This book turns the dilemma of intermarriage on its head, and
argues for the growing demographic that is the 'half-jewish world'.
What do Marcel Proust, Dorothy Parker, J. D. Salinger and Frida
Kahlo have in common? Not much - except that each was wildly
creative, and each was born into an almost-Jewish family. The same
is true of each contributor to "Half/Life". By turns tragic and
funny, religious and heartbreaking, angry and surprisingly
familiar, "Half/Life" represents the altogether diverse memories
and reflections of a handful of half-Jews, among them Thisbe
Nissen, Tobias Wolff, Katharine Weber, Jeff Sharlet, Jennifer
Traig, Joyce Maynard and Rebecca Walker. Each of these writers was
born into the so-called "dilemma of intermarriage." And each,
sprung from that split identity, has spent a lifetime grappling
with how to define themselves, or not. What results from that
struggle is a complex exploration, and some truly brilliant prose.
"Half/Life" is an anthology of personal stories, written by authors
who've all shared the experience of being raised in a half-Jewish
home. Though each essay is distinct, and the experiences are vastly
different, the half-Jewish narrative in each describes the
experience of growing up without a streamlined identity, unsure of
community or religious direction. For 20 years, the Jewish
community has discussed the problem of "Jewish Continuity", by
which it means, "Jews marrying Jews." Two years ago, for the first
time, more Jews intermarried than inmarried, and the Jewish
community realised it could not stem the tide. Now, the Jewish
community is turning over on itself, scrambling for ways to include
and address the needs of an ever-growing half-Jewish population,
after 20 years of alienating language and exclusion. Conferences
are being called. Religious law is being re-examined. "Half/Life"
seeks to be the book that will show the Jewish world, and the world
at large, what it feels like on the inside of a Half/Life.
General
Imprint: |
Soft Skull Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
March 2006 |
First published: |
March 2006 |
Editors: |
Laurel Snyder
|
Dimensions: |
254 x 177 x 16mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
280 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-933368-24-5 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-933368-24-1 |
Barcode: |
9781933368245 |
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