Monthly Archives: March 2021

Author’s Notebook | The Woodcarver’s Daughter by Yona Zeldis McDonough

McDonough, Yona Zeldis. The Woodcarver’s Daughter. Kar-Ben, April 2021, 128 pp. The Whole Megillah (TWM): What inspired you to write The Woodcarver’s Daughter?Yona Zeldis McDonough (YZM): I had gone to the Museum of American Folk Art to see a show … Continue reading

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Mid-Week Field Notes | March 31, 2021

Three quick things this week: My books arrived!  Summer plans: I’ll be working on my database of Holocaust children’s literature, expanding it from the 1960s and through 2021. Then, I’ll take guidance from a statistician colleague to code the database … Continue reading

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#52snapshots–Week 13

I think I may be running out of steam on #52snapshots. I need some breathing room to jot down a list of questions I have about my own family history–what do I want to know more about? It could be … Continue reading

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Mid-Week Field Notes | March 24, 2021

Four quick things this week: I’ve signed up to support Amherst Writers & Artists in their Write around the World fundraising event. I’m facilitating a session on May 9.  I received an offer of publication for my bio in verse … Continue reading

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#52snapshots–Week 12

I know I will have to bring my “basement” piece through a revision process to find a core throughline and finesse it to a literary level. When I will do that, I just don’t know. This Week I’ve been wondering … Continue reading

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Thursday Links | March 18, 2021

Here are this week’s links: Want to know what to do with flotsam and jetsam of raw creative writing material you generate? Check out Emily Stoddard’s demonstration at Ruminate Happenings. What do you consider when sending your creative work out … Continue reading

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Mid-Week Field Notes | March 17, 2021

Three quick things this week: I think I’ve done all the revisions for a book-for-hire about the Holocaust. Doing this kind of work can be rewarding but also quite tedious and frustrating. I won an AWP raffle for a free … Continue reading

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#52snapshots–Week 11

I have a bit of a sketch about my great-uncle Meyer Krasner. I’ve been thinking about his possible attention to detail and precision as a tailor. His grandson tells me he’d been known to make himself a ham sandwich when … Continue reading

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Mid-Week Field Notes

Three quick things this week: I attended so many virtual AWP (Association of Writers & Writing Programs) sessions and have access to them for the next month. My favorites were about writing World War II nonfiction, literary translation, Jewish fiction … Continue reading

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#52snapshots–Week 10

I finally managed to figure out a way to write about the DNA secrets that emerged through DNA testing of various family members. I wrote a letter to my great-grandmother and explained why I’m not able to find her family … Continue reading

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