The Whole Megillah- Mid-Week NotesThree quick things: Let poetry inspire your writing. See the interview with Devora Busheri about her use of Hayyim Bialik’s poetry in her new picture book, In the Jerusalem Forest (Kar-Ben, 2019). Are any of you participating in Nanowrimo? I … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Two-in-One Author’s Notebook | In the Jerusalem Forest by Devora Busheri and illustrated by Noa KelnerIn the Jerusalem Forest by Devora Busheri and illustrated by Noa Kelner, 32 pp., Kar-Ben Publishing, 2019. Israel-based Devora and I met as inaugural fellows at the 2017 Jewish Children’s Literature Tent at the Yiddish Book Center, Amherst, MA. The … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Poet’s Notebook | Birthright by Erika DreifusDreifus, Erika. Birthright: Poems. American Fork, Utah: Kelsay Books, 2019. 86 pp., $17.00. The Whole Megillah (TWM): What motivated you to create a poetry collection? Erika Dreifus (ED): I’m not at all certain that it’s something I set out to … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- New Writing Classes from The Whole MegillahThe Whole Megillah is proud to announce online writing classes to take your writing to new heights: It Could Be Verse Workshop Putting the Past on the Page Workshop Each workshop includes a set of weekly prompts. Participants post their … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week NotesThree quick things: Stay tuned for an announcement later this week from The Whole Megillah about forthcoming online classes and workshops. One of them could be just the thing you’re looking for to take your writing to the next level. … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week NotesThree quick things: I’m on a week’s break from Gratz, but instead of filling it with my own creative writing, I’ll be grading student compositions. The October Writing Chai prompt goes out on Friday. If interested in participating, send me … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week NotesThree quick things: I’m thinking about Nanowrimo to work on a novel I abandoned in 2011. Anyone thinking about participating? This “event” motivates you to write 50,000 words during the month of November at a rate of about 1700 words … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Notes | Leshone ToyveThree quick things: The late composition guru Donald Murray reminds me to think of the first draft as the discovery draft and the second draft as the developmental draft. For more, see his Write to Learn. My Yiddish studies are … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week NotesThree quick things: Editorial work has begun on my middle-grade novel-in-verse, 37 Days, about the voyage of the doomed MS St. Louis in 1939. The publisher is Kar-Ben. So far, so good! In teaching freshman composition, I’m reminded of Anne … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- The Whole Megillah Announces Writing Chai!Writing Chai is a new, eighteen-month program of prompts from The Whole Megillah. Each month (on the 18th) members of the Writing Chai community will receive a prompt and have access to a private Facebook page to post their writing, … Continue reading →Barbara Krasner
- Mid-Week Notes
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
