I was the guest editor for The National Post’s Afterword this week, which meant that I got to write four posts for their blog. I’m a big fan of The Afterword so it was especially exciting for me. I enjoyed writing the essays and reading the comments about them on Twitter. People have been so kind and supportive – I am humbled! Here are the links to all four posts: What Nobody Tells You – in which I describe the emotional rollercoaster publishing my book has been. It’s funny, because at my launch, Jane, my editor at HarperCollins, said that…
Browsing CategoryThe Best Place on Earth
Review in the Globe and Mail
I woke up yesterday to find this picture on Facebook, posted by a classmate from the MFA. My first review! The reviewer refers to The Best Place on Earth as a notable debut this season, along with two buzzing novels: Taiye Selasi’s Ghana Must Go and The Lion Seeker by Kenneth Bonert. Great company! Here is a quote, “Issues of assimilation and belonging are a theme in contemporary literature, but they are approached here in specific ways that both trouble the underlying cultural conversations and tell moving stories.” Then I also received simultaneous messages (literally, at the same minute) from another classmate who works at Book City in Toronto and my in-laws…
The Best Place on Earth Book Trailer!
Directed, shot and edited by Elsin Davidi Narration: Gil Dattner Sound: Omer Most Music: Eldad Tsabary
On Book Trailers, Tel Aviv, and My Friend Elsin
While I was in Israel this fall, my friend Elsin Davidi and I started working on a book trailer for The Best Place on Earth. Book trailers have become more popular in recent years, probably due to our obsession with visual stimulation and our love of sharing kitten videos on social networks. Elsin and I watched many book trailers in preparation: they varied in style, tone, length and quality. Some commercial works of fiction have book trailers that resemble Hollywood movie previews: short and sleek, always with a man’s voice ominously reading abstract phrases and words like REVENGE, LOVE and…
Story Published in Prairie Fire
Prairie Fire! I’m in it! My story, ‘The Poets in the Kitchen Window’ (from my upcoming collection, The Best Place on Earth), takes place in Ramat Gan during the 91’ Gulf War, when Israel was under missile attack. I was seventeen back then, in my last year of high school. It was a scary and interesting and surreal time. There are other good reasons to read this issue: my good friend Nancy Jo Cullen, winner of awards and writer of fine poetry and prose, whose book of short stories, The Canary (Biblioasis), is coming out this spring, has one…
Advance Reading Copy
I came home from the AGO and there it was, in my mailbox, looking innocent, like a regular piece of mail. My advance reading copy!!! It hasn’t left my side since. I know it’s “just” an advance reading copy, and it still has some errors in it, and the pages are thin and the cover is soft, but it looks like the real thing and I am in love. That’s all.
The Next Big Thing
I’ve been tagged by the illustrious Terri Favro, author of the recently released The Proxy Bride, in The Next Big Thing, a virtual game of literary blog tag. In The Next Big Thing writers answer ten questions about their work-in-progress, and then link their post to five other writers who then tag five more writers (each!) This never-ending chain of literary awesomeness gives writers an opportunity to discuss their upcoming projects and be exposed to new readers. It also gives readers a glimpse into writers’ process while introducing them to new writers. In other words: everyone wins! Thank you, Terri,…
All about the Food (Oh, and the Cover!)
I know, I know. I’m a bad, rotten blogger. Of course, I have plenty of excuses. I’ve been in Israel since September, researching, travelling, swimming, enjoying family and friends and the ridiculously long holiday season that seems to never end. I’ve also been planning my book trailer with my good friend and videographer extraordinaire Elsin Davidi, working on my copyedits (!) and taking photos like crazy. Oh, and eating. Did I mention eating? Okay, maybe I’ve been mostly eating (it’s a good thing it’s still hot here so I can wear summer dresses all day long and not worry about…
Interview with Shalom Life
I had a smooth landing in Toronto, and though it didn’t really make my goodbyes any easier or less sad, I am happy to be home. My Pivot reading went well: Sandra Ridley and Rebecca Rosenblum both gave fantastic readings, and I finally got to meet my new best friend whom I met on Twitter recently, fabulous fiction writer and avid blogger Amanda Leduc who shares my book-birthday-season: her novel will be coming out with ECW in Spring 2013! I also had my first official interview the other day and it’s already up on ShalomLife.com. I think I managed…
I Got Myself a Book Deal!
Holy shit! I got myself a book deal! My book of short stories, The Best Place on Earth, will be coming out with HarperCollins in 2013. I have a contract signed, an editor assigned, and a cheque with my name on it. It’s for real. People ask me how it felt, getting that email inviting me to the HarperCollins offices for a ‘chat.’ Did I scream? they ask. I totally screamed. I also cried a little bit. I played Matisyahu in my office really loudly and did a silly dance. I called my mom, my mentor in Toronto (Camilla Gibb), my mentor…