Ann S. Epstein writes novels, short stories, memoir, essays, and poems. Please use the links or site menu to go to the HOME PAGE; learn about her NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, MEMOIR, ESSAYS, and POEMS; find interesting facts in BEHIND THE STORY; read REFLECTIONS on writing; check NEWS for updates on publications and related events; see REVIEWS; learn about her END-OF-LIFE DOULA credentials and services; and CONTACT US to send webmail.
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Words can inspire. Words can heal. In times of crisis, we seek enlightenment and comfort from the words of our leaders. Here are the wise and compassionate words of a true leader, Eleanor Roosevelt: THE ENCOURAGING THING.
My essay “Theirs or Ours? Who Owns Culture? Appropriation on the Docket” is now online in the May 2020 issue of Vine Leaves Press SPILL IT! The essay decries blanket accusations of cultural appropriation and argues that culture belongs to everyone. Examples are drawn not only from creative pursuits, but everyday life such as what we cook, the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, and how we celebrate special occasions. Please use the buttons at the bottom of the essay to share and voice your opinion. Find more of my thoughts about writing in ESSAYS and REFLECTIONS.
Tens of thousands of teachers, parents, and researchers have read my books about early development and education, most notably The Intentional Teacher. I also write literary fiction for grownups: On the Shore, Tazia and Gemma, and A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. Read more about my NOVELS and SHORT STORIES. We’re never too old to learn.
In my short story, “The Inventor,” I creep inside the head of the person who I imagine created Mr. Potato Head. Researching the real origins of popular toys from my childhood, I discovered that the Slinky was invented accidentally by a naval engineer, Richard James, who was designing a device to secure equipment to rocking ships. While experimenting, he dropped a coil of wire and watched it roll end-over-end across the floor. Instead of thinking “Oops,” he thought, “This would make an interesting toy.” His wife Betty came up with the name Slinky, meaning “sleek or sinuous in its movements.” Richard perfected the materials and dimensions, and the toy was a hit in the stores where they demonstrated it. Richard was granted a patent in 1947, but in 1960, he left his family (slunk off) to join a religious cult. Betty, with six children to support, took over the business and masterminded the toy’s marketing into a national craze and then a perennial favorite. Slinky was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2000. An estimated 400 million have been sold to date. Learn more about my SHORT STORIES, including where their ideas originate, and see BEHIND THE STORY to discover other interesting facts I’ve uncovered while researching them.
I’m pleased to announce that my short story, “Orphan Camp” has just been published in The Summerset Review, Winter 2019. Here’s the log line: “Orphan Camp” examines how the resilience that allowed Jewish children to survive during WWII made them resistant to adoption afterwards. Although set seventy years ago, the story speaks to today’s many war orphans. Read the story online at http://www.summersetreview.org/19winter/orphan.html.
The Immigrant Yarn Project is the nation’s largest crowd-sourced public art installation in honor of our nation’s rich immigrant history. Hundreds of people are contributing knit and crocheted pieces, which will be assembled into 100 sculptural columns and exhibited in San Francisco in May 2019 before traveling to other locations around the country. I crocheted and sent a granny square (photo below) along with this story: Over a hundred years ago, my four grandparents and my father emigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States. My grandmothers were seamstresses, my mother and aunts were knitters. I knit, crochet, and weave with yarn that I hand-dye. In the enclosed granny square, each strand is made with four shades of cotton thread, each thread is brushed with many colors. The yarn itself thus represents the diversity of our nation. The light blue yarns are left over from when I made my daughter’s “chuppah,” or Jewish wedding canopy, a tradition passed down to yet another generation. The dark blue threads, remnants from decades of weaving projects, represent the Atlantic Ocean which my family had the courage to cross on their voyage to this country. I am also a writer and my NOVELS and SHORT STORIES are often about immigrants, past and present. I am pleased to be part of the Immigrant Yarn Project, which joins with other art and literary expressions in celebrating America’s rich heritage. Read more about the project with instructions on adding your own piece at https://enactivist.org.
Great audience turnout and lively Q & A for the Tazia and Gemma book reading and signing at Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor on July 31. I read narrative passages from the first Tazia section and my daughter Rebecca joined me to read the mother-daughter interview from the first Gemma section. I encourage city residents and visitors alike to visit this premier downtown independent bookstore. Thanks to Literati for hosting and to all who attended the Tazia and Gemma event. For a complete list of my publication events see NEWS; to read more about my books see NOVELS.
I’m doing a Tazia and Gemma book reading and signing at Literati Bookstore on Tuesday, July 31, at 7 PM, 124 E. Washington Street, Ann Arbor. See the Facebook event page https://www.literatibookstore.com/event/fiction-literati-ann-s-epstein-0. Learn more about the book at http://www.vineleavespress.com/tazia-and-gemma-by-ann-s-epstein.html and see the trailer on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lijLhwR2Yb0. Hope to see you and your friends on July 31! For a complete list of my publication events see NEWS; to read more about my books see NOVELS.
On July 4th, read these novels to discover what America has historically meant to immigrants. In A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve., Meinhardt Raabe flees Nazi persecution in search of a dignified life https://amzn.to/2LqpAu7. In On the Shore, Shmuel Levinson is willing to fight the Great War for the country that welcomed his family www.vineleavespress.com/on-the-shore-by-ann-s-epstein.html. In Tazia and Gemma, Tazia Gatti seeks a life of greater opportunity for her daughter www.vineleavespress.com/tazia-and-gemma-by-ann-s-epstein.html. Meinhardt’s LIFE, Shmuel’s LIBERTY, and Tazia’s PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Celebrate their unique lives and our shared ideals. Read more in NOVELS.
