up with red pen in January. Then it's on to my primary editor and advance copies to go out to pre-publication reviewers.

In addition to asking for your help with the pitch, you all are also de facto part of my focus group (isn't that cool?) so I'll be asking your opinions on a bunch of stuff, including your votes for the published title (rather than the working title I've had), votes for your favorite cover, and so forth.

You can help determine the future of Jewish literature!

Help Write a Book Pitch! Be Involved from the Very Beginning!

2007-12-25T21:00:00.000-06:00

From 12/24/07:
No carolers tonight, but there is a good shot at my finishing the first major edit of As in Days of Old tomorrow. Since there's so much else to do on December 25th. [snicker]

Okay, so I need y'alls help here. I need a good elevator pitch. An astounding one. A 25-words-or-less pitch for the book that will cause everyone who hears it to run to their nearest retail outlet (online or off) and buy it.

I wrote in detail about what a formal elevator pitch (EP) is on the MIPA blog, if you want to know details about it and how to develop your own. For everyone else, let's just say I need to come up with a 10-second (I wasn't kidding about the 25-words-or-less) riveting, compelling, highly provocative sentence to describe the book without giving away the ending.

So... what is the book about? It's the second in the Rabbi David Cohen suspense series, a sequel to Destined to Choose, and, if I may be so bold, much, much better. It takes place six months after Destined ends, during the weeks leading up to and during Chanukah. In it...

"Minneapolis Rabbi David Cohen intervenes to catch a violent stalker while his wife tries to become more involved in his career."

That's what I have so far. There's so much more I could say. That's the problem as the author, you get so caught up in the characters' lives and the story and all the details that it all seems important.

Like, I could tell you that Arik (Israeli-born Minneapolis cop) has a major role in this book, as does Batya (Arik's wife/Reform rabbi).

We get to see the story partly from Batya's point of view, as well as Sara's (David's wife).

Eli, who was briefly introduced in Destined, and his wife come out for a visit during Chanukah, and wind up in the middle of a crime scene.

We meet Shimon, an Orthodox rabbi, for the first time and get a glimpse into his and David's friendship (yes, a Conservative and an Orthodox rabbi can be friends).

And we get to meet members of the larger non-Jewish community as well.

Will you help? I'm thinkin' there might be something in it for you, too (mention in the acknowledgments, a free advance copy...) My publisher's marketing advisor, my editor, and others will have some say, too, but I've been asked for a pitch with the finished manuscript. I'd love your help!

Leave your comments (they get emailed to me so I'll be sure to get them) and we'll continue the dialog. Thanks!

Back tomorrow with updates.

Update 12/25/07: About 20 pages to go and the ms is DONE (with Edit #1) and ready to go to beta readers for their comments, which will result in Edit #2. [Then it goes to my editor for what will result in Edit #3.] I would not be surprised if the ms goes through as many as 5-6 edits all told before publication, but the first three are the big ones.

Already the first chapter has been rewritten and several scenes have been either rearranged or pulled entirely. You know what books need? We need a "special bonus features" thing like on DVDs, where the author can provide commentary during the book and there can be a section for a gag reel and deleted scenes. I wonder if there's a market for that sort of thing...

I am a little sad. It's always sad, finishing and having to say goodbye for now. I expect to be done by tomorrow morning, at which time I will need to - without a pause - write a compelling scene from Book #3, the third in the series (and mostly plotted out already). I really hope to get to the point of writing a book a year. This 4-5 years between books is so not okay. (But then I did give birth to children in the intervening years. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' with it.)

Wish me luck - tomorrow I'm looking forward to posting a DONE post!

Is Carol Coming to My Door?

2007-12-23T22:07:00.000-06:00

Received this tucked in the door today:

We cordially invite you to listen to a musical caroling experience (time/date). If interested, please leave a front light on. [Signed by a neighbor]

What to do? What to do?

I want to support the neighborhood. I want to support my neighbors. I love music.

but...

I'm Jewish. I really don't want to hear about the birth of Jesus, sung to me personally, from my doorstep. Already I haven't been able to get "I'm Getting Nuttin' For Christmas" out of my head from a few days ago.

Husby didn't have any vacillation. He made sure the outside motion-sensor lights were turned off.

Update: due to blowing snow and whiteout conditions, caroling has been cancelled (or at least postponed to tomorrow).

I'm a little bit disappointed. I would have loved to have overheard them caroling to someone else who celebrates Christmas. The music is often beautiful, and I can listen to it so long as I know it's not directed at me personally.

And maybe it will replace "I'm Getting Nuttin'" and endless refrains of "I Am A Latke."

Update #2: The tune for the verses in "I Am A Latke" by Debbie Friedman has been buggin' me all evening, bringing memory snippets of Disney videos to mind. I finally put it together. The tune in the verses (not the chorus) is eerily similar to the tune of the verses in "Be Prepared" (Scar's Hitler-esque takeover song) in "The Lion King."

Hmm...

Chinese Food On Christmas

2007-12-23T16:09:00.001-06:00

Just how I'm feeling, finishing up Edit #1 on "As in Days of Old," watching the snow blowing outside, and knowing most of the rest of the neighborhood is preparing for the "big day."

Plus, this guy's got talent!

The Moving Finger Writes, and Having Writ, Moves On

2007-12-16T14:25:00.000-06:00

aka "Yay! No More Rosh Hashana Video!"

I am buried in books, folks. I've got quite a few I'm wading through for reviews (coming soon), an author interview with Tsvi Bisk (coming very soon), and stuff even I wrote (what a novel concept).

Spent Motzei Shabbat last night as the featured/guest author for a synagogue book group. I love audiences like this - warm, generous, genuinely interested. I was a little surprised when they said, "Okay, enough about the book. We're going to buy the book. We want to know more about you!"

My life is just so... well... my life. But some people find it interesting, which I find interesting. Maybe there's a book in there somewhere.

So what IS going on in my life? Some of the usual: kids, Husby, house, pets, vehicular challenges, winter in Minnesota (we're entering a warming trend, they said on the news: temperatures might get [up] close to freezing).

I moved my office from upstairs to dowstairs, which is actually a move up in the figurative sense though down in the literal sense. I have windows now and space. And boxes full of... uh... stuff, yeah, stuff from the former office, which is now a child's bedroom.

As for the writin', As in Days of Old is going through the first major editing and the cover art is starting to take shape. Beta readers ought to be getting their copies within a week or two. I'm hoping for a summer release; we'll see!

Some of you might remember my (very) short story "Saturdays," which was published on Elster's Storytellers blog a [ahem] year ago August. I've decided to give protagonist Coby his own book. Maybe not a series; I'm not sure. But I've got the perfect stand alone novel for him, and yes, folks, this one's a real honest-to-goodness murder mystery. Jewish perspective, yes, but not religiously so. If you've read "Saturdays," it's Coby post-police academy but without the encounter with Mike and Dan. (I have to take some writer's license, right?)

Meanwhile, I've been writing articles and shorter pieces (though obviously not blogging recently. Sorry about that!). One well-researched piece that I'm particularly fond of on the mitzvah of welcoming guests will be published in early January 2008; I should be able to either reprint it here or put in the link as soon as it's out.

I gave a 1-hour multi-media lecture last month on electronic marketing, or as I like to call it, "Book Marketing for Introverts." Due to responses to the lecture, I'm compiling my info along with other resources I've found for a small book. No release date for certain yet, but those who've read my articles on e-marketing (see my many posts on the MIPA blog) have said if the book were out now, they'd buy it sight unseen.

Pretty cool. I like hearing that.

I hope everyone had a meaningful and heroic Chanuka (or at least a nice time), and I'll be back soon. (Bug me if you don't hear from me at least once a week!)

I Gotta' Love You Rosh Hashanah

2007-09-12T17:06:00.001-05:00

This video was sent to me recently asking, among other things, for my take on it.

So here's my thought:

The lyrics bear listening to. “Yom Kippur leaves me feeling empty inside.” Wow. That’s not good. Why, I wonder? “Passover reminds me of the tears that we cried.” Okay, that makes sense. Sad, but sense.

So, Yom Kippur = empty
Passover = sad
Rosh Hashanah = date night?

Well… why not? To overuse an already overused cliché, it’s thinking outside the box.

And THEN, I started thinking about one image – just one single image, the first image that comes to mind (oh, let’s be Freudian, shall we?) – for each of the major holidays.

Pesach. Easy. The moment when I was 15 and dipping parsley in salt water and really truly crying because for the first time in my life I finally felt HOME.

Yom Kippur. Also easy. Hearing Kol Nidre in a rich baritone voice and feeling like every nerve is on fire, like somehow this voice, this song, this moment is a fragile, precious reaching out from our most vulnerable to the divine.

Rosh Hashana. Not so easy. I want to say hearing the shofar, or apples and honey or something nice. But the first image that comes to mind… I’m sorry to say it… is what feels like interminable hours of standing and sitting and standing again and maybe getting to sit for a bit and then more standing. And then, exhausted at the end of the first day, my only thought is “You want me to do this AGAIN?”

Or the alternative… think about it a new way. When my feet feel like they want to fall off and I’m just not feeling that into it and I’m prayed out for the hour or the day and I just want to go home, would it be so bad to silently groove to “R to the O to the S to the H to the…”? I might do it. I just might.

Why can’t Rosh Hashana be like a date, that exciting newness of it all, a special “dinner” of apples and honey and wine, of coming “home” and seeing with new eyes, hearing with new ears, letting go of the past and embracing the Book of Life? Especially if it lands folks in shul. And especially if people look forward to it as Rosh Hashana and not simply “Thursday.”

R to the O to the S to the H to the HASHANAH...

What are your thoughts?

Shana Tova!

2007-09-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

I've been running around doing the Headless Chicken Dance the past few days, but I want to extend a warm Shana Tova to all of you. Your support and comments and feedback have been wonderful and I look forward to sharing with you in the new year!

Shana tova u'metuka!

OMIGOSH! I'm in the NEW YORK TIMES?!

2007-09-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

YES!

I just received an email from Lisa Hamilton, a fellow author interested in both books and beliefs, asking about my blog here, and mentioning that she read a reference to Books and Beliefs in yesterday's New York Times.

She WHAT? My blog is WHERE?

She is right. Sunday, September 2, the New York Times ran an article about author Amy Cohen's blog tour for The Late Bloomer's Revolution, in which I'd participated not long ago. The full article is titled "The Author Will Take Q.'s Now" by Kara Jesella. And there it is, paragraph six.

Wow.

Well, that totally made my day, and I owe big thanks to Lisa Hamilton, without whom I wouldn't have known it was out there. Her book, I should mention, is due out later this month, and called Wisdom From the Middle Ages for Middle-aged Women and Amazon.com classifies it as Christian (Anglican) fiction.

Thanks, Lisa! And wheeeeee!

Me At Work

2007-08-24T17:08:00.000-05:00

No, that's not a mis-spelling of "Men At Work."

Actually, it's a shameless plug to go read a couple of articles I wrote for MIPA, the Midwest Independent Publishers Association. I wrote one on book categories and one on building a publishing backlist. It's the "work side" of me, hence "me at work."

Over-explained, I know.

But go check it out. The book categories one is personal, and has completely changed the way I approach my writing. How? Go read it!

Haveil Havalim Turns 130!

2007-08-19T22:01:00.000-05:00

And Soccer Dad has the birthday greetings and some great links to Jewish blog posts (including two by Yours Truly). Go check it out!

Today's Post Brought to You by the Letter H

2007-08-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hey Hey, Haveil Havalim is Here, Helpful and Highly Hailed, Honoring and Heralding Hints from Heresies to Histories, Heroically Hoarded (in a Helpful way) at the sHack.

Henceforth, Hurry Hastily and Heed your Hunger for this Hearty Harvest of Happiness.

Huzzah.

A Reason for Jewish Optimism: Part 2

2007-08-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

Continued from Part 1.

My burning question to Tsvi Bisk after being captivated by his lecture was this: what can we do?

My question was answered on two levels.

Community
"We've done the research on alternative energy," Bisk said. "We have plenty of research. Enough with the research already. What we need is deployment." In fact, Israel is at the forefront of developing and establishing alternative energy solutions, water conservation and desalination, and recycling. And a small community can do this, he said.

Step one: Get the local (Jewish) community together. Do some fundraising, Ask for investments from the local medical community in particular.

Step two: Purchase a solar-powered steam turbine generator from Solel (or a similar Israeli company) with the money raised.

Step three: Donate the generator to a local hospital, where they will substantially reduce their energy bill.

Step four: Take advantage of the media to demonstrate how a small community can make a huge environmental difference within their own community. Help it to "go viral" and spread to other communities.

Who wins? Everyone. The Jewish community wins by getting credit for the donation. The hospital wins by reducing costs. Israel wins by establishing another happy customer. And the earth wins.

Individual
There are the usual but still important answers:

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs
Turn off lights and small appliances when not using them
Make your next vehicle a hybrid
Invest in wind and/or solar energy programs through your local energy company
Conserve energy wherever possible

But I wanted more. I wanted to know, for those of us who have already invested in wind energy, replaced our bulbs, and can't afford a new car right now, what can we do today?

Tsvi Bisk will hopefully answer that - what a single individual can do - and other questions about his book and proposals in an upcoming interview here on the blog.

Meanwhile, as I was at the lecture, a representative from Checker Auto Parts came up to me and provided more answers.

What can YOU do today?

Check the air in the tires of your vehicle(s). For every pound psi the tires are underinflated, you lower your gas mileage up to one percent.

Check the air filter in your vehicle(s), even if whomever changed the oil claims they inspected the air filter. Change it if necessary. A clogged air filter can cost you 10% of your gas mileage.

Use "Top Tier" fuel. This does NOT mean the really expensive high-octane stuff. This means fuel that has sufficient detergent added to clean your fuel system as it's being burned. Leading automakers have determined that the minimum EPA standards for detergent added to gasoline only provides about half the detergent needed to keep the engine's fuel system clean and prevent corrosion. For a list of fuel companies participating in the Top Tier program, visit http://www.toptiergas.com/.

If there are no Top Tier participating fuel stations nearby, add the best fuel system cleaner you can buy to your vehicle every three months. This is often not the one on sale. Ask your local auto parts store for their best recommendations; there should only be one or two.

I went home and checked tire pressure. Right on manufacturer recommendations. Check one.

I checked the air filter despite the oil changing place claiming to have checked it three months ago. I don't think it had EVER been changed. Icky. A new one cost less than $10. Check two.

No Top Tier stations around here, so I bought the recommended fuel system cleaner specifically for engines over 100,000 miles. Two weeks later (as of this writing), my average gas mileage - which I've been tracking since I bought our minivan - increased by 9 mpg. From 19 mpg to 28 mpg. For a minivan!

And then, because I was inspired and because our six-year-old gas-powered lawnmower is clearly on its last wheels, we retired the noisy gas-guzzler and bought a push reel mower from the local home improvement store for a well-spent $65.

Here's the amazing thing: it pushes easier than the gas mower, is easier to maneuver, cuts just as well (or better), is nearly silent (I can talk on the phone while mowing the lawn; who else can claim that?), and doesn't benefit Iran, antisemitic propaganda, or spew who knows what fumes into my face and the environment.

All because I reviewed a book and it touched me.

Whether you agree with the entire message or not, the fact remains that energy is an issue looking desperately for a solution, and the Jewish Energy Project might just be one of the answers.

A Reason for Jewish Optimism: Part 1

2007-08-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

I recently attended a lecture in St. Paul by Israeli author Tsvi Bisk and in some very real ways, it changed my life.

First of all, Tsvi Bisk is an incredible speaker. He had a large room with a standing-room-only audience mesmerized for nearly two hours. This is hard to do under the best of circumstances but he pulled it off successfully. Part of it may have been his resonant voice, growing louder to emphasize some points and then pulled back to a soft this-is-between-you-and-me camaraderie. But most of it was the message itself:

We can

neutralize the war on terror
significantly decrease antisemitic propaganda around the world
bring both religious and secular, Diaspora and Israeli Jews together, and
put a dent in global warming

all in one program. And we can do it within twenty years or less.

The answer: become energy independent.

Not everyone agrees with this, but hearing Tsvi Bisk talk, it is hard to find fault with his logic, his passion, or his proposals.

Much of the detail about what he calls the Jewish Energy Project is detailed in his latest book, The Optimistic Jew, reviewed here on this blog. In the lecture, he summarized much of it with the following:

A great deal of the antisemitic propaganda and literature spread around the world originates in Iran (big surprise)
The vast majority of Iran's income comes from the sale of oil
Reducing or even eliminating dependence on foreign oil will hurt these anti-Jewish, anti-Israel governments far more than sending more troops to the Middle East to risk their lives against roadside bombs and insurgent attacks
Energy is something that can bring together both young and mature, secular and religious Jews in Israel and the Diaspora; it is something consistent with Torah values and taking care of the earth
By showing our local communities, regions, states, countries that it is possible to reduce or eliminate dependence on foreign oil by tapping alternative energy resources and conserving energy, this is a grassroots campaign that can make a global difference. This is an important way we can become (again) a light unto the nations.

"I don't care if it is down-up, top-down, grass roots, grass tops, so long as it is done," said Bisk during the lecture. Everyone has a share in it, he emphasized. Everyone needs to participate.

Among attendees were representatives from the Alliance for Sustainability, who agreed with Bisk that energy independence and conservation are the keys not only to neutralizing the war, but to avoiding future wars that would, experts agree, likely be about either energy or water. Or both.

There was much discussion on the feasability of Bisk's Jewish Energy Project, on its impact at the legislative level and the response (or lack thereof) from American and Israeli political leaders. Bisk quipped that the term "Israeli political leader" was an oxymoron, and admitted that this can only succeed if people demand it of their representatives and leaders. The payoffs for current political leaders to maintain the status quo is simply too tempting.

What, I wanted to know, can we, as individuals, as small communities, do right now?

That was where it got really interesting.

Continued in Part 2.

Dear Sheyna...

2007-08-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Two and a half articles done, I just took a break and retrieved the mail, finding a hand-addressed letter to me from a vaguely familiar-sounding name in New York.

Curious, I opened it.

"Dear Sheyna,
I am Jewish and I believe Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew name) is the promised Messiah of Israel."

EWWWW!!!

Icky drop it drop it - no, throw it out OUT OUT! - no, better yet SHRED IT! Ewwww...

Right. Emotional display of disgust over. I think.

How did they get my home address? Oy. Just when I thought I was getting a handle on all the email spam, now it comes in my house. Ick.

Okay, so I understand the need for Christians who believe that witnessing or whatever is part of their purpose in life. Don't like it, but I understand it's what they believe. But former sort-of Jews preying on other Jews? That's just wrong. Wrongwrongwrong.

I know it happens. A lot. Way more than it should. I just consider myself lucky to have dodged most of it.

So I invite readers here to share what y'alls would do if you got such a letter? Send them a letter back referring them to Jews for Judaism?

Do you just ignore it, shred it, burn it, or otherwise purge it from your house, and if you do that, does it in some way perpetuate it by not stopping it?

Brainstorms welcome. (Conversion attempts not.) What would you do and why?

Coming Up...

2007-08-08T10:30:00.000-05:00

Soon, as soon as I can get my other four articles written and off to the appropriate editors, I'll have posts on:

Tsvi Bisk's lecture in Saint Paul
a recent book club talk
and reflections on a recent question about whether my books are kosher.

Meanwhile, back to writing about flexibility, backlists, and categorizing books. All three of those articles will eventually wind up on the MIPA blog, hopefully within the next week.

More to come!

Bridge In Troubled Waters

2007-08-02T14:01:00.000-05:00

By now many of you have heard about the 35W bridge collapse in Minnneapolis yesterday evening. First a personal note of gratitude: we are all fine, thank G-d.

It's quite a ways from us and not a route we use often, though I almost drove across it yesterday morning until I found myself driving on "autopilot" and heading a different way to the same destination. (I'm not sure whether that "autopilot" thing was not enough coffee or just enough Divine Intervention, but either way, I'm safe.)

It's very surreal here. Husby and I went out for a walk last night and met several other neighbors who were outside just trying to make sense of it. Everyone knew someone who crossed that bridge during rush hour. The cell phone towers are overloaded and last I heard, there are at least 30 people unaccounted for and at least six fatalities.

We had the news on at 6:00pm last night and saw the first "breaking news" story. Stopped us in our tracks. I stared in disbelief until my brain kicked into gear and then all I could do was whisper "Baruch Dayan HaEmet" repeatedly. There was nothing we could do except watch and worry and pray.

I just saw the CNN video of the bridge as it actually collapsed. I'll add it in a post just after this one.

I couldn't sleep last night from all the news, finally took something to help and I'm groggy today. Not a great day for writing, let me tell you. But I've got two articles due and another blog post update on watching Tsvi Bisk in action (wow), so it's a writing day whether my brain wants to or not.

Interstate 35W Security Footage of Bridge Collapse

2007-08-02T13:35:00.001-05:00

Here is that shocking video of the bridge collapse I just wrote about.

The Optimistic Jew

2007-07-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

It seems appropriate today, the day after Tisha b'Av, to turn toward the future with hope and optimism.

Tsvi Bisk, Director of the Center for Strategic Futurist Thinking in Israel, is the author of the just-released and very well-written The Optimistic Jew: A Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century. Somehow he found li'l ol' me and asked if I'd consider writing a review. Just a summary of the book had me intrigued, and The Optimistic Jew is well worth the read.

As an added bonus, Tsvi will be speaking in St. Paul this Sunday at 10:30am at the St. Paul JCC, and also at the World Future 2007 Conference at the Minneapolis Hilton between July 29 - August 1. I'll be attending his lecture at the St. Paul JCC. If you're in town, come see him! (And me! I'm friendly, honest!) With any luck, I'll be able to post an interview with him here, too.

So without further delay, here's more on The Optimistic Jew.

With the sobering predictions from successive American Jewish population studies, it’s easy to become pessimistic about whether it’s going to be worth it in the long run to raise an increasingly smaller new generation with a strong Jewish identity. Is there a reason for paying thousands of dollars for a child’s Jewish education?

Unequivocally, yes, says Tsvi Bisk in his new book, The Optimistic Jew (Maxanna Press, 2007). Director of the Center for Strategic Futurist Thinking in Kfar Saba, Israel, Bisk not only knows that there’s a reason to be optimistic, he outlines exactly how we can create a strong, vibrant Jewish future, attracting younger generations of disenfranchised and unaffiliated Jews in the process. And we can do it in our own lifetime.

There are several keys to achieve this, according to Bisk. One is embracing cultural pluralism, and he likens it to an environmental paradigm:

“Environmentalism recognizes that “monoculturalism” (the cultivation of a single crop over extensive areas) endangers the health of the entire ecological system. Ecological systems that have an increasing variety of species and ever-increasing interactions between these species are healthy, vigorous, and robust. Ecological systems that have a diminishing variety of species and diminishing interaction between these species are sick and susceptible to collapse.” (p. 31)
And Bisk dismisses the idea that one has to choose between cultures: Jewish versus American versus Israeli versus any other cultural heritage, stating, “Individuals who cultivate within themselves a plurality of cultures also have a much better chance of succeeding. […] To the extent that Israel and the Jewish people at large can make this cultural attitude a norm, we will truly be a light unto the nations.” (pp. 139-140)

Another key is redefining Zionism for the 21st century. While Zionism was indeed a success, it is no longer applicable either to Israelis or the Diaspora. Writes Bisk, “Many young Diaspora and Israeli Jews have grown distant from Israel in recent years because Zionism is a 19th century ideology trying to come to terms with a 21st century reality.” (p. 57). In clear, down to earth language, Bisk retraces the history of Zionism, how it grew, how it succeeded, and what needs to happen to reinvent it for today and the future.

The third key relates to the role of Israel, within both Israeli and Diaspora culture. Since the creation of the State of Israel, the primary relationship has been one of the Diaspora financially funding Israeli organizations, ultimately directed by Israeli politics. Some Israelis, Bisk writes, claim that not only have these contributions had little effect on Israeli citizens, they have actually become detrimental.

“The time has come for a new paradigm wherein these relatively small sums go directly […] to more efficient and effective public administration, innovative educational initiatives and national projects (such as energy independence) that could mobilize the energies and skills of large numbers of uninvolved Jews.” (pp. 68-69)

Bisk casts a sharp eye on the secular European Enlightenment, citing it as the basis for a global return to fundamentalism in any religion. While Jewish responses to the Enlightenment brought us this far, he writes, they cannot sustain Jewish identity into the future. This is not simply a case of changing beliefs or creating belief where there was none, but rather creating entirely new Jewish expressions.

Pulling together politics, psychology, economics, history, sociology, and ecology, Bisk describes where we’ve been, where we are, and where we can be. He offers specific ideas and suggestions for creating the optimistic future he envisions, and cites actions we can take as both individuals and a people. Of particular interest is his outline for the Jewish Energy Project, which can all at once invigorate today’s Jews, reassert Israel’s place in Jewish life, and tackle the growing dependence on foreign oil.

For anyone who is interested in what the future of the Jewish people can look like—if we will it—this is a highly recommended solid read with a potentially real outcome.

Interview: Amy Cohen, author of "The Late Bloomer's Revolution"

2007-07-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

I am just tickled to introduce to you my first author interview here on Books and Beliefs. Last week I read The Late Bloomer's Revolution and thoroughly enjoyed it. Today, I'm delighted to share my interview with the author, Amy Cohen:

Sheyna: Amy, welcome to the blog, and thank you so much for including Books and Beliefs in your blog tour. Let's get right to the interview.

You write about such painful, traumatic experiences, such as your mother's death and the broken engagement, yet you write with such levity and humor. How do you feel about sharing your pain in such a funny way?

Amy: First, I’m so happy you thought the book was funny. I love hearing that, so thank you. I come from a funny family. I think it’s just the way we deal with things. It’s never something we even think about, it just is.

Like today I did this radio interview by phone and of all days, workers were drilling and hammering in the apartment below me, so I couldn’t hear anyone who called. So I asked my doorman if from 1:30 to 1:45, they could stop banging and drilling and he said yes. So at 1:30 I begin my interview, and then not only does the drilling get louder, my doorman starts ringing my buzzer – repeatedly. After it was over, I said, “Julio I said NOT to call or drill at 1:30,” and he said, “oh sorry. I got confused.” Was it a nightmare? Yes. Was it such a disaster it was funny too? Absolutely. I guess my feeling when things go wrong is always, “might as well laugh.”

I think the second part of the question for me is “how do you feel about sharing your pain?” Which was incredibly hard for me. Maybe the hardest part. For many drafts, I was very glib and jokey and you could tell I was hiding a lot. So I had to go back and then back again and yes, again and again, and rewrite. And in order to do it, I had to be really honest with myself. Was I afraid of saying I got depressed (yes, absolutely I was) but why? Was I afraid to talk about how insecure I feel sometimes (yes, again.) And so I asked myself why and what I was so afraid of. And it took a lot of work.

I think also when I was going through all my most painful times, I wished so much there was a book like mine. I’d read other memoirs that I loved, but couldn’t find one that captured the feelings I was having. So I’m happy to share.

Sheyna: I found that the parts I laughed hardest at (with?) were the situations I found most familiar (and there were many), yet I was engaged at 19 and married by 23. Can you comment on the universality of what you wrote about relationships and what it means to be a "late bloomer"?

Amy: I have to say, I am just thrilled people are using the word “universal” in reference to the book. I think part of the universality (love that word), is that the book deals with all kinds of relationships, not just between men and women. It’s about relationships with your parents, with yourself, and also with your idea of yourself (your job, the things you think define you and make you a success, and the ongoing issue of where you think you’re supposed to be in life.) Those are universal concerns.

I’ve gotten a bunch of letters from men and women of all ages and different backgrounds (which has been amazing). Letters that include a film-making bachelor in London; an older, widowed grandmother from New Jersey; and a lovely, young Palestinian Israeli woman who said that she felt the book had a very universal message about relationships and how complicated they are.

Who knew? I actually wasn’t expecting so many people to use the term “universal”, but as I said, I couldn’t be happier people feel that way.

Sheyna: You clearly write from a Jewish perspective. In what ways do you think your Jewishness had an impact on how you dealt with the situations you wrote about?

Amy: What a terrific, interesting question. First, I have to say my Mother must be smiling now, because she would love this question so much (she was a “career volunteer” for UJA and the Jewish Theological Seminary.)

The ways in which my Judaism influenced me and my writing are numerous.

My father’s mother, Grandma Flossie, was one of those Jewish grandmothers who was more afraid if something good happened, because then it could all be taken away and if you never knew how good things could be, you’d never know what you were missing, so better that they should never be good. I think that’s such a recipe for high neuroses – if things are bad, they’re bad. If things are good, they’re bad. That played a lot into the way I see and write about things.

I’m also reminded of the woman on my bike trip who said, “how many Jews do you think are on this trip?” which I think was her way of saying “who’s like us?” I think Jews so often have a sense of being included, but also being outsiders. That certainly plays into the way I think too. There we were up in the Canadian Wilderness with sturdy, Bison-eating, Nordic types and there was a sense of assimilation, but also not. I’m reminded of that great scene in Annie Hall when Alvy goes to visit Annie’s family in Wisconsin, and he just feels like an alien. He tells the family he’s been seeing an analyst for fifteen years, and says, “I’m making excellent progress. Pretty soon, when I lie down on his couch, I won’t have to wear the lobster bib,” and they look at him like he’s nuts.

I also got a strong sense of my Judaism from my mother who believed Judaism was about compassion. In terms of writing, I always have a great deal of compassion for my characters, especially ones who broke up with me just after I’d gotten fired.

Sheyna: Finding a lasting relationship is just as much an issue within the Jewish community than in the rest of American society, and maybe even more so for those who will only date other Jews. What would you suggest Jewish organizations, especially synagogues and JCCs, can do to create more opportunities for Jewish singles?

Amy: Well, since my brother and sister met their spouses THE SAME NIGHT at a Jewish Singles party thrown by a few of my mother’s friends, I always think that’s a good way to meet people. I have a lot of friends, too, who met on JDATE. MAKOR in Manhattan is terrific, too, because they have great, cool music and hip lectures and classes and a cute cafe. It’s an excellent model.

Sheyna: As I was reading The Late Bloomer's Revolution, I kept thinking it was kind of like a Jewish Bridget Jones' Diary, but your book is true. Have you heard this comparison before and what do you think about it?

Amy: I haven’t heard this comparison – although let me say I think it’s genius. I’ve heard “Jewish Sex and the City, but with family.”

I’ve also heard people call my book a “beach book,” and someone said, “How do you feel about that?” And I said, “Beach book. Gym book. Subway book. I don’t care. I’m just so happy people are reading it.” Kurt Vonnegut said, (and I’m completely paraphrasing him), “read a soup label. Read a gum wrapper. Just read.”

Sheyna: Based on your experience, what do you think is the greatest obstacle to singles finding happiness today? (Note that "happiness" does not necessarily mean "relationship" or marriage.")

Amy: Listening to friends who say you want it too much or not enough. Or that they need to “get out there,” or try online dating again even if you hated it, or go out with a friend’s mother’s ex-coworker’s son, who isn’t much of talker or a looker, but “you never know.”

The whole process is enervating. You have these nights where you’re sitting with a stranger and you have nothing to say and it feels like your life is seeping away. My advice is always to embrace the life you have – really embrace it – go on that trip to Thailand you wanted to take; sneak into a movie that’s almost sold out and get the best seat and never stop believing the life you want will happen, just not necessarily in the time you thought.

Sheyna: And because I just have to know, and wondered about it all through the book: how did the rash on your face finally resolve and what did you need to do to keep it away? (Really, I was ready to break out the champagne in anticipation of the chapter where you wrote about it disappearing and you being able to leave your apartment again!)

Amy: I love that you were going to break out the champagne. We’ll have to toast something else (like you getting married at twenty-three!) Actually the rash just slowly and I mean, sloe-hoe-hoe-holy went away. The doctors never knew what it was. And, not surprisingly, now I’m a lunatic about my skin.

Sheyna: Thank you so much, Amy, for sharing yourself in your book!

Amy: Sheyna,Thank you! It was a pleasure. What fantastic, thought provoking questions. Really, really just so great.

Relationship is a State of Mind

2007-07-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

I'm always amused when I hear nouns used as verbs. "Let's coffee tomorrow." or "I'm going to office from home today." And of course the now-infamous "I googled him before we went out."

Then I started to hear, "I'm in relationship." Excuse me? In relationship? Isn't there an "a" missing, as in "in a relationship?"

But I realized that, no, it was true. Relationship is not just a state of being, a state of couplehood versus singlehood. It's a state of mind, too.

I know, this coming from the girl who met her husband-to-be just before high school graduation, got engaged to him a year later, and married him a year into graduate school. In fact, we just celebrated our 16th anniversary. Over 20 years together, I've known Husby longer than I didn't know him. It's a cool milestone to pass. We're in relationship.

I also just finished reading Amy Cohen's The Late Bloomer's Revolution and sent off my interview questions for her blog tour.

If I'd seen the book in a bookstore, or even in the library, I probably would have passed on it for one simple reason: relationship. And I would have missed a great book.

It's a memoir, a sometimes heart-rending, sometimes exhilarating, always funny account of looking for love but not quite finding it. And as a long-time married woman, with kids no less, I wasn't quite sure if I'd see any of myself in this book.

Boy, was I wrong. Because it's not just about being single or being married. It's about - all together now - relationship. It's about how you see yourself and how you project that to others. It's about how much you love yourself (without going overboard) being the measure of how much another can love you. It's about coming to terms with who you are and where you come from and using it all to take risks to grow and change. It's about life.

I suppose dead people might not get that much from reading it, but I recommend it to everyone living. Especially if you're in relationship, or looking to be.

Being a Packrat Pays Off

2007-07-10T15:29:00.000-05:00

I went looking in the garage for a second broom just now.

Oldest and Youngest sons decided to have a Spaghetti Fling in the kitchen last night, and after scraping limp pasta off the front of the dishwasher and picking it out of the mudroom rug, I decided they would spend today doing chores. After washing walls, chairs, doorjambs, and the toilet (they're closer to it, and besides, they're boys - they get it dirtier), I figured they'd be less likely to redecorate my kitchen again anytime in the near future.

So their last chore was to sweep the outside walkway from the back door to the back gate. Hence, I needed two brooms.

This should not have been a problem. We have four. But three are apparently missing, perhaps eaten by the nocturnal garage-dwelling Broom Monster.

At any rate, that's not what this post is about. Because as I was searching for the now MIA broom, I found a piece to an old baby gate that we replaced with a new version of the same thing and use to keep the dog off the back deck. Until now, we've been wedging the gate closed in a creative fashion that the dog can't - yet - figure out. But with this piece I found in lieu of the broom, we can actually lock the gate closed now!

See, there is a reason to keep anything that just might be useful at some point in the future. Now if I could only find those brooms...

Late Bloomer Blogger?

2007-07-09T19:42:00.000-05:00

So cool. I received an email recently from author Amy Cohen's publicist, asking if I'd participate in Amy's blog tour for her new book, The Late Bloomer's Revolution.

Of course!

I know firsthand how important creating that WOM-BUZZ is. WOM-BUZZ, which makes me think of wombats, is a publishing industry acronym standing for Word Of Mouth Buzz, and basically means doing everything possible (generally legal) to get Lots of People talking and writing about Your Book.

So, I am reading

The Late Bloomer's Revolution, and loving it!

By Monday, I plan to have an interview with the author, Amy Cohen, herself.

And if that wasn't enough, in the next week or so I'll be posting a review of The Optimistic Jew by Tsvi Bisk.

So stick around... things here are heating up!

I Miss New York

2007-07-09T19:29:00.001-05:00

New York was amazing. Just... yeah. Amazing.

One week on my own without kids, pets, spouse, bills, ringing telephone... and five awesome days in the company of other authors and publishers and book people where we mutually supported and encouraged and applauded each others efforts.

Ahhh...

And now I'm home and Oldest Son is out of school and Youngest Son is into everything and Husby is working lots of overtime and... did I mention I miss New York?

Looking forward to next time. And Shira, you can bet I'll call when I'm in the neighborhood again!

I Never Knew There Was So Much I Never Knew

2007-05-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Turns out I may be a techie (as far as that goes; I couldn't hold a candle to Husby the technogod), but there ARE limits. Blogging on a Palm TX with a small folding IR keyboard and a dodgy wifi connection is truly an exercise in patience.

So I'm blogging about my book/author/publisher experiences at the MIPA site:
http://mipa-blog.blogspot.com

I hope you'll come check it out. Meanwhile, I'm celebrating the recent milestones in my weeklong stay here: seeing Times Square when it's not nearly midnight on New Year's Eve, giving someone else directions (ha!) and riding the subway for the first time.

It's nice when the little things satisfy me.

Start Spreading the News...

2007-05-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

I leave for NYC tomorrow to attend PMA University (think college for publishers) and BEA - Book Expo America - the largest English-speaking book trade show in the world.

The plan (yeah, right) is that I'll take a few minutes each evening to blog about the events of the day, with a few highlights from the classes I'm attending. More details from the classes will come after I return home and catch up on a week of missed sleep.

You can follow along with what I'm learning as both an author and a publisher on either of two different blogs:

Yaldah Publishing (of course), at
http://yaldah-publishing.blogspot.com

and the MIPA (Midwest Independent Publishers Association) blog at
http://mipa-blog.blogspot.com

Next check-in from New York!

Still Alive...

2007-03-24T19:56:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. My many apologies for just dropping off the face of the earth. Casa Galyan has been under the weather lately, with sick kids, sick Husby, sick me. Honestly, I know they're teaching Oldest Son to share in kindergarten, but I'd rather he NOT share the viruses.

Much to share but I'm exhausted, which seems like par for the course lately.

The latest book news is that The Powers That Be decided that an early 2008 release would make more economic and marketing sense than a fall 2007 one. That bummed me. I wanted to take advantage of the fact that the book takes place in the weeks leading up to and during Chanukah. Marketing experts wanted to avoid having a book that was considered - in the publishing biz - already a year old come January. And a novel, I'm assured, can be released anytime.

So I'm taking advantage of that and not rushing into editing to get a galley out with minimum time. It also means that being either sick or caretaker (or both) was not a huge obstacle to overcome in the book timetable.

The exciting news is that I'll be attending Book Expo America in New York City from May 28-June 3. I've never been in New York City, and while I won't have a ton of time to sightsee, it'll be fun just to be there. Book Expo America (BEA) is the largest English-speaking book trade show in the world. Awesome experience!

More to come... I need to go sit and check my eyelids for light leakage.

Fun with Search Terms

2007-02-22T00:13:00.000-06:00

Every now and then I find it fun to see what search terms led people here. Some are expected: my name, the name of my book or character(s), even the name of the blog itself. But some are just so interesting. They make me tilt my head and say, "Hmm..."

Recent search terms that brought folks here:

Tzedek hechsher
Makes perfect sense.

Jewish identity versus practice
Led to my post Toward Jewish Identity.

Children's mad libs
Ah, obviously resulted in the As in Days of Old spoof of "Mad Libs."

Writing on Shabbat
Also makes sense, though I wonder if my Shabbat writing post was at all close to what they were looking for.

Jealous of my husband's biological family
Uh... no idea. None at all. This earns the "Hmm..." Award for this round.

The rabbi detective
Also makes sense.

Dr. Seuss's beliefs
I did a Dr. Seuss parody to announce a Haveil Havalim. Must be it.

Purim, Esther's vulnerability
Did I ever post my Megilat Ester parody? [searching] Yep. Last year.

Is holly berry offensive to Jews
No clue. This earns the Honorable Mention "Hmm..." for this round.

Writing About Not Writing

2007-02-18T17:16:00.000-06:00

Years ago in a college prep writing class, I wrote an essay entirely about not being able to write an essay. It actually went on to win a few awards for high school writers.

Now Yid With Lid has taken the same idea and written about not being able to write this week's Haveil Havalim... in this week's Haveil Havalim.

Check it out!

Why I Can't Watch "24"

2007-02-16T11:56:00.000-06:00

This is probably going to get me kicked off the J-Blogosphere, but here goes.

I can't watch the TV show, "24." I used to. I watched the first two seasons and it was Addictive with a capital A. But I'm one of those sensitive souls and after several graphic torture scenes, I said goodbye to the show and haven't tuned in since.

Now it appears I'm not the only one. In the current issue of the New Yorker, an article by Jane Mayer titled "Whatever It Takes" explores the use of torture in the show.

The Parents’ Television Council, a nonpartisan watchdog group, has counted what it says are sixty-seven torture scenes during the first five seasons of “24”—more than one every other show. Melissa Caldwell, the council’s senior director of programs, said, “ ‘24’ is the worst offender on television: the most frequent, most graphic, and the leader in the trend of showing the protagonists using torture.”

Over and over, both protagonists and antagonists use unimaginably cruel torture (Howard Gordon, the show's lead writer calls them "improvisations in sadism") to gain information. Given the recent debate over whether torture - physical or psychological - is an approved method for US troops when dealing with Iraqi insurgents, the show seems to take the side that it's okay, at least when the ends justify the means. The article defines the show's credo as "Everyone breaks eventually." And in every case, except where Bauer himself is tortured, it works.

What are we learning from this? This show is incredibly popular among Jewish bloggers. Does it reflect Jewish values in any way? Or is it popular among Jews because the bad guys get it worse than they give it out in the end?

Is "24" a kind of gritty modern version of Megilat Ester?

While my life's work is tied up in an assumption that most people know the difference between real life and fiction, I am also well aware that values espoused by a fictional story can still influence its audience. In fact, when I write, I depend on that. But my writing perpetuates values of family and human compassion, obligation to self and community and G-d, leaving the world a little better than you found it. What values does 24 perpetuate?

U.S. Army Brigadier General Patrick Finnegan, the dean of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and others "had come to voice their concern that the show’s central political premise—that the letter of American law [prohibiting torture] must be sacrificed for the country’s security—was having a toxic effect."

The show's creator, Joel Surnow, a political conservative, is interviewed exensively in the article and shares his views on 24's political leanings as well as his view on the torture scenes, which is pretty well summed up by his comment:

“We’ve had all of these torture experts come by recently, and they say, ‘You don’t realize how many people are affected by this. Be careful.’ They say torture doesn’t work. But I don’t believe that."

You can read the full article here:

http://www.newyorker.com/printables/fact/070219fa_fact_mayer

When the Muse Has Left the Building

2007-02-13T14:39:00.000-06:00

I am so incredibly tired today. Wiped out. Bed sounds like heaven. As an aside, a Christian friend of mine joked that when she sleeps in on Sundays, she refers to it as praying at "Our Lady of the Sheets." I don't know if we have a Jewish equivalent, but I usually drag my sorry self to shul anyway and take a Shabbat nap after.

So. Where was I? Tired. And there's a point to this post, actually. Because it's really hard to be creative and write when one is exhausted. But I have to write, have to finish this book. It's way beyond deadline as it is, and I'm only hurting myself by waiting any longer.

This begs the question: How do you write when you don't feel like it?

I know Jack tackled this question not long ago. Today it's my turn.

Back in the days when I took writing classes, I learned the value of the timed free write. Materials needed: timer, pen and paper or computer (preferably working), one writer who doesn't feel like writing. Set timer for 5 minutes. Begin writing. Do not stop until timer beeps (or buzzes or dings or whatever your timer does). Write about anything, everything, whatever is in your head. You can spend five minutes writing the following:

I have no idea what to write about. I have no idea what to write about. I have no idea what to write about. I have no idea what to write about. I have no idea what to write about.

Eventually you'll get bored with that and other words will take their place. The point is, when doing a free write, it doesn't matter what you say or how badly you say it. The point is that you simply write.

True, that doesn't get a book written. But think of the free write as a warmup. Now I go to the manuscript. I reread parts of it, to get myself back into the story. I reread the scene(s) just before where I need to write new material. Then I push through. I start by putting one word in front of another. Which character speaks first? What does s/he say? Does the reader need anything described to make this part of the scene work?

Word by word, it gets written.

And this is the time - the most important time in my opinion - when I do NOT edit as I write. Because editing when I'm pushing through the manuscript will just stall me even further and then I wind up certain that I'll never write another coherent sentence in my life and I should just give up now and go find a job slinging treif burgers.

I just write. Just. Write. Yeah, it may be stilted and awkward, but the next time I come through that scene, I can tweak it and reword things.

And here's the other Big Thing to remember: I love my editor. I love her because she's my safety net. The times when I had to slog through and never could find a good way to say something, she'll find and she'll probably have some good ideas. And she'll probably tag a bunch of things I thought were said brilliantly, too, and maybe weren't so much.

Any author out there considering self-publishing, a professional book editor can be your best friend and seriously can make the difference between a mediocre book and an excellent one.

So, that was my free write for today. Seven minutes instead of five, but I took time out to find that link to Jack's site so it evens out. And now, despite the fact that I'm bone tired, I'm going to reread a few scenes and, with one word in front of another, write the book.

The Moving Finger Writes

2007-02-12T23:57:00.000-06:00

Just a quick check-in post for my loyal readers (thank you, dear ones!) to say that all's going... er... well... it's going.

That quotation from Under the Tuscan Sun comes to mind:

Q: How's the novel going?

A: Not so well. But the procrastination is coming along fabulously. Soon it will breed abject self-loathing, and then I'll just become a writing machine.

I am TWO scenes away from finishing. TWO!! (Normally the editor in me is apalled by multiple quotation marks, but that one deserved an extra.) I've surpassed 80,000 words. Which is a good thing, really, if you think about it, because once my editor has me cut all the ~~best sentences~~ bad parts out, it will be the right length.

As it happens, I have been smiled upon and my otherwise busy week has been reduced to lots and lots of writing time. So it is my goal, my stated public goal, that I will FINISH THE BOOK THIS WEEK. And then I can get on with the rest of my life.

By the way, I have had just an awesome time writing Arik's character. More than I thought I would, though he's had me doing hours upon hours of research so I can get his dialog right. Back when I was learning Hebrew daily, hours a day, I got to the point where I was dreaming in Hebrew. And then two years of other schooling followed closely by the birth of two children and now my six-year-old knows more Hebrew than I do. It's shameful, I tell you. The next local ulpan that offers child care and costs less than $100, I'll be the first to sign up.

Anyway, back to Arik. I have decided (or he has decided for me), that there's a good chance part of Book 3 will be told from his point of view (POV). That stresses me out a bit for all sorts of reasons. Aside from the Hebrew barrier, and the fact that I didn't grow up in Israel, and the whole cultural piece he carries with him, it also means I get to learn about gun safety, how to tell if it's safe, how to make it safe if it isn't, how to fire one. Husby has said when the time is right, he can get me lesson(s) through a university or reputable gun dealer. I was actually thinking about asking Minneapolis Police for their recommendation, as well as a ride-along. After Book 2 comes out and they love it, of course!

For now, the goal is just to finish and get the manuscript to my editor. Enough procrastination. Bring on the coffee and let's get to work!

Anything but Terrible!

2007-02-11T14:27:00.000-06:00

This week's edition of Haveil Havalim is up over at Jack's Shack. I want to thank Jack for hosting, for pouring through what had to have been a ton of submissions, and for including not only the post I submitted, but also one I didn't. Jack's a great guy, an important part of the J-blogosphere, and also a talented writer. If you haven't spent time at the Shack, it's worth it.

Thanks also to SoccerDad, as always, for keeping Haveil Havalim going and coming up with such a brilliant idea in the first place! Anyone with a Jewish blog can submit articles at the Blog Carnival.

Silliness

2007-02-08T22:18:00.000-06:00

I found this while I was wandering around the Net, probably started as a meme. But I liked it and am rather surprised by my answers.

Things I have done are in bold. Comments are in italics.

Bought everyone in the bar a drink
Swam with wild dolphins
Climbed a mountain
Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
Been inside the Great Pyramid
Held a tarantula
Taken a candlelit bath with someone
Said “I love you” and meant it
Hugged a tree
Bungee jumped
Visited Paris
Watched a lightning storm at sea
Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
Seen the Northern Lights
Gone to a huge sports game
Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
Grown and eaten your own vegetables
Touched an iceberg
Slept under the stars
Changed a baby’s diaper
Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
Watched a meteor shower
Gotten drunk on champagne
Given more than you can afford to charity
Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
Had a food fight
Bet on a winning horse
Asked out a stranger
Had a snowball fight
Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
Held a lamb
Seen a total eclipse of the moon
Ridden a roller coaster
Hit a home run
Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
Adopted an accent for an entire day - and convinced someone!
Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
Had two hard drives for your computer
Visited all 50 states
Taken care of someone who was drunk
Had amazing friends
Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
Watched wild whales
Stolen a sign
Backpacked in Europe
Taken a road-trip
Gone rock climbing
Midnight walk on the beach
Gone sky diving
Visited Ireland
Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
Visited Japan
Milked a cow
Alphabetized your CDs
Pretended to be a superhero
Sung karaoke
Lounged around in bed all day
Played touch football
Gone scuba diving
Kissed in the rain
Played in the mud
Played in the rain
Gone to a drive-in theater
Visited the Great Wall of China
Started a business
Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
Toured ancient sites
Taken a martial arts class
Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
Gotten married
Been in a movie - My line was "Toe cleavage?"
Crashed a party
Gotten divorced
Gone without food for 5 days
Made cookies from scratch
Won first prize in a costume contest
Ridden a gondola in Venice
Gotten a tattoo
Rafted the Snake River
Been on television news programs as an “expert”
Got flowers for no reason
Performed on stage
Been to Las Vegas
Recorded music
Eaten shark
Kissed on the first date
Gone to Thailand
Bought a house
Been in a combat zone
Buried one/both of your parents
Been on a cruise ship
Spoken more than one language fluently
Performed in Rocky Horror
Raised children
Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
Had plastic surgery
Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
Wrote articles for a large publication
Lost over 100 pounds
Held someone while they were having a flashback
Piloted an airplane - a 1929 Stearman biplane, for about five minutes
Touched a stingray
Broken someone’s heart
Helped an animal give birth
Won money on a T.V. game show
Broken a bone
Gone on an African photo safari
Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol - I’ll be taking lessons soon!
Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
Ridden a horse
Had major surgery
Had a snake as a pet
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
Visited all 7 continents
Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
Eaten kangaroo meat
Eaten sushi
Had your picture in the newspaper
Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
Gone back to school
Parasailed
Touched a cockroach
Eaten fried green tomatoes
Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
Killed and prepared an animal for eating
Skipped all your school reunions
Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
Been elected to public office
Written your own computer language
Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
Had to put someone you love into hospice care
Built your own PC from parts
Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
Had a booth at a street fair
Dyed your hair
Been a DJ
Shaved your head
Caused a car accident
Saved someone’s life

Tzedek Hechsher Slammed by Orthodox

2007-02-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

"As rabbis of Conservative Judaism begin work on a new, ethically motivated food certification, they are coming under attack from a number of Orthodox kosher authorities."

This from the most recent edition of The Forward, in an article called "Orthodox Slam Effort To Monitor Conditions at Kosher Factories" by Nathaniel Popper.

If you've been following the issue, serious concerns about the treatment of workers in the kosher food processing plant in Postville, IA led the Conservative movement, represented by a task force of rabbis with personal experience at the AgriProcessor plant, to create a supplementary hechsher to attest to the fact that not only were animals treated according to strict halacha in how they were raised and slaughtered, but also that those who work in the plant doing the slaughtering weren't inhumanely treated either.

"Lederman and his committee have been adamant that any new certification would be a supplement, not a replacement, for current kosher certification that looks solely at the process of food preparation. But this argument appears to hold little sway with Orthodox critics." (emphasis mine)

Condemnation of the Conservative movement's insistence that we are morally responsible not only for animal rights but also human rights in the production of the very food we are required by Jewish law to eat (if we eat meat) appeared in both the recent issue of the Jewish Press and also Kosher Today, the industry's trade publication.

The rabbinic administrator for Central Rabbinical Congress (Hisachdus Horabbonim), which is leading the opposition, has told kosher companies not to even let Conservative rabbis into their plants.

The Orthodox Union, the largest kosher supervision organization, has not taken sides, but indicated human or worker's rights issues should be left to the government, not the rabbinate.

Some Orthodox believe this entire issue will serve only to drive a wedge between Orthodox and Conservative Jews, far more than even the recent controversial decision regarding openly gay and lesbian rabbis.

You can read the full article here:

http://www.forward.com/articles/orthodox-slam-effort-to-monitor-conditions-at-kosh/

Good Question

2007-02-07T13:43:00.000-06:00

Got this one via e-mail and thought it was a good one to answer publicly. The question was:

I understand you want to write about American Judaism and its issues. But why choose a rabbi? If you want readers to see themselves in your book, why didn't you choose a typical American Jew to be the hero?

There are three primary reasons I chose a rabbi as the protagonist.

One is that a rabbi character has more authority within the fictional construct. The possibly controversial opinions of the average person could be summarily dismissed easily enough. But if they're espoused from the bima, or as part of a response to the board, it opens up possibilities for argument and debate and criticism and praise. In other words, CONFLICT, which is always good in novels.

Two is that a rabbi character provides a vehicle to explain Judaism to those unfamiliar with it, without being condescending or boring to those who are well-versed in Judaism. I don't write for a Jewish-only audience for a reason: knowledge is the antidote to ignorance and fear, and I believe, ultimately part of the answer to hate.

I've received dozens of e-mail messages and letters from readers who tell me that they're not Jewish, knew next to nothing about Judaism except that their churches taught that it's obsolete, and after reading this they had a new perspective, a new respect, and they wanted to learn more.

And in one notable case, that she'd been toying with the idea of converting for years, and reading this led her to call the local rabbi and set up a meeting. She said reading my book helped her get over her fear of rabbis, that she hadn't really seen them as human beings with families and foibles. They were just authority figures. (I did warn her that she wouldn't be meeting with David, him being a fictional character and all, and not to expect him when she met with a rabbi. She understood and I gather the meeting went well.)

From average American Jews I've received e-mail and letters and other feedback that they identified with one or more characters, that they learned something they didn't know about Judaism, that what had been boring or too complex in Hebrew school seemed more interesting in the novel and they decided to take a Talmud class or join a Torah study or read more Jewish books.

Three and perhaps most important for me as a writer is that a rabbi character allowed me to explore all aspects of Jewish life, as well as the issues that affect us as a larger human community. In Destined to Choose, I was able to explore the lessons learned – or not – from Tisha b’Av, the effect of the Shoah on today’s kids, work-life balance, and the need for reconciliation in a society that frequently writes off relationships like so much bad debt.

In As in Days of Old, I've been able to explore hate crimes, the struggles of singles in the Jewish community, the power of confrontation and apology, Jewish self-image, and the effects of in-fighting between various Jewish movements.

Book 3 (untitled) will explore domestic violence in the Jewish community, racism, and the importance of Israel to the American Jewish community.

I can show meetings with congregants and the issues they bring in with them. I can show friendships with other rabbis that transcend the inter-movement politics. I can demonstrate some scholarly research. I'm not sure I could have done all that with a representative character of the typical American Jew.

It does mean I have to do my homework. A lot of homework. I'm not to the point yet where I can churn out a book a year because it typically takes two years to research a book. I hope as my knowledge and skill progress (and with my kids in school), and with the encouragement and support of readers, I'll be able to finish books faster.

Thanks for the question!

One Cool Guy

2007-02-06T17:16:00.000-06:00

I was recently on one of my frequent trips over to Renegade Rebbetzin's blog, and while I love and enjoy her wit and candor, I did decide early on that I was going to have to find someone else's perspective to serve as the model for Sara's mentor as she makes the transition from "rabbi's wife" to "rebbetzin." RenReb is just too unique, too funny, and occasionally a little too irreverent (in a good way) to be what Sara needs. (Sorry, RenReb!) And there's no way I can justify using the word "cockyhead" in one of my books, unless it's a cultural reference to RenReb's blog. Which could be a possibility at some point...

But that's not what I wanted to write about.

No, what I wanted to write about was another blog that RenReb linked to: Rabbi Without A Cause. After her glowing recommendation, and being all about PROCRASTINATION mind you, I headed over there and read his response to her post.

I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.

So since I was there and I'm all about PROCRASTINATION lately, I read a few more posts. And a few more after that. And then when I was done reading every post he'd written and I still wanted to read more, I figured I ought to say something.

I was going to post a comment to one of his posts, and I got as far as pulling up the comment screen and then I stopped cold. What in the world was I going to say?

Hi, I'm a big fan can you sign my blog for me?

Pathetic. I can do better than that. But what? I sat and thought and thought and sat and started any number of comments and then gave up. And then I realized I was nervous.

ACK! Nervous?!! I've probably interviewed about two dozen rabbis, half of them in face-to-face conversations, over the past eight years in the course of my research for my rabbi novels. The only rabbi I've ever been nervous around in person is my rabbi (and I suspect he may be slightly surprised and slightly unhappy about that tidbit) but that's a different sort of relationship. With some of the others, I've had serious conversations and not-so-serious conversations and I've not been afraid to argue or joke or warn them - albeit humorously - that anything they say can and will be used against them in a book of fiction.

But none of these rabbis are Orthodox. Because when I asked around for willing victims, er... subjects for interviews, there was serious concern and no volunteers. Concerns ran the gamut from:

I'm not Orthodox myself, to
I might misrepresent Orthodoxy as presented by my interviewee and my offer to have him review the manuscript was insufficient, to
Fiction in general and creative license in particular are inappropriate, to my favorite one,
It is inappropriate for a female non-Orthodox Jew to write about a male Orthodox rabbi

So I did a ton of reading and observing and I made one up. Well, three actually. But only one will be a recurring character.

Now here I am at RWAC's blog, wanting to say hi I like your blog, but wanting to say more than that too, and all I can think of are these four arguments for why my request for interviews went unfulfilled.

Don't get me wrong: I don't think he'd be offended by my leaving a comment or by my enjoyment of his blog. I don't think. I haven't confirmed this yet. But I'm pretty sure not.

What does make me hesitate is turning the perspective around. While my comment(s) may be welcome, would what I do be offensive? (Nobody needs to answer that; I like my delusions of total acceptance.)

Of course, this post is going to totally blow that out of the water.

It does bring up enormous issues of the role of fiction in Jewish life, the clear preference for non-fiction over fiction within the Jewish community, questions about the value of Jewish artists within the Jewish community, and the sheer audacity that someone (me) would represent non-Orthodox movements as legitimate and valid expressions of Judaism. Whether I agree with any of those expressions or not.

So, I've got mixed feelings over here about what to put in a comment, but I really do enjoy his blog and no matter what your leaning, it's worth checking out. Besides, he's an awesome writer (I know a little something about that) with a humorous, conversational tone that leaves you - well, me anyway - feeling like it's an informal chat over tea some Sunday afternoon. It's well worth the trip.

Cast of Characters

2007-02-06T16:18:00.001-06:00

I don't know how many of you who visit here have read Destined to Choose, but I'm going to assume most have not. (Yet?) Therefore, since I'm sure I'll be referencing my characters from time to time as I finish Book 2 (Strength to Stand) and start working on Book 3 (already), I thought I ought to present you with a cast of the major and otherwise important recurring characters, who they are and what they do, and maybe a bit why this ensemble is so important to me.

Rabbi David Cohen is the main protagonist in the series and a Conservative rabbi at the fictional Beth Israel synagogue in Minneapolis, MN who leans about as far right as one can go within the Conservative movement and still remain egalitarian. David entered the rabbinate one semester and a dissertation short of a Ph.D. in clinical/counseling psychology after he found himself drawing from Judaism for all of his class projects. His father was a Shoah (Holocaust) survivor with multiple severe health problems; his mother died of a pulmonary embolism after giving birth to his younger sister, Naomi. He grew up in Milwaukee WI, living with his father, sister, and maternal grandparents. Though his first loves are family and Torah, he occasionally takes on challenges that get him into one form of trouble or another, especially when with his friend Arik.

Sara Cohen is David's wife and a stay-at-home mom to their three children. A former real-estate agent, Sara was raised non-observant and remains self-conscious about her lack of Jewish learning growing up. Sara has lived on the periphery of shul life until events lead her to want to take a more active role in both the shul and her husband's career.

Ben Cohen is the eldest of Sara and David's children, age eight in Destined to Choose. He simultaneously idolizes and resents his father and blames his father's job for the time it takes away from their family.

Jonathan and Judy Cohen are Sara and David's twins, four years younger than Ben.

Naomi Cohen is David's sister. Fiercely non-religious, she is a defense attorney in Los Angeles, CA and prefers little to no contact with David, despite his attempts to the contrary.

Rabbi Batya Zahav is a Reform rabbi at the fictional Temple Shalom in Minneapolis, MN and a friend of David's. Batya grew up Orthodox and rebelled in high school. When she announced her plans to become a rabbi in the Reform movement, her parents declared her dead and said Kaddish for her. Knowing David's personality and psychology background, Batya sought him out to help her cope while she worked to reconcile with her parents. She is firmly committed to the Reform movement and believes patrilineal descent may hold the answer to the end of antisemitism.

Arik Zahav is Batya's husband, David's only non-rabbi friend, and a sergeant with the Minneapolis Police Department. Born and raised in Israel, Arik came to the States on a sports scholarship after his army duty, met Batya, and decided to stay. After working several years in the domestic abuse unit, Arik made the move to homicide because, as he says, he "was tired of seeing the torture in action." Intensely secular, Arik tolerates religion and fails to see its relevance to his life. He first met David when he almost arrested him.

Rabbi Eli Lowenstein is David's study partner from rabbinical school and one of his closest friends. Eli has a pulpit at the fictional Am Echad synagogue in Spokane, WA and jokes that he needs to get his excitement by hearing what trouble David has gotten himself into. He is remarried after divorce and has a teenage daughter, Danielle, by his ex-wife.

Bev Lowenstein is Eli's second wife and well-loved by their congregation. She loves to cook, entertain, and teach all things domestic.

Talia Friedmann is the wife of a rabbi who teaches at several Twin Cities MN universities. She is a close friend of Sara's and considers herself a "free agent rebbetzin."

Rabbi Shimon Gerson is an Orthodox rabbi and a friend of David's who "agrees to disagree" on their differences, and is about to become quite a bit more important in David's life.

John Clausen is a pastor at the fictional Calhoun Lutheran Church in Minneapolis MN, an advocate of dual-covenant theology, and a friend and colleague of David's.

When I created this ensemble, I wanted to illustrate the struggles that rabbis have, both with their congregants and with Jewish tradition and law. I wanted to give readers something they could relate to, the possibility of seeing themselves on the pages. To that end, I tried to represent different perspectives and motivations while creating characters that were fresh, unique, and entirely human.

B'rucha Haba'a

2007-02-05T19:28:00.000-06:00

I want to extend a warm welcome to one of the newest members of the J-blogosphere: Barbara Bietz, author of Like a Maccabee, which is a really cool book for kids and adults.

Okay, that might be just a tiny bit biased coming from me, but reviewers and readers alike have loved it, so I'm in good company.

Barbara has a new blog for those who love children's books here:

http://barbarabbookblog.blogspot.com/

Please drop by and say hi.

A Note on This Blog's Purpose

2007-02-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

I figured this deserved a post of its own.

This blog is NOT—neither the posts I want to put up about my books nor this blog in its entirety—I repeat NOT a hard sell or an attempt to get you to buy my book.

Of course, if you WANT to buy it, I've made links available in the sidebar. :-)

But that's not the point of this blog. The point is to talk about writing (especially fiction) and Judaism, about Jews and the literary arts, about Jewish expression through writing.

Through the medium of fiction, I also invite talk about conversations and dialogs between the various movements, about what it means to honor diversity among Jews, about how the way we present ourselves to each other and the world has an impact even if we don't see it.

I don't claim to have any answers. But I welcome the opportunity to explore the questions.

A caveat: anti-Jewish, anti-Israel, antisemitic, and let's be honest, anti-me comments will be deleted. This is my blog, after all, and comments that bash what I love have no place here. I do welcome differing, even opposing, opinions, but let's keep it respectful.

As I wrote here in Toward Jewish Identity,

"The Talmud (both Babylonian and Jerusalem) was wise enough to include dissenting opinions, even when the majority or history or innovation or even common sense produced the prevailing opinion. At no point did the holders of the prevailing opinion question the very Jewishness of the dissenters. (Their logic, values, or ability to read, maybe, but not their identities.)

"I frequently look to the contributors of the Talmud for inspiration, and I’m reminded that it would not even exist as we know it today were it not for their courage, creativity, humility, and willingness to take an unpopular stand but always continue the dialog."

B'ruchim haba'im. I hope you enjoy and are willing to contribute to the dialog.

In Case You Missed Them...

2007-02-05T13:06:00.000-06:00

I seem to be trying hard to fight off either the effects of long-term sleep deprivation or the flu, so I can't guarantee any new posts today. However, here are some of what I consider the more important or interesting posts I've put up lately, in case you missed them.

On Books:

The Return of the Rabbi Detective

My Characters Made Me Cry

Book Burning: History Repeats Itself

Who's Paranoid Now?

Writing and Shabbat

Question Regarding Rebbetzins: Need Anonymous Help Please

On Beliefs:

On Israel: Hope, Safety, Identity, Existence

On Books and Beliefs:

Dear Rabbi, Merry Christmas - An Excerpt

On Blogging:

Do You Blog Like You Talk?

When I have the energy, I'll put up some posts about my first book, some behind-the-scenes info that hardly anybody knows, maybe a few character bios, why this series is unlike anything else out there, and why I think that's so important. Enjoy!

And the Answer Is...

2007-02-04T20:12:00.000-06:00

THE place to find the newest, best, award-winning Jewish blogs this week. (Or at least the results of bloggers' submissions.)

DING!

Yes, Sheyna?

What is HAVEIL HAVALIM?

Correct! You win 100 puppy nuggets. Congratulations!

The Dog Days of Winter

2007-02-04T16:07:00.000-06:00

I'm two scenes away from being done with the manuscript. Of course, there's untold numbers of future drafts to be written as the editing process ensues, but at least it's almost DONE. And only a month late. grumblegrumble

Since I am so close, that means it's time for... (kulam!): MORE PROCRASTINATION!

Of my many talents, procrastination is one of my most perfected.

Okay, so here's the scoop: back in August, we adopted an 18-month-old jet black Lab/Chow mix. We took her camping a week later. She was awesome.

Until she snapped at Youngest Son (3-1/2). Granted, Youngest Son stepped on her, but still... Over the next couple of months, she occasionally snapped and bit at everyone in the family without warning, and, it became obvious, without provocation. Twice she drew blood.

I enrolled her in obedience training and we had to spend most of the class in the hallway because she was so dog aggressive that she couldn't be around other dogs, something that was NOT evident when we adopted her. The trainer referred us to a vet behaviorist, who suggested the dog might have been abused before we got her, would need a lot of time and attention and training and was probably best suited for a home without children.

The tension in the house grew and when she snapped at Oldest Son (6) when he was reaching for a pair of his socks from the laundry basket three feet away from her, I'd had enough. The kids were afraid of her, I'd been bit enough that I didn't want to pet her, and Husby was the only one who could handle her without ready treats. With heavy heart and even greater relief, we took her back to the shelter.

But we really wanted a dog. Despite the aversion many Jews have to dogs, we REALLY wanted a dog. And since I'm home so much avoiding work... er... I mean working SO HARD, and Husby grew up with dogs, and honestly, a would-be intruder might think twice if we had a dog, we went looking. And we found him:

A ten-week-old Golden Retriver/something mix, he is just as sweet as can be. (And yes, that's a photo of him outside in the snow, where the temperature is six below zero and feels like TWENTY-SIX BELOW with wind chill. In other words, darn cold!)

No signs of aggression, and he's young enough that there's no bad history and we can socialize him appropriately to people and other dogs. Oldest Son named him "Nugget" (as in gold nugget), which also happens to be the name of a Golden Retriever mix that lived next door to me when I was growing up. It's one of those come full circle kinds of things.

So, now I'm enjoying new-puppy-owner bliss while I procrastinate. Just a few minutes playing with the puppy, and then I'll get back to work. Really. Honest.

My Characters Made Me Cry

2007-02-01T10:49:00.000-06:00

My characters from Book 2 of the rabbi series made me cry last night. I'm not normally one for tears, so this was fairly significant.

Husby jokes that I have a sadistic streak, that I get some perverse pleasure out of making their lives not only difficult but sometimes downright impossible. I have a slightly different view. I ask them to give something of themselves that they're not sure they have. I know they can, but I created them, after all. I know just how far I can push them. But they don't know, and growth is often painful.

Last night I finished writing a major scene, the big near-book-end conflict. I've been imagining this playing out for the past couple of weeks, though I wasn't sure about the details. This far through a book, I have a general outline (I work from a real calendar) but leave the specifics up to the writing process. Last night's scene didn't happen anything like I thought it would.

I didn't think anyone was going to die.
I didn't think there'd be quite so many injuries.
I thought a different character was going to bring about the resolution.

At the end of the scene, I literally wanted to hold them. I wanted to apologize for putting them through what I did, but at the same time explain why it was necessary. I didn't get the chance.

Because before I could do anything, they reached out to each other.

And I cried.

The Return of the Rabbi Detective

2007-01-31T14:28:00.000-06:00

Hat tip and thanks to SoccerDad for both his link and the reference to Daled Amos' post, asking Why Are There So Few Rabbi Detectives?

Fans of Harry Kemelman's (z"l) Rabbi Small mysteries, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's Rabbi Winter mysteries, and Faye Kellerman's Orthodox Jewish woman/cop-husband mysteries may be looking for good Jewish fiction/mysteries.

I'm happy to add my full-time rabbi/part-time detective to the waning mix. Here's what I said over at Daled Amos:

Although I'm a newcomer on the scene, I write a published Jewish fiction series that's a twist on the rabbi-detective mysteries. Not technically mysteries because there's no murder (yet), these are part mystery, part slice-of-life novels representing contemporary American Judaism.

The protagonist is Conservative Rabbi David Cohen, joined in the series by a Reform colleague and her Israeli-born secular husband, a Minneapolis cop. The second book welcomes the addition of a couple of Orthodox rabbis who are crucial to the plot.

Interwoven with the plot are textual references and deeper explorations of Torah and Jewish thought, bringing depth and perspective to his job, family, congregation and the larger story.

The first in the series, "Destined to Choose" was released in 2003. The second will come out this fall. You can read more, including the first chapter, at http://www.yaldahpublishing.com/books.htm#DTC.

I've long believed that we need updated versions of the rabbi detective, ones in which today's issues are as much at play as the plot problem to be solved. I've worked very hard to present a compelling ensemble of characters that span movements and philosophies, and to write books in which readers can see themselves and relate. I address this in somewhat more detail in an interview transcribed here: http://sheyna.galyan.com/SGIntrvw.pdf.

The next book comes out this fall, and I look forward to being able to say that the rabbi detective stories are far from dead.

Do You Blog Like You Talk?

2007-01-31T11:24:00.000-06:00

I'll admit it: I'm a total geek. I was IM'ing with Husby (which we've occasionally done while in the same room with each other) and I realized that we both write differently than we speak, even to each other. I'm more relaxed, playful.

When I write for publication, I'm told I write like I talk. Readers have said they can "hear my voice" in articles and essays, as if I was delivering a speech or lecture instead of writing. When I blog, it's somewhere in between.

So how do you blog? If your readers were to meet you in person, would they recognize your blogging voice or style from talking with you? Would they never know because you show a side of yourself on your blog that you never do in "real life"? How is your blogging self different from your "real life" self?

I look forward to your answers! Feel free to pass along the question.

Learning

2007-01-29T15:42:00.000-06:00

During a conversation on the way home, after picking Oldest Son up from school:

Me (wistfully): Wow, you're learning a lot of things I never got to learn.

Oldest Son: Yeah. Some of the things I'm learning I don't even know.

Yeah, I'm Talking to You

2007-01-29T15:39:00.000-06:00

Seen in a car's window, while the car sat parked with the engine running, no driver in sight:

"Note to thieves: there is nothing worth stealing in this car."

Right. That ought to work.

You Go, Girl!

2007-01-29T14:38:00.000-06:00

I can't help myself. This is from the current scene I'm writing and just brings a smile to my face:

Stuffing the cell phone into the tiny flat pocket in the front of her slacks, Batya hefted the weapon and tossed the chair aside, certain the psycho stalker wasn’t expecting a pissed off rabbi armed with a loaded shotgun.

Writing to Music

2007-01-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

Writing to music helps the words flow, I've found, and eliminates the echoes of badly written sentences bouncing around in my head. The trick, however, is finding the right music.

Or perhaps the write music.

Today is a major writing day. I'm in the final major conflict scene and I'm resisting it because someone gets hurt in this one. Rather badly. I don't want to do that, but it's necessary. I've assured him he'll heal.

So the music I've chosen to write to is:

Backdraft: Soundrack
by Hans Zimmer

Shepherd Moons
by Enya

Broken Arrow: Soundtrack
by Hans Zimmer

Symphony No. 6
by Beethoven

Lifescapes: Relaxation for Women
by Amy Hayashi-Jones

J-Blogs - Dr. Seuss Style

2007-01-28T19:22:00.000-06:00

Like to blog from Z to A?

Or A to Z or another way?

Blogs are not all what they seem

Come check them out at Haveil Havalim!

Book Burning: History Repeats Itself

2007-01-28T17:54:00.000-06:00

An article in a discarded copy of yesterday's newspaper caught my attention:

"Religious and government leaders gathered Friday to denounce plans by a neo-Nazi group to stage a burning of Jewish books and other texts today [Saturday, January 27, 2007] in the Minneapolis area."

Apparently, the National Socialist Movement in the Twin Cities had decided there isn't enough hate in the world and so to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day, they planned a book burning, specifically of the Talmud and other of what they call "anti-white" books.

The state attorney general, leaders from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities, and representatives from the Jewish Community Relations Council met last Friday to denounce it, and to uphold the values of diversity and tolerance.

This hate group has held events over the past year in Madison WI, Orlando FL, and Austin TX.

Click here to read the full article.

Success!

2007-01-28T16:33:00.000-06:00

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

I have dueled with Old Blogger and emerged victorious! I am invincible!

Okay, I found a back door.

Let the redesign begin.

AAAARRRRGH!

2007-01-28T16:25:00.000-06:00

badword badword badword badword grumblegrumblegrumblegrumble

I was planning to switch to the new Blogger today. Had some time (yes, that translates to "not working on the book") and I was ready. Took a deep breath. Clicked the link.

"We're sorry. We cannot switch you over to the new Blogger at this time."

WHAT???

Blogger Help was not Helpful: "While the new version of Blogger is no longer in beta, some users with certain types of blogs will not immediately be able to switch to it."

Certain types? What the grrrr is that supposed to mean?

I do not have a large blog. I have even fewer comments. Not even sure I have all that many readers. Maybe that's the problem?

I dunno. I'm frustrated. I think I'll go kill off a character. Painfully.

Whuf.

Books and Blogs

2007-01-25T16:24:00.000-06:00

Couple of brief notes:

Current word count on Days stands at 78,426 words. The only scenes left to write are the final conflict and whatever resolution the various characters/situations will find in this book.

It'll be interesting to see what the reaction to Days is. It's been in the works for a couple of years now, so the issues I'd decided to tackle are a couple of years old. And yet, oh so current. In a word, Days takes on fundamentalism. Leading to the other "f" word: fanaticism.

I've decided to take the plunge (sorry, no mikvah references) and update this blog to the new Blogger. Too many problems with this one that I can't seem to fix. I was going to host it over at my writing website here, but it turns out our server just isn't robust enough (yet) to handle both this one and the Yaldah one.

More to come.

On Israel: Hope, Safety, Identity, Existence

2007-01-25T13:40:00.000-06:00

Jack has an important post here on a longer article by Daniel Gordis here regarding the future of Israel.

I read it all. Sobering. Troubling.

"This is not about Israel," Gordis writes. "It’s not even about Zionism. It’s about the future of what we call the Jewish people. Hezbollah gets that. Hamas gets it. Ahmadinejad gets it. Gaarder gets it. Why don’t we?"

From my tiny, somewhat ignorant perspective, I wonder if the answer can be found in an assertion he made in one of his earlier books: identity.

As much as American Jews support Israel with words, money, people, are we willing to take a stand and identify ourselves as Jews before we identify ourselves as Americans? What about non-Israeli Jews in the rest of the world?

Do we really believe that safety can be found in a renewal of hope, justice, all the good that the State of Israel stands for, or do most of us in the Diaspora make a louder statement in how we identify ourselves, that real safety is found by hiding our Jewishness in a larger non-Jewish culture?

We grumble and complain about anti-Jewish, anti-Israel media bias. We condemn antisemitic speech and actions. We urge our government(s) to support Israel, to stand against the fanaticism and hate that seeks to rid the world not only of the State of Israel, but of all Jews.

At the same time, so many hide their identity as Jews while going about day to day business. I see it. I've been called a "religious nut" because I'm visible as a Jew. I've been called that by other Jews. (And not as a joke.)

Are those of us in the Diaspora saying that it's okay if the world's hatred is focused on Israel because then at least it's not focused on us? Do we really think that if, G-d forbid, Israel disappeared, we'd be safe again? Do we really not get it that all of us are at risk, that Judaism itself is at risk, and that Israel is carrying the biggest burden?

Do we care enough about being Jewish that we're willing to acknowledge the problem so we can find a solution?

Who's Paranoid Now?

2007-01-24T15:06:00.000-06:00

In the middle of writing a scene from Days, lots of cops and poor David stuck in the middle of it, and while at my computer I hear a distinct THUMP! just outside the front door.

Heart pounding, I go to the window and see a dark figure running across the street, away from my house. He runs to a large four-door SUV across the street, something like a Suburban with laterally opening doors in the back. Both doors are open. The black or very dark blue SUV is covered from tires to door handles with dirt and salt and road grime, courtesy of our Minnesota winters and the Department of Transportation's salt trucks. I can't make out a license plate or a vehicle make.

The engine is running, a driver sits facing away from me. Two men are doing something at the tailgate, rummaging around in the back of the SUV. One of them is the guy who was running away from my house. Both are in jeans. One has a dark jacket and ski hat, the other a black hoodie with the hood up. I memorize details: clothing, build, hubcaps.

I hesitate to go to the door and see what caused the thump. Not while they're still here. I watch, unsure what they're up to. They're still rummaging around in the back of the SUV, moving something white. Several somethings white. Bags. Bags of what? Then I see.

Phone books.

I think maybe I'm a little too focused on the book.

Jewish Blogging

2007-01-23T20:31:00.000-06:00

Quick writing note: I'm not done yet (I know, I know, what is taking me so long?), but progress is being made. How's that for the use of passive verbs?

But first an intermission (what I like to also refer to as PROCRASTINATION).

I got my figurative nose out of my figurative book long enough to see what else was going on in the J-Blogosphere and came across JBlog Awareness Month from JBlogosphere:

"What I'm hoping for, is that people will recognize this new project by upping the amount of Jblog roundups they do, especially to blogs that they are just finding for the first time. Try to include one new blog, or one blog you never read before in your links."

I love it! Count me in.

Blogs I come across that I enjoy reading, either regularly or occassionally are in my blogroll (see right). But for new ones, I'll start with one I just found today that I'm really, really excited about:

One of my favorite musicians is Noah Budin. I heard him perform at a CAJE conference some years ago when I was still teaching and I was just mesmerized. He's the only singer/songwriter I've found so far who can do an authentic Jewish "gospel" with his song Joshua's Band from the album Hallelujah Land. (I hope that Real Audio link works for you; I couldn't get it to work for me. But it comes from this page at JewishStore.com.) He's an incredibly down-to-earth kind of guy, and an awesome musician. And, he answers fan mail! (I know from experience.)

His blog for his NEW CD (WOOHOO!!!) called Metaphor is here:

http://noahsmetaphor.blogspot.com/

***

Another J-blogger and fellow novelist is marallyn ben moshe, whose blog I wouldn't have found had she not left a comment for me on the previous post. Her blog is at:

http://shalomfromjerusalem.blogspot.com/

Thanks Marallyn! And good luck with Emma Shelby is No More!

BTW, I love hearing from other Jewish writers, especially fiction writers. Keep 'em coming!

***

Along those lines, I just recently came across Seraphic Secret (Seraphic Press) and I can't help but encourage you to help support another independent Jewish publisher. We need all the support we can get, and while Seraphic Secret is probably a much more well known blog than mine, if you haven't checked it out, please do so.

***

Some of you may know about this one; I've put links up before, but on the heels of talking about Jewish fiction, I have to again promote Storytellers at this blog:

http://elstersstorytellers.blogspot.com/

This is an awesome idea - a forum for beginning, amateur, and professional storytellers (such as us writers) to share short stories for the fun of it. There's some serious talent here (and no, that's not a self promotion).

***

There are some other new blogs I've run across, from the informative to the poignant, and I mean nothing negative by not listing them here. Mostly I'm not because they've been listed elsewhere, on blogs much more popular than mine, and also because it's already nine o'clock at night and I have an hour before I need to start thinking about bedtime. Which means only an hour of writing. (Priorities, I know...)

One note I will make. I read a brief bit of one blog about a woman dealing with depression, and the part that struck me was that she said she was falling through the cracks with regard to her rabbi's attention (or lack thereof) and she was letting it happen because to make herself seen was too painful.

That just made me angry. Not at her, but at the situation. HELLO-O! What does it say about us as a community that we've got people clearly needing help who are willing to disappear because disappearing hurts less than getting the Jewish help they need?

If David (my protagonist rabbi) ever did something like that (not noticing someone needing help), I think I'd smack him upside the head. Fictionally, of course. No violence being promoted on this blog. But it makes me feel helpless that I keep hearing about people feeling hurt or ignored by their rabbis (this is NOT the first sort of story like this that I've heard, and I've blogged a bit about this before) and there is not a single thing I can do about it.

Except maybe work it into a subplot and hope that I can get the message out to/through my readers.

Having a disability myself (no, you don't need any more details than that), and with the incredibly difficult uphill struggle to get my community to even notice Jewish books being written and published here, to say nothing of supporting it, I can only imagine how hard it must be to have your whole self go unnoticed, and not just your work.

So... any rabbis reading this (it can't hurt to hope, right?), or anyone who can influence their rabbis, if you're paying attention to who might need help and isn't asking for it, good. Thank you.

And if, as in my experience, you're noticing the squeaky wheels and not the silences, please pay more attention to who's at risk and not reaching out. I know you're busy. Believe me, I know better than many. (I've lost count of how many rabbis I've interviewed now... a few dozen?)

But ask yourself this: who's withdrawing? Who's not looking you in the eye? Who says they're fine but you think maybe they aren't? Those are the people you need to pay attention to. Please.

Okay, rant over. Just had to get that off my chest.

And now I have to get David and friends out of a sticky situation involving, of all things, crime scene tape and a synagogue window riddled with bullet holes.

Just a shameless plug there...

Broke 75,000 Words!

2007-01-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

As in Days of Old is six scenes away from being done!

Or the first draft, anyway. Maybe Sunday will be the day to finish?

Shabbat shalom!

Writing and Shabbat

2007-01-19T13:16:00.000-06:00

I was on a panel of Jewish authors last winter and one question from the audience produced some honest but nervous answers.

"Do you write on Shabbat?"

Some authors said yes, they wrote after shul. It didn't bother them, or they needed the outlet, or it was one of the few times they had when they weren't working other jobs or taking care of family. One went into quite a detailed rationalization about writing on the computer not really being writing (in their opinion), and that as far as creating went, that was going to happen in this author's head anyway, so might as well get it down in pixels.

Then it came my turn to answer.

I couldn't help but laugh. I told them this: It's been tempting, certainly, especially on those long summer evenings when havdalah isn't until near bedtime. But you have to understand that I write Jewish fiction. It's a little different.

My protagonist is a rabbi. He lives in my head. And so I can feel the desire, acknowledge it. But the moment I think about actually doing it, turning on the computer or picking up a pen, he's right there looking over my shoulder, eyebrows raised, with the single question,

"You're going to do what?"

To Write, You Must Also Read!

2007-01-19T12:47:00.000-06:00

I'm a voracious reader. Have been since I was four and read - aloud - all of the graffiti I found on bathroom stalls when my mom took me into a public restroom, much to her dismay and the entertainment of other restroom patrons.

I love reading Jewish fiction, but I shy away from it when I'm actively writing. I don't want it to influence my current writing too much. But I'm grateful when I find writers whose writing I can learn from, and whose genres don't overlap quite so much.

My most recent love is with Earlene Fowler's mysteries, which my friend TL turned me onto. She does just amazing description. Not in the literary fiction sense where a description of a sunrise can go on and on and on and on for paragraphs about the blending of the colors and the glory of the light and you can hear the symphony in the backround and blah blah blah. I tend to skip over that sort of description.

No, Ms. Fowler does an amazing job because she shows her readers what her characters look like, what the weather in Arkansas or Central California or Kentucky looks like, without ever telling you. I've read all but one of her books, checked them out from the library. Now I have to start buying them because, unlike most plot-driven mysteries, I want to read these again and again, feel the words on my lips and taste the character's emotions on my tongue. They are clearly character-driven mysteries, and I look forward to each visit with Benni and Gabe and Dove and Elvia and Emory and Hud with delicious anticipation, even if I already know "whodunit."

As much as I love mysteries, I'm not such a big fan of sci-fi or fantasy. Maybe a few of the really well-written ones, but mostly, I leave that to Husby. He's a big sci-fi/fantasy buff.

Except just the other day, he left a genre-crossing sci-fi/thriller on his pillow and I took a look at it. I was intrigued initially because one of the characters shares the same name as someone I know, and it's an unusual name so it caught my attention. I read the first page, curious. Then I went on to read the first chapter. Now I'm hooked.

The book is the first in "The Dresden Files" series, by Jim Butcher. A few times, I've found myself wanting to edit out a few too many instances of "so" or change the order of a couple of words, but largely I enjoy his easy-going narrative, the sarcastic wit, the protagonist's honest humanity. And I can learn from that, too. (I'm now aware that "The Dresden Files" has been made into a TV series on the Sci-Fi channel. Husby plans to watch; I might sneak a peek.)

There's nothing better after a long day of struggling with my own manuscript to step into another world created by a good writer, to visit with their characters and enjoy their use of language and allow myself to laugh and cry and love along with them.

To Write, You Must... Write

2007-01-19T11:55:00.000-06:00

I got kicked out of the last writing class I took.

It's true. I'd enrolled in a fiction-writing, write-your-novel sort of class with the first rough half of Destined to Choose, back when simply finishing it was the goal and getting it published was a pipe dream.

Our first class, we were to do a free write for ten minutes. This is where you set the timer for ten minutes and write whatever comes to mind. Good, bad, disorganized, stream-of-consciousness, whatever. Then we did a ten-minute assigned writing, which we shared with the class. We talked about why we were in the class and what we wanted to get out of it. We talked about dialog, characterization, setting, point of view, description, all the things that go into a novel. The plan, over the next twelve weeks, was to break each concept down and work exclusively and intensely on it. Our homework: bring one chapter from a work in progress.

No problem.

I brought the first chapter of DTC with the other written chapters as backup, in case the instructor wanted more. We each shared our first chapter. When we were done, the instructor asked if I could stay after for a few minutes.

"Busted!" a few classmates joked, like we were back in grade school and I was going to get detention.

"Sheyna," the instructor asked after class, "why are you here?"

I thought probably too much about that question. Was this a trick? "To take your class," I answered.

"I know that. But why?"

"Because I want to be a better writer."

She nodded silently and looked over the chapter I'd submitted, her shoulder-length blond waves obscuring her face. Finally she spoke. "I don't think this class is going to give you what you want. Your chapter needs some polishing and some more description, but you clearly understand the elements I'll be teaching. I'm going to be honest with you, okay?"

I nodded, psyching myself up for harsh criticism.

"I don't think you're taking this class to become a better writer. I think you're taking this class to procrastinate finishing your book." She handed me a business card. "Here's my e-mail and telephone number. Feel free to contact me with any questions, but I don't want to see you in my class again. You are depriving the world of your story, your perspective, your words, and you are the only one who can share them. Don't be selfish and keep them to yourself. Go home and finish that book and get it out there so it can get published."

I was disappointed and more than a little chagrined. I thought that if my writing was better, it would be easier to finish the book, or to get it published. In the end she was right. You can't finish a book if you don't write it.

I ran into her just last year and asked if she remembered me.

"I kicked you out of class, didn't I?" she asked with a smile, a few more laugh lines around her cornflower blue eyes, her hair in the same blond waves.

"It wasn't one of my favorite student-teacher moments," I admitted. "But you were probably right. I stopped trying to learn writing and started practicing writing." I told her about DTC's publication and my work on its sequel.

"Good!" she said, curtly nodding once. "After reading your writing, I knew you didn't need a beginning course on fiction writing. You needed a fire lit under your butt. I'm glad I was there with a match."

With fondness now, I remember her when I need to stop procrastinating - or worrying so much about my writing that it ultimately halts my writing.

Thanks to all who keep me going.

Word Count #4

2007-01-16T22:27:00.000-06:00

Slow day. {frown}

Word count as of yesterday at 10:44pm: 71,195

Word count as of today at 10:27pm: 72,290

On the other hand, I got through a very rough and pivotal scene. Made me cry more than once. Even Husby said he got a bit teary. I'll take that as a good thing.

Tomorrow's a dedicated writing day. I'm aiming to get halfway to DONE.

Word Count #3

2007-01-15T22:44:00.000-06:00

Word count as of 1/11/07: 63,881

Word count as of 1/15/07 at 12:49pm: 67,266

Word count as of 1/15/07 at 10:44pm (eg: now): 71,195

Number of scenes left to write to finish this book: 9

Tomorrow I have a half-day to write. More then!