I don't think we're in danger of the world ending. On the other hand, the world as we know it is most definitely in critical condition. Yoni Hammer-Kossoy is a poet, translator, and educator. Winner of the 2020 Andrea Moriah Prize in Poetry, his writing appears in numerous international journals and anthologies. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, ...

August Jewish Book Carnival

I'm pleased to host the August Jewish Book Carnival, a monthly event where bloggers who blog about Jewish books can meet, read and comment on each others' posts. You can read more about the Jewish Book Carnival here. This month's Carnival spans kids books, podcasts, memoir and more, so there's something for everyone for those of you ...

"Remember that the emotional depth of live readings cannot be duplicated on a screen" By Gila Green In a world dominated by virtual meetings and online interactions, the allure of live performances may seem like a relic of the past. However, the magic of sharing stories in person should not be shelved in the age of Zoom. Live author performances ha...

Compared to comprehensive developmental editing or line editing, manuscript evaluations are often more affordable.  If a writer is unsure about the overall viability of their manuscript, a manuscript evaluation can save time. The scenario is common. A writer gets stuck at a certain stage of the manuscript. It could be after 5,000 words or...

Through constructive feedback, encouragement, and guidance, a writing coach helps writers recognize their strengths, embrace their unique voice, and develop confidence in their abilities. A writing coach helpswriters create a schedule, set aside dedicated writing time, and provide strategies to maintain consistency and productivity. A writing ...

Dear Women 50+, It doesn't take more than a few clicks to find publications aimed at women over 50 years of age. My first try brings me to "15 Over 50 Magazines & Publications." The next article is from the Guardian informing me about the "rise of older female writers" and proclaiming that "things are definitely looking up," presumably for thos...

A Yemenite Jewish Grandmother's Delicious Remedy For What Ails You Known as "nature's antibiotic," matit makes the best breakfast. Thank you to The Nosher for posting my story and recipe. In a beautiful coincidence, my daughter-in-law's Savta (grandmother) Shoshana was born in Yemen's capital, Sana'a, where my paternal great-grandparents were also ...

Why should she care if people she hasn't seen for years are dead or alive? I already wrote about my new novel With A Good Eye, forthcoming in Montreal in August 2024. That was a two-book contract and I submitted the second manuscript a couple of months ago.  They took it!  About the Book In The Inheritance, Layne Fortunefield's escap...

Grandmothers Who Leftby Gila GreenThe Yemenites were very religious, like all those who left.In the synagogue we sat on straw mats.Grandmothers brought spices for havdalah and for Yom Kippur afternoons, like all those who left.Grandmothers sold aromatic hilbe and schug and saluf; that gave you an appetite.Grandmothers said: "My menucha, rest, will ...

It is very hard to find the right thing to say when someone is going through a difficult time. The best thing I've ever said was nothing at all. Diana Rachel Bletter is the author of the National Jewish Book Award Finalist, The Invisible Thread: A Portrait of Jewish American Women (Jewish Publication Society), A Remarkable Kindness (Harpe...

I am so honored to be included in this new Chanukah collection of stories forthcoming this December 2023. My short story "Roller Coaster: is featured among so many gifted writers. Thank you New Vessel Press for including me.  This rich medley of stories, poems, and other writings features evocations of Chanukah by classic and contemporary...

Maybe you suffer from writer's block or maybe you feel your writing is flat. Perhaps, you're caught in a loop in which all of your work is starting to sound the same or just boring yourself to sleep.  Calls for writing are all over the internet. Use them. Anyone who writes over the long-term has periods of flat, dull and uninspi...

 Turns out my birthright wasn't entirely lost to me, it just took me longer than most to realize it.  A cherished family recipes for the most comforting hot cereal with butter and honey. I'm thrilled to have my recipe for Yemenite Harish published in The Nosher.  It's not new to combine food and recipe writing with story (f...

I wholly disagree that memoir is trashy, primitive or low-rent. It's tough. It's human. It's revelatory. When done well, it's the full-body shivers or deep-buried sigh or unbidden tears. I love interviewing authors and I particularly like hearing from my colleagues here in Israel writing in English as we share so many commonalities. I'm happy ...

 Jennifer Rosner is the author of the novels Once We Were Home and The Yellow Bird Sings, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award; the memoir If A Tree Falls: A Family's Quest to Hear and Be Heard, about raising her deaf daughters in a hearing, speaking world; and a children's book, The Mitten String, which is a Sydney Taylor Book Award ...

Keep the words you want in for authenticity and describe the scene for accessibility.  Ever found yourself deleting or avoiding Jewish words and expressions in your writing (whatever Jewish means to you, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino)? Often writers tell me they are worried about alienating their general audience or sounding 'too Jewish' so they avo...

Bio Tara Ison is the author of the novels The List (Scribner), A Child out of Alcatraz (Faber & Faber; a Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Rockaway (Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press; featured as one of the "Best Books of Summer" in O, The Oprah Magazine). Her essay collection, Reeling Through Life: How I Learned to Live, Love, and...

My short story "Messianic Games" was accepted to  Arts & Letters (Georgia College & State University). Thanks so much to Editor Laura Newbern and Fiction Editor Chika Unigwe for accepting my story. "Messianic Games" involves several of my favorite characters: A Cat Lady and a Kabbalist as well as Miri, a character I wrot...

I have been reading a lot lately on writing forums about the costs of paying developmental editors. Most of these posts end in something like: Is there any other way? I just can't afford it.  As an author myself, who has paid thousands of dollars for professional editing over the years (and learned a ton!), I have some advice for tho...

I am excited and honored to have Meryl Ain back on gilagreenwrites. This time, she's here to talk about what it's like to launch her second novel, a topic I know many writers and readers want to learn more about.  Missed my interview with Meryl Ain about her first novel? "One of the unexpected blessings of the pandemic has been finding a robus...

There are just so many problems that can be resolved in one novel.  This article is advice for both editors and authors. It applies to fiction and memoir. If you think your manuscript suffers from "dancing at two weddings," I'd be happy to take a look.  Many writers out there struggle with their manuscripts because they are trying to writ...

Chana Shenderovich is a poet originally from Ukraine. Today she lives  in Israel and works as an ESL college lecturer, healer and trauma therapist. Her poem "Tel Aviv and Jerusalem" made me think of the daylight between the two cities. Both sets of my father's grandparents came to Ottoman Palestine in the early 1880s. His paternal grandparents...

"With A Good Eye" heroine, Luna Levi does not hide her love of donuts. When she feels she's at rock bottom, she heads to the bakery for a fresh sugary treat (and maybe even meets the love of her life there). Still,  when Hanukah rolls around in the novel, it's Moroccan sfinge she most craves. Full disclosure: the photo is one I took in Ti...

I'm delighted to announce that I received a publication date for "With A Good Eye" and guess what? It happens to be my birthday, so here's to August 18, 2024.  There are several foodies in "With A Good Eye": heroine Luna Levi loves donuts and anything homemade by anyone, Stephanie Baker (Luna's brother's girlfriend) uses he...

There is still space in my morning memoir workshop.  Join me at Lounge Writers for two hours of memoir writing.   3/28 Class - How to Start a Memoir with Gila Green - $40/$32 For Members$40.00 Only 10 available Date: 3/28 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 PDT Cost: $40/$32 for members Class Level: Emerging - Intermediate Link and materials ...

I am thrilled to announce I've signed my fifth novel with AOS Publishing in Montreal. With A Good Eye is planned for summer 2024 publication.  Luna Levi is an ordinary 19 year old with extraordinary problems. Her mother's acting career is more important to her than the stage of real life. Her father struggles with PTSD as a...

In the way nothing happens for a reason, you can learn, grow and exploit what does happen.  TWO NOVELS OF ISRAEL AND SYRIA by Howard Kaplan   When I was a fledgling writer, I watched a Ken Follett television interview about his novel of the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Though the locales were remarkably detailed, he explained that he h...

 3/28 Class - How to Start a Memoir with Gila Green - $40/$32 For Members$40.00 Only 10 available Date: 3/28 Time: 9:00 am - 11:00 PDT Cost: $40/$32 for members Class Level: Emerging - Intermediate Link and materials will be emailed at least 30 minutes before class. To register Memoir is as popular as ever. An increasing number of people have ...

There's something universal about the desire for change in general, and the urge to become the person you would like to be, not simply the person you were born as. I was delighted when Angela Himself contacted me and would like to extend a warm welcome to her today on gilagreenwrites. She speaks so to the point about the struggles many writers have...

Finding Your Freedom: Getting Past the Resistance That's Holding You Back "I was afraid. I was letting the resistance get to me. And by doing so, I was holding back on sharing my gifts with the world." "Wow, another one?" It's often said in one third admiration, one third disbelief, and one third - "Maybe slow down a bit." No, they're not talking a...