Book Expo: Jewish Authors Etc.

SHOW NOTES:

More interviews from Book Expo America 2009, this time with authors who've written Jewish books for adults. Plus, we find the Jewish angle on the National Book Award and the Books on the Nightstand blog and podcast.

Yiddish Yoga by Lisa Grunberger

Harold Augenbraum of the National Book Foundation

What Happened to Anna K? by Irina Reyn

Ostrich Feathers by Miriam Romm

From Shmear to Eternity by Fred Kogos

Michael Kindness of Books on the Nightstand

AUDIO:

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CREDITS:

Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries
Theme music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
Facebook fan page: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
Twitter: @bookoflifepod

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com!

Book Expo: Jewish Titles for Adults

SHOW NOTES:

In these interviews from the show floor at Book Expo America 2009, we ask publishers to tell us about their new Jewish interest books for adults.

• Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection by Shana Liebman from Grand Central Publishing
  
• Sipping from the Nile: My Exodus from Egypt by Jean Naggar from Stony Creek Press
  
• The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb from W.W. Norton
• All Other Nights: A Novel by Dara Horn from W.W. Norton
• The Jerusalem File by Joel Stone from Europa Editions
• One Step Ahead of Hitler: A Jewish Child's Journey Through France by Fred Gross from Mercer University Press
• Elie Wiesel: A Religious Biography by Frederick Downing from Mercer University Press
• Struggling with God: An Introduction to the Pentateuch (Mercer Student Guide) by Mark McEntire from Mercer University Press
• The Hebrew Tutor of Bel Air by Allan Appel from Coffee House Press
• German for Travelers: A Novel in 95 Lessons by Norah Labiner from Coffee House Press
• Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son by Michael Chabon from HarperCollins
• Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife by Francine Prose from HarperCollins
• Fromms: How Julius Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis by Gotz Aly and Michael Sontheimer from Other Press
• Crossing the Hudson by Peter Stephan Jungk from Other Press

AUDIO:

Click the play button on our traditional flash player to listen to the podcast now:

Or click MP3 File to start your computer's media player

NEW!
If you'd like to place this audio on your own web site, please use this stand-alone player from Entertonement. Click the embed button and copy the code!


CREDITS:

Produced by: Feldman Children's Library at Congregation B'nai Israel
Supported in part by: Association of Jewish Libraries
Theme music: The Freilachmakers Klezmer String Band
Facebook fan page: facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast
Twitter: @bookoflifepod

Your feedback is appreciated! Please write to bookoflifepodcast@gmail.com!

Pictures from Planet Esme

During the Association of Jewish Libraries convention in Chicago, IL, I had the chance to visit the Planet Esme Bookroom, otherwise known as "the Gingerbread Apartment" because of its whimsical architecture. The Bookroom is a real treat for kidlit fans, stuffed to the gills with books, toys, and reading-related decorations. Every detail has been lovingly thought out to make visitors smile, from the wolf and sheep puppets lying peacefully together atop the photocopier, to the cuckoo clock that sings out the time.

The Bookroom is the brainchild of Esme Raji Codell, author of Sydney Taylor Honor Book Vive la Paris, AJL Notable Book Hanukkah Shmanukkah, and the inspiring book for teachers, Educating Esme, among many others. It functions as a private salon where she hosts events that celebrate literature, like the wonderful pizza party she threw for lovers of Judaica during the AJL Convention.

To see an album of photos from the Planet Esme Pizza Party, visit The Book of Life's Facebook fan page at facebook.com/bookoflifepodcast. (You can view it even if you're not a Facebook member... but if you are a member, please do become a fan while you're there!)

I recorded several interviews during the party, so watch The Book of Life for upcoming conversations with Esme herself, along with Rich Michelson, Mark Blevis, Lisa Silverman, April Halprin Wayland, and Jenny Meyerhoff.

BONUS STUFF:

Listen to an audio tour of the Bookroom recorded at the 2007 Kidlit Bloggers conference by podcaster Mark Blevis of Just One More Book.

See more pictures and learn more about the Bookroom from the ALA librarians who followed in AJL's footsteps, visiting the Bookroom for a brunch later the same week. Fuse #8 blogged about ALA 2009, A Visit to Planet Esme's Bookroom.