Jewish Life in Harbin, China: A Conversation with Jean Hoffmann Lewanda by Susan Blumberg-Kason Interviews [email protected] Tue, 01/07/2025 - 07:08 Shalama and Paul, Shanghai, 1950. Photo courtesy of Jean Hoffmann LewandaI met the author Jean Hoffmann Lewanda for lunch this past November in New Jersey, not too far from her home in suburban Philadelphia. Jean is the author of a new book, Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China (Earnshaw, 2024), the story of her mother’s childhood in Harbin, China, and young adult years in Shanghai. Jean’s first book, Witness to History: From Vienna to Shanghai: A Memoir of Escape, Survival and Resilience, is an edited edition of her father’s memoir tracing his escape from Nazi-controlled Vienna to the safe shores of Shanghai in the late 1930s. Jean and I originally met online thanks to mutual friends who are historians and the authority on everything Old Shanghai. When we met in person in November, we spoke for hours about publishing Jewish Chinese stories. We expanded this conversation over email. Susan Blumberg-Kason: Thank you, Jean, for continuing our lovely conversation back in November. I don’t remember coming across other authors who have personal connections to both the old Shanghai and Harbin Jewish communities, each of which numbered in the thousands. Your mother was the daughter of Russian Jewish refugees, and your father was an Austrian Jewish refugee. Was it unusual for people in these... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2025-01-07 13:08:24 UTC ]
On Tuesday, Donald Rumsfeld—who, as defense secretary under George W. Bush, was a driving force behind the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—died. Major outlets wheeled out pre-written obituaries. The AP’s, by Robert Burns, bordered on hagiography. Its headline initially declared Rumsfeld “a cunning... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2021-07-02 12:32:38 UTC ]
More news stories like this
A K Blakemore has won the £10,000 Desmond Elliott Prize for her "stunning" historical fiction novel The Manningtree Witches (Granta Books). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-07-01 17:06:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this
When Trump’s former national security adviser was told his proposed title had a sexual connotation, he reportedly told publishers their minds were "in the gutter." Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2021-06-30 08:23:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Learn about queer topics and history from a graphic history, a collection of letters, a memoir and more LGBTQ nonfiction books for Pride. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-06-29 10:38:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Immerse yourself in history from highwaymen to Hollywood starlets with 25 of the best queer historical fiction books to get lost in. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-06-25 10:33:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Coronet has waltzed off with I Don’t Take Requests by DJ Fat Tony in a “significant” pre-empt. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-25 01:16:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this
I first came to poet Rajiv Mohabir’s work through his cutting meditation on why he will never celebrate Indian Arrival Day, which Guyana celebrates on May 5th to commemorate the arrival of indentured Indian workers in the Caribbean. In the essay for the Asian American Writers Workshop’s The... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2021-06-22 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Will Smith has revealed the cover of his memoir Will, published by Century this November, at a community block party in Miami. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-21 12:22:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this
“Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir” finds the Nigerian-Tamil author considering their identity. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-06-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Will Smith will publish "Will," a memoir co-written by Mark Manson, in November through Penguin Press. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-21 00:57:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Award-winning screenwriter Abi Morgan’s memoir, which follows family life after her partner's sudden illness, has gone to John Murray for “a strong six-figures". Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-20 19:48:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Teresa Lim’s multi-generational memoir about a long-buried family tragedy set against the Second World War in Singapore has gone to Penguin Michael Joseph. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-19 12:40:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In our series “Can Writing Be Taught?” we partner with Catapult to ask their course instructors all our burning questions about the process of teaching writing. This month we’re featuring Cinelle Barnes, author of Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir and Malaya: Essays on Freedom. Barnes is a regular... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2021-06-17 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Department of Justice has dropped its legal claims against former President Trump's one-time national security adviser over his bestselling memoir 'The Room Where It Happened.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Annette Gordon-Reed’s “On Juneteenth” combines history, analysis, and memoir to explore the significance of the holiday and its Texas roots. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-06-16 22:19:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Former Eight Tray Gangster Crip member's memoir brought attention to the sobering truth of gang life in South L.A. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-06-15 23:57:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Gavin Larsen’s ballet memoir “Being a Ballerina” opens up the dance world to show the determination, camaraderie, and physical strength at its core. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-06-15 15:51:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Historical fiction was once considered a fusty backwater. Now the genre is having a renaissance, attracting first-rank novelists and racking up major prizes. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-06-13 09:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this
HarperCollins has signed a "funny, irreverent, and eye-opening" memoir by pop band The Jonas Brothers, which will publish on 11th November 2021. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-09 11:06:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In an interview, Michelle Zauner describes how writing the memoir “Crying in H Mart” helped her cope with losing her mother. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2021-06-08 19:50:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this