How Convenient!

Photograph by Sam Peltz

On a miserable day when the precipitation was labeled a “wintry mix,” there was a bright spot. I spoke with Margie Gelbwasser, the author of Inconvenient, which is a 2011 Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens. Her debut fictional novel takes place in a town based on some Northern New Jersey suburbs, so it was interesting to read about places with which I am familiar.

Inconvenient is the story of Alyssa Bondar, whose family emigrated from Russia when she was four. A somewhat typical high school girl, Alyssa runs cross-country, is interested in her fellow runner Keith, and has a best friend with social aspirations to be part of the “in crowd.” Alyssa faces some typical teenage challenges and some not so typical challenges (no spoilers, so please read the book). The Jewish content is definitely there, but Margie’s skill and Alyssa’s voice pick up universal themes of appreciating one’s heritage while trying to fit in to American society.

LILAL: Is this your first book?

MG: Yes, this is my first work of fiction. I’ve written a lot of non-fiction articles for magazines including Ladies Home Journal and Self, as well as a local monthly for parents – The Parent Paper.

LILAL: What was your inspiration?

MG: The book started as a master’s thesis that was 350 pages long and wasn’t quite working. I wanted to tell a story from the Russian/Jewish angle, how it makes you different, but also the comfort of the cultural connection with others. At first Alyssa was named "Gabby," and the character developed as I wrote. I used many elements of the culture, including the abundant alcohol and the expectation of parents that their children would achieve and be strong when faced with problems.

LILAL: Is there anything based on real life?

MG: I moved to New Jersey when I was eight, and I did live in Brooklyn before that. My father is an engineer, but my father is nothing like the father in the book. I went to meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon and talked with families in order to accurately portray an alcoholic and the effect of alcoholism on the entire family.

LILAL: Is Alyssa based on a specific person?

MG: No, her voice came to me and developed as I was writing the story. She started out more confused, but she developed into someone with an innocent quality that had an inner strength and could be a little sarcastic. Actually Keith, her male interest, is based on several boys I knew in high school.

LILAL: What are some of your favorite books?

MG: I loved The Book Thief, and I’ve enjoyed books by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. I’ve also read a lot from what I call “the two Normas:” Norma Klein and Norma Fox Mazur.

LILAL: Do you have a favorite Jewish holiday?

MG: I like Rosh Hashanah because my whole family gathers together, and I like to hear the blowing of the shofar. I also enjoy Hanukkah, especially now that my son is old enough to participate and get excited.

LILAL: Are you working on anything right now?

MG: I have another YA book coming out in March 2012 that does not have Jewish content. It’s entitled Pieces of Us, and it’s about four different teens and their relationships. I’m working on a middle grade novel that should appeal to boys.

I also participate in a panel with fellow authors Sara Darer Littman, Jenny Meyerhoff, Nora Raleigh Baskin, and Laura Toffler-Corrie, “Beyond Pogroms and Matzo: Jewish Books for Teens and Tweens in a Secular World.” We talk about the evolution of Jewish characters in contemporary kid lit and how Jewish identity impacts the characters. We’re looking at what a Jewish character is when the story does not revolve around the Holocaust or anti-Semitism.

LILAL: Thank you so much for your time.

So Much for Sandwiches

I took my kids to the pediatrician yesterday, and DS got bad news - he needs to lose weight and exercise. I'm trying to approach this as a "modern parent" and try to keep a balance between cutting out the junk food and not totally crushing his self-esteem or tying it to an unrealistic body image.



So while combing through my email inbox, I came across an article about "Six Kid-Friendly Sandwiches," which is on the http://www.parenting.com/ website. My kids are not big fans of sandwiches in the first place, but these would not even rate as distance acquaintances:



1. Extra-Special Grilled Cheese Toasts with Tomato. You would think they would like this because they love pizza, and it has the same basic ingredients. But this is reminiscent of the saying "like chalk and cheese:" two things that are superficially alike, but which are in fact totally different. The idea of an actual fresh tomato is not as appetizing as jarred tomato sauce that will probably last forever.




2. Cheesy Cinnamon Toast - another one that in theory should work because it would taste like a cheese danish, but again, cheese can only be on pizza, not mixed with anything else, and only accompanied by savory, not sweet spices.







3. Cheesy Quesadillas with Avocado. I, myself, am of the school that cheese tastes good on almost everything. In fact, it is the only way I can eat brussel sprouts. The only way my kids will eat avocado is in guacamole. I was thinking of spreading the guacamole on the tortillas, but they do not like green things with cheese.







4. Pan Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly - Okay, the pan frying is definitely out of the question, but I was looking for stuff for school, and there are no nuts allowed.







5. Super crunchy peanut butter and bananas. See #4.







6. Chicken nuggets with Honey-Lemon Dipping Sauce. My kids are suspicious of these because I thought kids would eat anything that was fried and dipped in batter, so I tried to feed them fish nuggets and soy nuggets, and now they won't eat any nuggets at all. The only sauce-like thing they will put on food is ketchup.




Is it just my kids, or is everyone challenged?