My latest essay, “Stuck in the Middle” (and, yes, I’m quoting the Stealer’s Wheel song on purpose), appears in Tablet Magazine. To summarize: coming from a family of typical American Jewish Liberals, I moved into a community of Orthodox Republicans. And I refuse to blend in with either herd.
Anyone, I’m kinda hoping that I offend someone. I’m even hoping for a little hate mail. Is that normal?
Spring is here, and with it come holidays and long Shabbos afternoons. If you have a tween or a teen who likes to spend them reading, check out my two most recent books!
SLIDING DOORS and other stories
(11-16 year olds)
While home sick, a teen interrupts a burglary in progress…
A mysterious stranger offers a young man an extra hour, for one-time use…
Slipping into an alternate universe, a girl discovers a few surprises…
A teenager lacking social skills adjusts to his new yeshiva…
Sliding Doors and other Stories features 17 of my finest stories for tweens and teens and one essay in a single volume sure to please old fans and new ones.
(8-11 year olds)
Do you think of yourself as lucky? Mazal always did – that is, until her luck ran out.
Mazal Tehrani is an 11 year-old girl living in Los Angeles’s bustling Jewish community. Her first name means “luck,” and she’s always been just that: lucky. Mazal has great parents, adorable siblings, and her best friend, Bluma, really is the best! But when one thing goes wrong after another, she starts to wonder, is she lucky after all?
Both titles now available on AMAZON!
First, pardon me for the super-Jewy intro. I promise this post will get to writing by the end. Over Shabbos, I was reading this:
The book AHAVAS CHESED – The title means “Lovers of Lovingkindness.”
It’s one of the many books authored by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, known as the Chofetz Chaim (which is the title of his first and possibly most celebrated work).
Ahavas Chesed is about not only how to do acts of lovingkindness, but also how to LOVE to do them. The book has an interesting structure. Continue reading
I have emerged from the semi-hibernation of Sukkos (if you can call a holiday that involved cooking 10 fancy meals – many with with guests – hibernation) and am looking forward to a week chock full of work. I’ve got a personal essay to write for one of the sites I frequent, another to revise for a literary journal, and spent most of today editing. That’s on top of some work I want to do on one of my ongoing projects. And did I mention I still have to market the two books I recently self-published?
Earth on 1967-11-09, as seen from Apollo 4.
But I’d like to take a moment to look back on the story I published in Binah Magazine’s Vistas story supplement, “From the Furthest Reaches of the Heavens.”
SUMMARY
In case you haven’t read the story (and I’m assuming many of my blog readers haven’t), I’ll summarize it: Continue reading
Even if you aren’t usually a Binah reader, you might want to take a look-see at the special, expanded Sukkos 5776 issue. The “Vistas” story supplement features a story by yours truly. It’s my first adult fiction appearance with Binah, so I’m very excited.
“From the Furthest Reaches of Heaven” originated as part of a sci-fi novel I’ve been working on for many years. (It gets mentioned every now and again on this blog.) Eventually, I decided that this particular part of that story had more power in an abbreviated format. Shortening it to a 3500 word count was a challenge, but I’m already getting positive feedback on the story, so I’m pleased with the results.
Have you read “From the Furthest Reaches of Heaven” yet? If so, I’d love to hear what you think. Please share it in a comment.
BOTH MY NEW BOOKS ARE UP AND RUNNING ON AMAZON! WAHOO!
(Do I sound excited?)
Mazal’s Luck Runs Out is for ages 8-11.
My life is being taken over by marketing (What? Did you say there’s a Jewish holiday coming? More than one? You mean I have to cook, too? ARGH!). Also, I’m working on no budget here, but at least people can actually buy both Mazal’s Luck Runs Out and Sliding Doors and other stories online now.
With no further ado… Continue reading
Rebecca Klempner 