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The Best Place on Earth in Hebrew (and other news)

I have not blogged in ages, but I have the best excuse. I’ve been writing! I’ve been hard at work on my memoir in essays. In fact, it is near finished. Which, of course, leads to a myriad of new anxieties. It just never stops, does it? I’ve been so consumed with work that I neglected to write about the amazing month I spent in Israel this June, launching my book with Am Oved. Am Oved has been my dream publisher ever since I was a little kid. I love their little books, with the red stamp on the top corner,…

Jewish Book Festival in Vancouver

I have done a little bit of touring this fall. In the beginning of the month I participated in The Wild Writers Festival in Waterloo, whereI took part in an amazing panel on diversity with Jael Richardson and Tasneem Jamal. I just loved talking to these two intelligent, talented women. Then, just yesterday, I came back from The Jewish Book Festival in Vancouver. I had a blast. In the photo, I am standing with some of the other festival authors, including famed Israeli novelist Assaf Gavron (far right), whom I enjoyed meeting at the reception. I am still sometimes surprised that I no longer live in…

Book Tour in Italy

In June I travelled to Italy for my first ever foreign book tour. And it was amazing. It was amazing because, well, it was Italy in June. And because on my first night, at my book launch in Parma, I got to see a dear old friend I hadn’t seen in twenty years, not since our crazy days in Goa. Because everywhere I went I met readers who loved the book and had intelligent, thoughtful things to say about it. Because of the food, and the sunshine, and the wine. Because most of my events took place outside, in various…

Cover girl and other news

So, today I went to pick up the mail and was startled by the magazine I was holding, Jewish Book World, which had my face staring right back at me. And it’s big. Unphotoshoped, fucked-up tooth and frizzy hair big. Inside, there’s a lovely review of my book, a write-up about the award and my essay, “Keeping Promises.” *** More news. I wrote something in HEBREW!!! I know. It’s been so long that I was saddened to discover that I’ve now reversed my sense of insecurity to my mother tongue! It wasn’t easy to write this piece. My words felt…

The Best Place on Earth wins the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature

Since I can’t seem to get my act together and write about how my life changed entirely over the past few weeks, since winning the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, I am posting some photos from the award ceremony. The gala took place in the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York on May 7, 2015. My mother flew in from Israel with one of my brothers, and my other brother came from Montreal. Sean’s aunt arrived from Vancouver and my agents, Kim Witherspoon and David Forrer (AKA miracle workers), were there too. The day before, on the way to the…

Some Israeli Love

I can’t keep track. Life has been moving fast, so wonderfully and strangely fast. I keep meaning to take the time to write but then I do laundry and make dinner and take care of a toddler instead. So here, quickly, are some links from the homeland. It has been so exciting for me to be recognized there finally, on the heels of the Sami Rohr Prize announcement. And even more exciting that it all happened while I was there. I loved this beautiful article in Haaretz (only for Hebrew speakers, I’m afraid), enjoyed speaking to the illustrious Ilene Prusher on TLV1 Radio, and this wonderfully written…

Some exciting news

Remember when I used to blog? What happened to that? Oh, right. I had a baby. And I work. And I write. Well, sometimes I do, though this past month has been all about grant applications and mentoring other writers (which is also great). June 15th is my day to get back to writing and I cannot wait! I do have several pieces of wonderful news to share: 1) The Best Place on Earth is going to be published  in Italian! The publisher is Nuova Editrice Berti, and they make beautiful books. Sono eccitato! 2) I (finally) signed with a literary agency!…

The Best Place on Earth is One Year Old!

How could it have been a year already? The Best Place on Earth is one year old today! I remember that this day last year was just as gloomy and miserable as today is. I remember feeling anxious and a little bit crazy and not as joyous as I had wanted to feel (that elated feeling came the following day, at my launch, which was hands down the best party I ever had) I remember that that morning I struggled to zip up my parka, which was starting to feel pretty tight on my hugely pregnant belly. I also remember…

Pictures from my Events in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa

Only a month (and a week) late! I finally got around to go through some of the photos from my events with the New Israel Fund of Canada in February. It was a pleasure to tour with the NIFCAN, and to speak in those different cities. The event in Toronto was at the Gladstone Hotel, and I was interviewed by Gabe Gonda of the Globe and Mail who asked some tough questions, including one that started with, “So there’s a lot of sex in the book,” (to which I replied with, “Yes. Yes, there is.”)  It was a great evening.…