A-Wa Girls

Did you know there is a group of Israeli sisters who sing in Yemenite-Arabic. They are called the A-Wa girls, and VOGUE traveled to Tel-Aviv-Jaffa to check out the three sisters. VOGUE's writer asked a very special question: Who are these three women in high -top sneakers and djellabas, and where have they been all our lives?

Sweet!

60 Minutes

I have always loved 60 Minutes. It has been my favorite forever. Even when my children were little, they were told they could not interrupt me when I watched 60 Minutes. And Dan Rather? I thought his presentations were spectacular!!!! He recently wrote an editorial, a much longer one than what I am presetting, but I had to share this with my blogging public: "There are stakes for the direction of our country. Are we going to condone division, turn a blind eye to misinformation, accept intolerance, or are we going to reach out and try to knot together the various strands of our national tapestry, patching what is threadbare and re-stitching what is torn?  I choose to bet on hope!" Thank you, Dan Rather, since I, too, choose to bet on hope!

Why the Y

Last night I had a reading of my young adult novel-in-verse, RONIT AND JAMIL. Half of the audience were members of my local Y, which is also my local gym. These are people I swim with, spend time with in the locker room, zumba with and join with yoga, pilates, and spin classes. We are all active, and make it our mission to stay as healthy as possible (so important, since we are all middle-aged). I realized, at that moment, how much I love my local Y. It is filled with a vast array of men and women who are smart, physically active and generous of spirit, committed to keeping their bodies and minds active. Some of them are retired, but not all; some of them have grown children, but not all; all of them are interesting to talk to, and they are also so diverse. I love the diversity of the Y, that there are so many races and religions. Our very own mayor works out at the Y, and so do some actors and actresses, besides ordinary people like myself. The best part about these ordinary people? They are really quite extraordinary.

First Reading of RONIT AND JAMIL

Had my first public reading of RONIT AND JAMIL at the Park Slope library, part of artslope. I was worried because of the time, that no one would show up, but I had a nice size--a multi-ethnic eclectic group of adult readers. I read excerpts from three of the five sections, all to a wildly enthusiastic response. Everyone is excited to purchase the book and read it in its entirety. Though this is a YA book, my audience was all adults, all of whom were thoroughly engaged, so I am feeling positive, like this just might be one of those crossover books. The Q & A afterwards demonstrated a nuanced understanding of some of the issues in the Middle East, and also a clear understanding of what it meant to write this book, since I am Jewish, and want to project the crisis fairly. Everyone agreed I did a great job, and this was very satisfying. I hope this is the beginning of a long and fruitful life for the book.

Two States for Two People

In last Thursday's NYT the S. Abraham Center for Middle East Peace took out a full page ad: It's Time for Separation: Two States for Two People. This is essential. In the spirit of my book, RONIT AND JAMIL, it says that 97% of Israeli Jews want to live in a Jewish state, which will not be possible unless Israel is divided. Peace now. It is imperative!

Be-A-Girl

Sunday September 18th NYT, Week in Review, has an article about their son, age six, who wanted to be a girl. For these parents, there was no debate; they allowed their son to go to school in a skirt because he was so adamant and because it was more than dress; it was the story of his/her identity. Now, two years later, they have a "daughter" and the family is at peace with this. This is the story of my current picture book, which is now making its way to publishing houses. Be-A-Girl, Ben, knows he is a BEA, a girl. And unlike the family in the article, BEA's Dad has a hard time with this, which is often the case. What freedom for children, whose parents come to see immediately what their child wants and needs. Interestingly, the magazine section of today's NYT is focused on Zackary Drucker and Rhys Ernest, two stars from the popular show "Transparent." These two actors transitioned into the opposite sex while they were going out, which is no longer the case. I would like to imagine that the world (and parents) are now more open to the infinite possibilities of gender and lifestyle, so that freedom in this area will reign supreme. And this is a compelling argument for BEA to get published-yesterday!!!!

The Borough of Brooklyn

When I was first told by my husband that we could not afford Manhattan and had to move to Brooklyn thirty years ago, I was bereft. What I loved about the city was the easy access to everything, and I thought I would be missing that. I had heard the public schools were good and we would be getting more space in Park Slope. Thirty years later, I love my borough; it is the best! I have easy access to the city, but I also have parks and trees; few high-rises; small stores, not big ones; many restaurants and lots of culture. Author and reporter Pete Hamill, who was born in Brooklyn, is returning, at age eighty plus, to his beloved borough where he was born, and joining the ranks of so many authors and artists, renting out his loft in Tribeca so he can "see the sky and sun and I have so many dreams about Brooklyn."

And guess where he will be on September 18th? Reading at the Brooklyn Book Festival, with numerous other Brooklyn-bred authors. What a treat!

M TRAIN by Patti Smith

Read Patti Smith's M TRAIN a while ago. Was in love with her first book, JUST KIDS, but M TRAIN was more intellectual and esoteric. What flaws me was that she was a HUGE part of the underground art's movement, and was Robert Mapplethorpe's sometimes lover and best friend, and yet in between the cerebral lines what emerges is a lovely woman, a loving mother, someone who was a wonderful wife to her musician husband, and is living with the loss  that goes with death, a fun and funky woman in love with life and art and language. M Train is a must read for anyone who wants a glimpse into that world.

Last night, Thursday the 15th, I went with my husband and our friends to go to Garfield Temple to hear Patti Smith read from M Train. I knew I would love it, but what I did not anticipate was that my husband would love her so much. He loved her folksy, down to earth appeal, her music, and what he really loved, was she writes about her all-time-favorite show, "The Killing" extensively, and he is such a great fan of that show. It was a pleasure to watch someone discover the joy of Patti Smith's view of the world, which is so expansive, so authentic. She has such a sense of irony and fun; her warmth was exuded through her reading. And what a joy it is to HEAR a book I know so well, and hearing the author's personality emerge via the reading.

And the best part of the evening? When we walked home, my husband said he was greatly impressed by how much I know about art and culture. It was nice to get a compliment like that from him; it has so much more meaning when someone is not in the habit of saying things just to say them. When Ira says something, he means it, and I appreciate that he appreciates my sensibilities.

Hazel Ingram

Hazel Ingram was born in 1923, into slavery. She has been cleaning houses for decades, and continues to do so at age 93. She has also been cleaning office buildings, among them, some of Trump's buildings. She feels that working keeps her like a sixteen years old. And this year she is fortunate to cast her ballot as one of 538 members. Who is she voting for? Not the man whose office buildings she has cleaned. And she is so proud of her life and her new role in the political arena. Way to go, Hazel!

Ronit and Jamil Readings

Ronit and Jamil is generating great energy lately. I will be doing a Q & A this Friday the 23rd at the library in Park Slope, Brooklyn, at, at 4:40. A reading from the book, too. In May, I will be the presidential scholar at City College, where I will answer questions about the book. Finally, and most exciting, on February 28, there will be a staged reading of the book at City College's Aaron Davis Hall. Look out for details.

Special Gifts

Yesterday in class, a student gave me a gift: an eraser. He said there often were no erasers in the classroom, and observed how I went to get paper toweling to erase the board. Yes, this is indeed the City College dilemma; no money for necessities like erasers. I have to say, this eraser meant the world to me. My students do not have a lot of time or money; most of them work and pay their own way at school. This eraser is the equivalent of a gold bracelet. Plus, it is a necessity for me. It is not about money. It is always about quality, not quantity or cost. And the quality of this gift ranks it high in the list of gifts I have received; it is small and so special!!!!

9/11

One week ago, September 11th, 2016, was the anniversary of 9/11. As I strolled up the Eastside of Manhattan, scanning the beautiful, cloudless sky, I recalled how September 11th, 15 years prior, was also a day of beautiful weather, yet a terror that changed the face of our definition of safety forever. At 8:45, 15 years prior, a plane struck the north tower. Those attacks destroyed the lives of so many people, including the family members who lost sons, daughters, and parents in the destruction of our beloved towers. But another message emerged from the ashes and the aftermath: that the United States is strong, a wonderful tapestry of many foreign enclaves, a nation of immigrants and many strong and powerful voices. Our voices will never betray us, and we will always stand tall and proud. What happened was terrible and destructive, but the spirit of our nation will never, ever be buried. Has the landscape of fear changed? Absolutely! But you cannot keep a generation down. My prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy!

Landfill Harmonic

On Saturday evening I went to see the film, Landfill Harmonic, at the Cinema Village. I had first heard of this very unusual orchestra of children on a 60 Minute episode two years ago. The episode had me in tears, but some of what I felt was the amazing perseverance and resilience of this group of young people. Favio Chavez first visited Asuncion several years ago, an environmental scientist who hoped to correct the hazards of living on top of a landfill. Literally, this area is built on a garbage site, and everything is polluted, including the water. The area is impoverished and even dangerous because of the abundance of garbage. When Chavez realized he could not correct the environment, he had another brainstorm-to recruit a carpenter from the area who could create instruments from the garbage. Using pipes,  discarded cartons, broken wood, forks, spoons, and string, he created instruments: a cello, violins, flutes, a drum (whose top skin was a discarded x-ray)-all refuse, and every instrument imaginable. Chavez opened up free lessons to the children of the community, and then started a small orchestra. Since this time, the children-whose parents have never traveled beyond their small space in the universe, have traveled all over the world, and this music has changed their lives in so many ways. There is nothing more moving than seeing the children perform for their families, and watching the laughter and tears from PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, SIBLINGS. The wife of the carpenter says how rich she is because they have farm animals outside their small plot of land. That garbage makes music and makes children so happy and so fulfilled. It really questions how much our Western world has children who have so much, and yet continue to want more. These children, playing their music, have the gift of God's Grace, and this movie and the music are truly an inspiration!

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

STATE OF WONDER by Ann Patchett is an amazing book from 2011, one which I just read. The literary generosity in this book goes beyond anything I have read in recent years. Patchett's language is visual, erotic, sensual and rich with detail. Her characters are startlingly complex, and the journey into the richness and terror of the Amazon is mesmerizing. The book is dense with mythology and meaning, exploring the literary landscape from a scientific and on a personal level, exploring themes such as loss, love, moral imperative and longing. It also questions the morality of scientific inquiry and the definition of parenting. What a tour de force-a must read!



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Teachers Rock!

 I have been back in my teaching regiment for three weeks already.Today I felt one of those wonderful teaching moments where I thought, this has been my destiny. Of course, I am always a writer; I have been writing for four decades now, but if I had ever planned on making a living from writing, I would have had to move out of NYC,  and probably out of the universe. Fortunate for me, I have a partner, since teaching is an undervalued and underpaying profession. 

However, I always feel I have made a difference in people's lives and I would have to say, at the end of the day, I really like my students. I love teaching about writing and the arts, and my students respond accordingly. They often make me smile, sometimes make me laugh out loud, and often surprise me by how much they know-even about literature, art, culture, the world. I could say I am a professor when people ask me what I do, since I work at a university, yet I NEVER say that; I always say I am a teacher. I educate. I enlighten. I do not sit in an ivory tower, and never have. My comfort level is always on the ground, in dialogue and not monologue. This has been a good life, my life as a teacher, and if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would make the same decision. At the end of the day, how many people in my age group can say this?

#YesAllGirls

Malala Yousafzai, the amazing girl who won the Nobel Peace Prize at 15, is now running a campaign to make sure all girls have the right to an education. Millions of refugees around the world are not receiving a proper education. As Malala says, "Each year of school they miss, their hopes for a brighter future fade. But right now we can send a message of hope to these girls — and urge our leaders to honour their word."

Malala is asking all of us to share photos of ourselves with the hashtag #YesAllGirls to show our support for these refugee girls around the world who so desperately need an education to better their lives. These photos will be displayed across New York City in two weeks when prime ministers and presidents from around the world meet. Let's show our support!

LIFE ANIMATED and Quasimodo

From LIFE ANIMATED: It is the sidekicks in the film who help Owen navigate the shades of gray, between moral precepts-beauty lies within; be true to yourself; love conquers all. It is how he has learned to navigate an often messy life. 

At the end of the book, Owen begins to talk about Quasimodo, the character. He tells his Dad that Quasimodo lives with the gargoyles only when he is alone with them. He goes on to say the reason is, the answers are inside everyone. "He needed to breathe life into them, so he could talk to himself. It's the only way he could find out who he was." When his Dad asks him if he knows anyone like that, Owen answers, "Me." then adds, "but it can get lonely talking to yourself. And you have to live in the world."

Owen has learned, via Disney and very loving parents and a brother, how to live in the world!

LIFE ANIMATED and The Little Mermaid

From LIFE ANIMATED: Owen is older teenager, who still defines his life through Disney, yet very much wants to do what other teens have done. For Owen, this means going to college, the way his older brother has done. His parents manage to find the right college for him, where he will meet others like him, and where he can go away. Before he goes, though, he insists his family watch the Little Mermaid with him. He pauses near the end:

Triton: She really does love him, doesn't she Sebastian?

Sebastian: Well, it's like I always say, your majesty, children got to be free to lead their own lives.

Triton: You always say that? Then I guess there's just one problem left.

Sebastian: And what is that, your majesty?

Triton: How much I am going to miss her.

And it is Owen, the autistic child, who asks his parents: Are we okay?

LIFE ANIMATED by Ron Suskind

Just read the most fabulous book of non-fiction by award winning author Ron Suskind. Years ago I had read his fabulous take on affirmative action, one boy's story, A HOPE IN THE UNSEEN, which is now required reading for a freshman entering Dartmouth College. That book was a real page-turner and tear-maker. This book's poignancy went beyond, since it is Suskind's personal saga about his young son, Owen, who lost language as a young toddler, and had to find his way back to language, his parents and the world through the world of Disney films. The book not only traces Owen Suskind's journey back to the world of the living, but also his parents and his brother's journey to discover what Owen is about, and to learn the language he speaks. How does a family handle an autistic child and learn to speak his particular language, particularly as young Owen attempts to define who he is--a sidekick, a hero--while watching, repeatedly, every Disney film that speaks for his own, particular emotional landscape? Reading this gave me enormous respect for Owen, but also his family who consistently went that extra mile to help Owen find his place in the world.

The next few days my blog posts will be from LIFE ANIMATED, since I plan on writing a picture book about Disney and autism, and also because the journey of this family has inspired me!  

Burkinis

The September 4th NYT reported that the ban on burkinis in more than 30 French beach towns has drowned out the voices of Muslim women. Anti-Muslim bias has intensified in various parts of Europe, but the reality is, many of these women are powerful politicians, social workers, leaders of government. One woman, a social worker, Nawal Afkir of Brussels, says, "I do my best to strive for a fair and free society. To me, wearing the veil does not mean being enslaved by a man. On the contrary, it means reappropriating the body and femininity."

 RONIT AND JAMIL is a story about freedom. So, too, is the story of women and their veils!

Arab Muslims in Israeli Police Force

The Sunday September 4th NYT reported that Israelis are pushing to recruit more Arab Muslims into its police force, many of whom are vastly underrepresented in its ranks and vastly over represented among criminal suspects and victims. Perhaps this can help allay some of the tension between Arabs and Israelis; it could also change the mentality of the police. Most exciting, in the spirit of RONIT AND JAMIL, is Aisha Dahleh, the first police officer in the region, a woman, who will be wearing her Muslim head-scarf. This is the premise behind my book-efforts toward reconciliation!

Mismatched Alexander by Isaac Andres
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just finished reading MISMATCHED ALEXANDER by Isaac Andres. Isaac's delightful picture book tells the story of a precious frog, Alexander, who is not green, but instead colorful, and none of his colors match. The book follows Alexander's plight, as he is made fun of and ostracized for being different, until a wise frog helps him find a comfort level within himself. Alexander is every child who has been teased for being different, but learns to find his or her way. The beauty of this book is in the superb rhyming diction, and the color-of the illustrations and the language. It is a sheer delight. Way to go, Isaac, for writing such a good book, certain to charm, entertain and also help children discover their way in the world!

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WHY NO BHINE, An Immigrant's Tale

WHY NO BHINE, an immigrant's tale, is still on the horizon, looking for a publisher to tell its story, which I hope will happen really soon. Its focus is on the Rohingya population, and it tells one young boy's story-the child left behind, while the rest of his family escapes to Thailand. This has been an ongoing struggle in this part of the world for the past several years. The Thursday September 2nd NYT has reported that "Myanmar's leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, opened a peace conference on Wednesday to bring together hundreds of the country's ethnic armed groups in hopes of ending decades of conflict." The article is titled: Myanmar talks feature symbolism and skepticism. Let us pray the symbolism is real, and peace can replace the conflict!

Magical Thinking

I believe in magical thinking. It is why, I suppose, I like fairy tales so much. I can make piece out of mincemeat, and I always try to. This attitude has gotten me through many hard and bleak days; it got me through my childhood. I just knew, as bad as things were, they would get better; they had to! They could not get any worse.

I always believed I would get published with a decent mainstream press. I felt my work was good enough. The reality, though, was this did not happen for a very long time. Accordingly, I had to make peace with what I had, and I did. In the deepest recesses of my heart, I knew-at some point-I would get what I wanted. I worked for it and I deserved it. I needed to imagine a world with happily ever after.

And that good ending did come. It did not happen immediately, but I plodded my way through the forest; I persevered, and I ultimately had my wishes fulfilled. The glass will always be half full, and I will see to it-if I can work magic with my wand-that those who I love will get their good dreams fulfilled, too-all with a twist of the wrist.