Hello there, my literary lovelies. Sign up here so you don’t miss anything. Smash the heart below ❤️ to tell me you love me . Find me at jodishdoff@substack.com.
I take two minutes out of my day to tell you everything about a book—based solely on the cover art, cover lines, and title. Why? Because I can resist anything1 but a good-looking book cover.
Short Attention Span Reader presents
Place Envy by Michael Lowenthal
“The narratives we tell ourselves about ourselves,
and the tension between those narratives and the real narrative….”
Trigger Warning: Apparently what I say and how I say it are out of sync with the world. No surprise to any of you, but it does show up in video where my image is trapped and I cannot baffle you with fancy prestidigitation and a little soft shoe.
What’s a little mental illness between friends, yes? Just put a Post-it over my face. However, my guest, the stalwart and adorable Michael Lowenthal remains in step: mouth, mind, and verbage. So, ignore me. Watch him. And enjoy.
TL;DR: Place Envy: Essays in Search of Orientation explores his lifelong quest for belonging and orientation as a queer, agnostic Jewish man. Honestly, I cannot wait to read this collection and uncover even more things I didn’t know about Micheal.
Growing up detached from a fixed past with silent, Holocaust-refugee grandparents, and searching family lost at Bergen-Belsen.
lacking a traditional generational lineage and how LGBTQ+ people navigate unfamiliar or unwelcoming spaces.
he lived closely with a traditional Pennsylvania Amish family.
sailed on a Mexican Riviera cruise meant for blind gay men (Michael is gay, but not blind) and pursued a complex love affair in Brazil.
played jazz music with Sun Ra
Explore on the Michael Lowenthal Official Website.
Editor on Board with Jennifer Silva Redmond- “I can safely state that I haven’t ever read a memoir written so honestly…I finished reading it less than two days.”
The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle “Writing Place Envy forced Lowenthal to reflect on his years of traveling and ask himself what he was searching for.”
Moment Magazine: “Lowenthal’s candor makes Place Envy a wonderful and often surprising book, one willing to play in the mud if it means getting closer to truth.”
Hadassah Magazine: "The illuminating memoir-in-essays demonstrates that a fact needn’t be confirmed—in Lowenthal’s case, seeking ancestors who, like himself, were gay—to reveal a deeper truth.”
Thanks for being here with me. Subscribe. C’mon, you know you wanna. There’s a 50% discount on annual subscriptions right now.
If you had fun, consider restacking and sharing it with your people.
If subscriptions and commitment aren’t your bag, you can buy me a one time cuppa to keep me going.
Totally untrue. I can’t resist anything at all. At one time or another I have been unable to control myself around just about everything: booze, drugs, men, spending, food, the list grows and boggles the mind.
Short Attention Span Reader
I see book covers.
September 15 - Aimee Noel & Slag
October 13 - Jill Swenson & The Land of Everlasting Sky
November 17 - Irena Smith & Troika
December 15 - <Mary L. Tabor> & Honeymoon at Sea
If you’re interested in being part of this mild case of less than literary insanity, and have a book currently out or about to launch, let me know. Contact form here.
COMING SOON: September 12 at 2pm
Where Will They Live???
Conversations with Caregivers
Caregiver was never, ever what we wanted to be when we grew up.
Caregiving tends to fall to women—for aging parents, special needs kids, incarcerated family members, spouses and friends. Through illness, life, end of life, and next chapters. Let’s get real about it my babies. Love & resentment can exist at the same time.
The second Saturday of each month, at 2:00 pm Eastern Time, 1pm Central, 11am Pacific, sharing our stories, along with tips, hope, silliness, and struggles.
September 12 - Housing options. My house, your house, assisted living, or memory care? with Tina Madras of Dad Lives with Me and Pam Johnston of the Middler.
Upcoming Topics
Caregiving a loved on with dementia
Caregiver daughters and narcissistic mothers
Life after caregiving, when you’ve lost your central focus
End of life decisions and choices
Caring for the caregiver, but really, how does that actually work?
If you’re a current or former caregiver, if your life has been touched by dementia, illness, addiction, death, or incarceration, and you’d like to be part of this project, get in touch with me here.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.