posted
okay I was wondering if I can consult with all of you in a book I'm writing, its about a 19 year old Jewish kid named Isaac attending school in Canada so I was wondering if I can consult with y'all over the use of jewish phrases/customs etc.
I'm taking what I call the "Turtledove approch" and while the characters speak english will occasionally slip into their mother tongue when emotions flare in some way.
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posted
Not unless you want to join in on the joke .
Seriously though, I would add Raia to the title. She might be able to help you. She's going to be pretty busy for the next week or so, but she'll have some free time (if I don't occupy it ) next week during Thanksgiving Break.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I know I'm not on your list, but you may need to clarify on the level of observance of the character. For instance as a pretty much assimilated Jew, my Yiddish vocabulary pretty much ends at Shmuck and Kvetching.
[ November 15, 2006, 09:55 AM: Message edited by: Stephan ]
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Not that far gone, Like I'm torn on one hand I wanna make it fun for the reader by making it so that I only hint that Isaac is Jewish and is something the user is supposed to find out, and have him being Jewish like a moderately important thing for the story since after all Jewish stuff is cool.
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posted
You can always throw in a stereotypical Jewish grandmother to use all the Yiddish slang if you just want to hint at a Jewish family background.
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Not unless you want to join in on the joke .
Seriously though, I would add Raia to the title. She might be able to help you. She's going to be pretty busy for the next week or so, but she'll have some free time (if I don't occupy it ) next week during Thanksgiving Break.
Thanks, dear.
Seriously, though, Blayne... I would love to help if I can! And I'm 20 years old, so not too far off from the status of your protagonist. Granted, I'm not at a Jewish school in Canada, but I AM Jewish and at school in the US!
This week is the week from hell, but once it's over, like Lyr said, I'd be more than happy to help you out! Drop me an e-mail sometime, if you want: nini.golightly AT gmail DOT com.
(Not to tread on the toes of the great forum rebbetzins, but I do know a thing or two as well! )
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: not if I murder you and dump your body into the St Lawrence river.
I haven't been to Quebec in a decade, are you offering to pay my way back?
Posts: 3134 | Registered: Mar 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Thats optional, you would like a casket, a body bag? Remeber having it sealed is optional! If you'ld like we can do the informing parents in many different plans! Also optional. We hav the 1-3 week, 4-10 week and the 1-2 year plans.
quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: okay I was wondering if I can consult with all of you in a book I'm writing, its about a 19 year old Jewish kid named Isaac attending school in Canada so I was wondering if I can consult with y'all over the use of jewish phrases/customs etc.
I'm taking what I call the "Turtledove approch" and while the characters speak english will occasionally slip into their mother tongue when emotions flare in some way.
Consult away. My e-mail address is in my profile. Or do it here. Either way is fine.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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My Hatracking time is exceedingly limited for at least the next couple days, but I'm still checking my email a couple times a day. Eddress is in the profile.
I'm already consulting for someone else's Jewish character, and it's fun. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: raia pls post what I just sent you, I forgot what I typed
quote: Okay basically what I want to do is write a story about a 19 year old Jewish kid named Isaac, the twist is that I am essentially writing partially what would have happened if say I was born as Russian Jew rather then the mutant Anglo-Francophone thing I currently am.
Like i definately want parents that are averagely observant kinda like say the Jewish equivilent of the Simpsons kind of family, goto the Synagoge when they're supposed to, somewhat adhere to sabbat etc, but as whathishernamewhatwheninthewhere suggested a really stereotypical Othodox Russian Jewish Grandmother of some sort who he spends his spare time with.
Like I would like as a subplot the reconciliation of say everyday life in a secular school (this case John Abbott College) and his Jewish faith very much influenced by his eccentric grandmother.
Now here's the main thing I want Isaac to be a genius, fathers a scientist, mother's a medical docter, the grandmother I'll leave a mystery for now, but itll be a surprise ^-^.
This story will border on the scifi, like I want alot of problem solving, mysteries to unravel, villains to defeat, and slowly Isaac starts to unlock "gifts" as time goes on.
I think Im on a roll.
There you are... sounds like you have some good ideas, and I'd love to help! We'll do the rest of the communication via e-mail, if you want. Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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Interesting, I am also writing (or may be writing, I am procrastinating right now) a book with a young Jewish narrator (my character's name is Jacob, he is American and 18, so I am not stealing your idea, I promise.) I have used no Yiddish in my book deliberately, although some phrases that have entered into U.S. English may be in there. Most young Jews from New York do not routinely speak in Yiddish, methinks. Not in 2006, at least. Besides, a story about an English speaker in Italy has enough linguistic confusion.
P.S., as to the inevitable question of why I, a non-Jew, created a Jewish protagonist, I wanted an outsider looking in at Christianity (one of many philosophies explored in the book, the others being Buddhism and various secular philosophies, particularly Existentialism.)
Posts: 1332 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Im using a jewish main character well because i thought it would be cool.
Like my idea for a book came from a dream of mine and im currently in the process of writing it down.
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quote:as to the inevitable question of why I, a non-Jew, created a Jewish protagonist, I wanted an outsider looking in at Christianity (one of many philosophies explored in the book, the others being Buddhism and various secular philosophies, particularly Existentialism.)
quote:Im using a jewish main character well because i thought it would be cool.
I'm remembering these quotes if anyone ever asks me about the difference between Pelegius and Blayne.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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