R233. Difficult History: Jewish Fiction in the Alt-Right World

Grand Salon B, Marriott Waterside, Second Floor
Thursday, March 8, 2018
3:00 pm to 4:15 pm

What is Jewish fiction? Who can write it? Until recently, the answer looked much like Philip Roth: white, male, and Eastern European. But recent novels by women have subverted and reimagined Jewish narratives, challenging cultural norms and creating alternative histories with modern resonance. This panel explores what signifies fiction as Jewish, even in a secular story; the role of Jewish stories in unsettling political times; and the complexities of female authorship in patriarchal cultures.

Moderator:

Amy Brill is the author of The Movement of Stars and a 2015 NYFA fiction fellow. Her fiction and essays have been appeared in One Story, The Common, Guernica, and several anthologies, and she's been awarded residencies at Millay Colony, Jentel, the American Antiquarian Society, and elsewhere.

Emily Barton is author of the novels The Book of Esther, Brookland, and The Testament of Yves Gundron. She has been reviewing books for the NYTBR for twenty years, and she publishes essays widely. Having taught writing at many programs, she currently teaches in the NYU graduate creative writing program.

Simone Zelitch is associate professor of English at Community College of Philadelphia where she established their Creative Writing Certificate and coordinates the English degree. A 2010 recipient of an NEA grant in Fiction, she is the author of five novels, most recently, Judenstaat.

Irina Reyn is the author of the novels The Imperial Wife and What Happened to Anna K, as well as the anthology, Living on the Edge of the World: New Jersey Writers Take on the Garden State. She teaches creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

Joanna Hershon