The Whole Megillah- Mid-Week Field Notes | July 28, 2021Some quick things: One of my #52snapshots, “An American Constellation,” about my paternal grandmother and her three sons in the American armed forces during World War II, will appear next week in the Jewish Literary Journal. I will send out … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- #52snapshots–Week 30True to my word, I did write about Morduch Krasner, my great-grandfather. It was an interesting journey through his documentation. There’s a family through Ancestry.com that insists is related to him through a sister, but I have no DNA connection … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Field Notes | July 21, 2021Some quick things: I received a “form” rejection for one of my essays (not one of the #52snapshots) this week. Bummer. I began work on the new project, specifically some opening poems and the overview for the proposal. Got some … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- #52snapshots–Week 29Last week I said I would write about Chaim Joseph Entel, my mother’s maternal grandfather, and so I did. What I wrote was clearly speculative and I’m enjoying imagining the personalities of my ancestors. I’d share a photo of him, … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Field Notes | July 14, 2021Some quick things: My Holocaust kidlit database is nearly complete–about 700 books published since 1952. If any of you are educators and teach the Holocaust in your classroom, I’d like to know which books you use and how book selections … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Author’s Notebook | Eva and Eve by Julie MetzMetz, Julie. Eva and Eve: A Search for My Mother’s Lost Childhood and What a War Left Behind. Atria/Simon & Schuster, 2021, 314 pp. The Whole Megillah (TWM): What inspired you to write this memoir?Julie Metz (JM): Shortly after my … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- #52snapshots–Week 28I’m getting increasingly into “speculative memoir,” that is, at least in my case, writing about ancestors I never knew. I’m not much for writing about myself in memoir format, but a pop-up session last week by Emily Stoddard at Voice … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Field Notes | July 7, 2021Some quick things: I am updating my Holocaustkidlit database. Good news: It should be done by the end of the week. Bad news: The version on holocaustkidlit.com refused to download. I had a lot of re-work to do. Next steps: … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- #52snapshots–Week 27Good news! The first of #52snapshots, the one called “Black Taffeta” about my father’s paternal grandmother and my namesake, Bryna Krasner, has been accepted for Fall 2021 publication by The Kelsey Review. This is the only journal I submitted it … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Field Notes | June 30, 2021Some quick things: I Had dinner with my fabulous editor and we’ve come up with a new idea for my next project. It will take a bit of research, but it’s about a topic I’ve actually been interested in for … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Field Notes | July 28, 2021
Monthly Archives: May 2010
Ideas Can Come from Anywhere–Even Jane Yolen
The first-ever Highlights Foundation workshop for writers of Jewish-themed children’s books took place at the founders’ home in Boyds Mills, PA from May 23-25. Throughout the following weeks, I’ll be sharing some highlights (no pun intended) of what the speakers … Continue reading
Tagged Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Calkins Creek Books, Carolyn Yoder, Debra Hess, Devorah Leah Rosenfeld, East/West Agency, Francoise Bui, Hachai Publishing, Highlights for Children, Highlights Foundation, Highlights Foundation Worksop, Jane Yolen, Jewish Book World, Lisa Silverman, Mary Kole, Penninah Schram, Rubin Pfeffer
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Author’s Notebook | Rich Michelson
Each month, The Whole Megillah features an interview with an author of Jewish-themed children’s books. For May 2010’s Author’s Notebook debut, we reached out to award-winning author Rich Michelson of Massachusetts. The Whole Megillah (TWM): When did you first realize … Continue reading
Jewish American Heritage Month and the Sydney Taylor Book Award
On May 7, Kathe Pinchuck, Outgoing Chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee posted in the AJL Blog, People of the Books, a list of Sydney Taylor Book Awards winners, celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month. I urge you to … Continue reading
Museum of Jewish Heritage | A Living Memorial to the Holocaust
It seemed fitting that I would head into New York City today to research the St. Louis on the 71st anniversary of its sailing. After spending a couple of hours at the Joint Distribution Committee archives midtown, I traveled to … Continue reading
Book Review: Emma’s Poem–The Voice of the Statue of Liberty
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty (Houghton Mifflin, 2010) Written by Linda Glaser, illustrated by Claire A. Nivola I must confess: I’ve been researching Emma Lazarus for about ten years. Since the Statue of Liberty’s 100th anniversary … Continue reading
Posted in Book Reviews
Tagged Emma Lazarus, New Colossus, nineteenth century Jewish writers, Statue of Liberty
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This Month in Jewish History—The Tragic Voyage of the St. Louis
On May 13, 1939, more than 900 German Jewish refugees boarded the luxury liner MS St. Louis in Hamburg. They were filled with hope of a new homeland, rejected by Germany. Since Kristallnacht the previous November, and even before that, … Continue reading
Hello world!
Welcome to The Whole Megillah! This can be your resource for writing and marketing Jewish-themed content for young readers. Upcoming Highlights Foundation Workshop–Writing Jewish-themed Children’s Books From May 23-25, a group of writers will gather at the home of the … Continue reading
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