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!