Absolutely, Lois is right. It's about the content, not the author. Would we exclude award winning writers of Jewish literature like James Carroll (Constantine's Sword) or David Wyman ( Abandonment of the Jews)?
Sent from my iPad mini On Jan 9, 2014, at 3:16 PM, Lois Ruby <loisr...@comcast.net> wrote: > I'm stunned by the notion that Rachel's committee would object to having this > non-Jewish (and worthy) author speak. Yes, we need to support our local > Jewish authors. In fact, my library committee is sponsoring its second Author > Panel wherein local Jewish authors who write on mostly secular topics discuss > their work. However, a library represents first and foremost the literature, > not the author. Let's look at it from a different perspective. I am a Jewish > author, and I am currently invited to speak at two Catholic schools. They > apparently don't feel they need to support only Catholic writers. So, I say > invite Grace Tiffany and promote it robustly! > > LOIS RUBY > www.loisruby.com > Author of ... > Steal Away Home > The Secret of Laurel Oaks > Strike! Mother Jones and the Colorado Coal Field War > Rebel Spirits (now in Scholastic Bookfairs!) > FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @ LoisRubyWriter > From: "Rachel Haus" <rhaus_...@yahoo.com> > To: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > Sent: Thursday, January 9, 2014 9:41:20 AM > Subject: [ha-Safran] Non-Jewish speakers > > Dear Hasafranim, > > We have a respected professor and historical novelist in town -- Grace > Tiffany -- who just wrote a book called Paint set during the Shakespearean > era, the protagonist being a part Jewish, part Italian female poet. According > to the author herself, the Jewish content is minimal. However, she also wrote > an earlier book, based on The Merchant of Venice called The Turquoise Ring, > which is primarily Jewish. > > I'm considering inviting her to speak, but one member of my library committee > suggested that, as a Jewish institution, it would be best to support Jewish > authors exclusively. Such a thing never occurred to me; to me, as long as the > scholarship and perspective is sound, then the author should have something > of great value to impart. > > I'm curious as to what others have done and considered regarding non-Jewish > speakers. > > Rachel Haus > Library Director > Congregation of Moses Library > Kalamazoo MI > rhaus_...@yahoo.com > > __ > Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author > and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) > ================================== > Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: > Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu > Ha-Safran Archives: > Current: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > Earlier Listserver: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org > -- > Hasafran mailing list > Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > > __ > Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author > and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) > ================================== > Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: > Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran > Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu > Ha-Safran Archives: > Current: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > Earlier Listserver: > http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html > AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org > -- > Hasafran mailing list > Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu > https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: galro...@osu.edu Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list Hasafran@lists.service.ohio-state.edu https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
