75 Years of Controversy: The Israel Question for the Children of Holocaust Survivors

My father was a Holocaust survivor, but his relationship to Israel was complicated. And so is mine. The image above is of an affidavit my father had to sign attesting to thefact that he had no nationality. He was a man with no passport, because theNazi state had stripped him of his nationality for the … Continue reading 75 Years of Controversy: The Israel Question for the Children of Holocaust Survivors

My Father Never Told

(Please order my forthcoming memoir, The Silk Factory: Finding Threads of My Family's True Holocaust Story.) When you tell on someone, it’s usually a bad thing. But there was something great that my father never talked about. But why? My father, a German Jew – probably more German than Jewish in his everyday life, but … Continue reading My Father Never Told

Digressing with Myself, Imposter’s Syndrome, and God

Thanks to Vipal Monga for sharing this song with me. There are days when you just need to know that things can be sweet and dandy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKYZbDjBEA Today was one of those days when I wonder what the hell I'm doing here anyway, a place way more hopeless than imposter's syndrome. And while I'm at … Continue reading Digressing with Myself, Imposter’s Syndrome, and God

Digressing with Michael Seidlinger

I had a great conversation last month with Michael Seidlinger, a prolific author, professor and onetime indie lit publisher. During our podcast, Seidlinger shared his strategy for writing fiction and keeping his head above the poverty water line. We also discussed the current state of the book publishing industry, and how the independent presses are … Continue reading Digressing with Michael Seidlinger