UPDATE:
Affinity Konar, author of ''MISCHLING'': --- SHOULD HER PUBLISHERS DIVULGE MORE INFO ABOUT HER BIO ON BACK COVER OF BOOK OR ON PUBLISHER WEBSITE? WHY THE SECRECY re her so-called ''POLISH-JEWISH'' ORIGINS?
LISTEN HERE! THE TRUTH COMES OUT. NOW WHAT?
Veteran Canadian reporter Steve Paikin, who got his journalism masters degree at Boston University, and who is Jewish and was raised in a Jewish family in Canada, interviews Affinity here and gets her to reveal and confess for the first time in public to a reporter anywhere in North America that 1. She was not raised in a Jewish family and 2. She has no connection to the Holocaust and 3. she is of "Jewish ancestry" which actually means that her paternal grandfather was from Poland and came to tUSA as an immigrant in 1932 and settled in Utica, New York, where the family name was Kornarski. In fact, Affinithy's name on her birth certificate in Affinity Christine Konarski and she receives email under that name. Hmmmmmm. Now that the cat is ffinally out of the bag, it is possible that her publishers and editors pushed Affinity to keep her real identity very vague on purpose so as not to disclose to the reading public (and the book reviewers reviewing her book) that she was not raised in a Jewish family, and had no basic Jewish education as a child and teenager (Sunday School at the local synagogue, Hebrew School on weekdays after school classes, Jewish summer camps, a bat mitzvah, a college trip to Israel). So one must wonder if the publication of this novel was some kind of literary sleight of hand, perhaps even a kind of liteary and publishinh "hoax" of sorts. Listen to the first part of the interview here, and if time listen to the entire 20 minutes of it. Steve Paikin deserves credit for asking Affinity, with sensitivity yet probing candor, hard hitting questions that no other reporter in Canada or the USA bothered to ask her, and one has to wonder why nobody asked her these details before this.
[BTW, “A Outra Metade de Mim” = "The Other Half of Me" --- this is the title being used in Brazil in the Portuguese language]
"She called herself ''Polish Jewish'' and
it was clear from meeting and talking to her that the Holocaust was a topic of conversation in her childhood home in California.
She told me she was quote unquote ''Polish Jewish,'' and admittedly ''Polish Jewish'' is a strange assignation: I don't call myself ''American Jewish'' or ''Hungarian Jewish'' even though my grandparents were Hungarian Jews. I just say I'm ''Jewish.'' Affinity never said that, not once.
It does seem she is evading something or maybe even pretending to be something she is not for the sake of PR and sales for her book.
But in the end it kind of didn't matter when I met her.
Affinity was smart, very tender and plainly haunted by her novel."
===============================
Jewish book reviewer Elizabeth Rosner explains why ‘Mischling’ by Affinity Konar is a 'dishonest' #Holocaust novel
Affinity's PR photo from her publishers in NYC -------------------------------------------------------------
A book reviewer in Canada,
Eric Volmers,
started his interview with Konar in the Calgary newspapers with these opening lines:
''Affinity Konar laughs when asked about the sparseness of her bio on the back cover of her new novel, 'Mischling'. It’s two short sentences, revealing only that the author was raised in California and has a MFA in fiction from Columbia University.'''
The interview, online now, which begins with a lead sentence that sort of implies the reporter himself is a bit curious about the sparseness of the author's bio, continues:
“It’s a very blank bio,” she admits, on the line from her home in Los Angeles. “When they asked me for one I couldn’t think of anything worth saying about myself. I really just sit in a room and write.”
Affinity Konar, author of ''MISCHLING'': --- SHOULD HER PUBLISHERS DIVULGE MORE INFO ABOUT HER BIO ON BACK COVER OF BOOK OR ON PUBLISHER WEBSITE? WHY THE SECRECY re her so-called ''POLISH-JEWISH'' ORIGINS?
==================================
Veteran Canadian reporter Steve Paikin, who got his journalism masters degree at Boston University, and who is Jewish and was raised in a Jewish family in Canada, interviews Affinity here and gets her to reveal and confess for the first time in public to a reporter anywhere in North America that 1. She was not raised in a Jewish family and 2. She has no connection to the Holocaust and 3. she is of "Jewish ancestry" which actually means that her paternal grandfather was from Poland and came to tUSA as an immigrant in 1932 and settled in Utica, New York, where the family name was Kornarski. In fact, Affinithy's name on her birth certificate in Affinity Christine Konarski and she receives email under that name. Hmmmmmm. Now that the cat is ffinally out of the bag, it is possible that her publishers and editors pushed Affinity to keep her real identity very vague on purpose so as not to disclose to the reading public (and the book reviewers reviewing her book) that she was not raised in a Jewish family, and had no basic Jewish education as a child and teenager (Sunday School at the local synagogue, Hebrew School on weekdays after school classes, Jewish summer camps, a bat mitzvah, a college trip to Israel). So one must wonder if the publication of this novel was some kind of literary sleight of hand, perhaps even a kind of liteary and publishinh "hoax" of sorts. Listen to the first part of the interview here, and if time listen to the entire 20 minutes of it. Steve Paikin deserves credit for asking Affinity, with sensitivity yet probing candor, hard hitting questions that no other reporter in Canada or the USA bothered to ask her, and one has to wonder why nobody asked her these details before this.
Eric Volmers,
started his interview with Konar in the Calgary newspapers with these opening lines:The interview, online now, which begins with a lead sentence that sort of implies the reporter himself is a bit curious about the sparseness of the author's bio, continues:
“It’s a very blank bio,” she admits, on the line from her home in Los Angeles. “When they asked me for one I couldn’t think of anything worth saying about myself. I really just sit in a room and write.”
Affinity Konar, author of ''MISCHLING'': --- SHOULD HER PUBLISHERS DIVULGE MORE INFO ABOUT HER BIO ON BACK COVER OF BOOK OR ON PUBLISHER WEBSITE? WHY THE SECRECY re her so-called ''POLISH-JEWISH'' ORIGINS?
==================================
A reader at Goodreads told this blog via email in September:
"I can readily understand your personal outrage over the publishers or PR people not replying to your very normal qusetions, is she Jewish or not?...., although my own concerns are not entirely the same as yours. For me, it's not so much a question of her Jewishness (or not), but more an issue of her exploitation of the Holocaust in order to promote herself as a "clever" Columbia MFA project writer. I don't actually see her as a "genius" of any kind. In my opinion, non-Jews (if she is one) are perfectly welcome to write about the Holocaust, as long as they do so with sensitivity, respect and humility. These are the same expectations I hold for Jewish writers, too, by the way. ''
''Not many peeps are willing to critique her work. I'm therefore NOT surprised that her editors and publicists are NOT responding to you.''
==============================
Goodreads author ID written by Affinity Konar says: "Affinity Konar is of Polish-Jewish descent." That;s true. But was she raised in a Jewish environment, in a Jewish family that ceelebrated the Jewish holidays and attended temple services? Did she attend Sunday school as a child or teen, or did she go to Hebrew School after regular school? Did she have a bas mitzvah? Nothing in her bio talks about any of this, and the absence of any of these details for a novel of this stature (and it IS an amazing novel, writtem by a genius!) gives some readers the impression that Ms Konoar was not raised Jewish and is merely "of Polish-Jewish descent" throug her paternal grandfather who also participated in World War II in the Pacific theater of action.
Said one reviewer at Goodreads: ''I have read many Holocaust novels in my life. However, [Affinity Konar's "Mischling"], while the writing could have be interesting at times, for the most part I found myself disengaged from the story and sometimes utterly baffled by what was going on due to the overwhelming amount of [flowery, MFA-thesis style creative writing workshop] prose. Almost every other paragraph was so chock full of symbols and metaphors that I completely lost sight of the story at times. Stasha downright annoyed me in her gullibleness and other strange behaviors -- everything felt like an abtraction of itself. Said one reviewer at Goodreads: ''I have read many Holocaust novels in my life. However, [Affinity Konar's "Mischling"], while the writing could have be interesting at times, for the most part I found myself disengaged from the story and sometimes utterly baffled by what was going on due to the overwhelming amount of [flowery, MFA-thesis style creative writing workshop] prose. Almost every other paragraph was so chock full of symbols and metaphors that I completely lost sight of the story at times. Stasha downright annoyed me in her gullibleness and other strange behaviors -- everything felt like an abtraction of itself.''''
Said another reviewer at Goodreads: "In Mischling, the constant symbolic and overworked prose took away from everything else. Sometimes less is more. For a topic such as the Holocaust, I especially did not like the over use of [flowery, overwrought,MFA-style] prose. I much preferred to read the Holocaust novel ''THE BOOK THIEF" by Markus Zusak in Australia a few years ago.
===============
EARLIER NOTE: [ A veteran investigative features reporter in NYC who covers the book industry is writing a gentle yet investigative article about this issue for a major publication, and it will drop just after the election, maybe December, according to sources in the pub industry. Their article will not be a take down as they loved the novel, as I did; it will be be a gentle probe into WHO SHE REALLY IS and how this led to the novel, her second novel by the way, NOT her debut novel as her publishers keep saying as a white lie. I think this investigation will lead to readers and lit critics seeing the book in a new light, in terms of how Holocaust fictions today are being received pro and con. There is more than meets the eye with this novel, but the novel itself stands on its own. ]
REVIEWS: via AMZN
AA -- ''I really struggled with this book. It seemed that the author's primary focus was on writing lyrical prose. While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it felt overwrought and in my opinion detracted from the story. It did not ring true to me, and it made the book very tedious to get through.''
A.-- 'I have read extensively about the Holocaust, both fiction and non-fiction, and this is by far the worst book on the subject I have ever read. I did not like the writing style and the author went no where with what little storyline there was. It was also not clear to me that the title "Mischling" even applied to the main characters Sorry I wasted my time and money on this one.''
B. -- ''Worst book read in years.''
BB -- Half of this book is set in Auschwitz, and half in the chaotic aftermath of the camp's liberation. It's written largely in thick, overworked prose that obscures moments of tension and genuine emotion. I never got a sense of any of the characters and found all but Stasha remarkably flat. Lyrical prose somehow hides the horrors of Auschwitz. This book tells the story of the torture of children by one of the most sadistic psychopaths in history, but manages to do so in a distant, dispassionate fashion. I haven't read a Holocaust book that's provoked less of an emotional reaction from me. I was disappointed in the ending, and details throughout seemed a bit historically... bendable. But mostly this book just failed to capture my attention.
C -- I had several issues with this book. It appeared to be a unique and interesting premise. I have read several books about the Holocaust, but never from this perspective. The story centered around two Jewish twins, Pearl and Stasha Zigorski, 12 year olds, who arrive at Auschwitz with their mother and grandfather. They are quickly taken away from and placed in a dormitory with other twins and triplets that is the provenance of Dr. Josef Mengele. Mengele is a medical doctor who performs all manner of experiments, having a great interest in twins and triplets. Pearl and Stasha are both victims of Mengele's experiments. Injected with unknown fluids, poked, prodded, tortured. Stasha comes to believe that Mengele has made her invincible to death. As time goes on, Pearl weakens and disappears. She is presumed dead by all, but Stasha, who is convinced she is alive somewhere. The war ends, the camp is liberated, and Stasha and Feliks (another twin) raggedly roam the ravaged countryside dreaming of revenge against Josef Mengele.
First off, "mischling", in the German means a person of mixed Jewish and Aryan blood. Pearl and Stasha were Jewish, with no Aryan blood. I found the title of the book misleading. The author also did not explain very much about the lives of the family before they were sent to Auschwitz. The writing was also incredibly heavy handed, word salads everywhere. I struggled to complete the book and had to push myself through it.
Stasha in eventually reunited with her father, who she believed long dead.
This book had potential, but didn't perform. The writing was far too dense. Don't recommend
D -- I didn't care for this book at all. I was constantly lost as to what was going on and I didn't find the story engaging. I have read many stories of the Holocaust and this is the first one that I could not connect with.
E -- I'm 133 pages into this book and I'm still waiting to be drawn in. Such a compelling topic yet, so far, such poor plotting and dull scenes. This is a novel yet there's no build up. Any novel about the Holocaust is competing with all the gritty memoirs out there. This book lacks realism. The prose is far from haunting. I wanted to be moved by this but I probably won't read any further.
F: --
UPDATE: October 1. 2016
"Dear Sir,
''Whilst you sound like a man on a quest to me, in a sweet gentle way but I muust tell you as a male non-Jewish critic, scholar and reader in the UK, I don't care about the biography of novelists, and I don't feel like it's any of my business whether or not this particular author is Jewish, or to what degree she is Jewish. Or iof her real name is or was Konarski. To me, there's a vast difference between a book like ''Mischling'' and a fabricated story that is being sold as memoir. However, her novel does seem like an MFA novel that went overboard and using such fantasy and stylish prose in a novel about the Holocaust might have been a mistake. Many readers on goodreads and Amazon are saying the same thing. But if she is not Jewish, who cares. Then again, it would be interesting, just as a sidebar to some literary magazine story like TNR or NY Mag or the New Yorke mag to find out her real background. It will come out sooner or later. She cannot hide it forever. And most of all, who cares. Nobody. You are too curious, sir. Then again, maybe you are on to something. People on a quest are interesting. you need a top investigative reporter in NYC or L.A. to suss this story out. Give it a year or so. Someone will report it eventually. but merely as a sideshow. The novel stands as it is, as you told me you agree too..
''This particular novel doesn't work for me for the same reason that a lot of "literary" MFA fiction doesn't work for me; in my opinion, ''style'' took precedence over ''content.'' From my perspective, there's nothing to uncover here in terms of your quest. But good for you to at least speaking up. Most people are too afraid to challenge the almight NY publishing industry. Maybe a UK magazine will take up your quest. I dont think a USA publication will touch it. Little Brown has too much clout.
''To me, Konar's biography and personal background is irrelevant to her work. It's clear that you don't feel the same way. Good luck asking around. I don't think anyone will spill the beans. Stonewalling works. You are being stonewalled. Get used to it.
''As for their being any professional book industry cautionary tale upside to your informal sidebar investigation, in terms of how the book business operates in terms of pr and marketing to promote star books like mischling, I can't see one, but maybe you are right. There has been a slight cover-up here, such as pretending this is her debut novel, as all major reviews and interviews say , but in fact, it's her second novel. As for whether a Jewish writer wrote this novel. we will never know, at least not for 100 years."
This Blogger wrote on Amazon page: ''I appreciate the feedback here and that is why I posted by "review" -- in order to get some feedback, too. To answer the comments so far, let me just add that all I was trying do, as a longtime observer of
the publishing industry, was to try to find out why nowhere on the book's website or the publisher's website the bio info does not say anything about Ms Konar being Jewish.
[I believe the truth will come out, one way or the other, but it will take time, maybe 6 months or a year before the facts leak out. Right now the publishers are insisting this is her DEBUT NOVEL when in fact it is her second novel. And so far the publishers and editors refuse to answer my polite query as to her real background. I have seen stonewalling before and it is not a good thing to do.] WATCH!
I wrote an email to Ms Konar and she replied with a form letter to me, after not replying at all to me earlier polite letters of inquiry. She said "I cannot answer mail now, sorry." If you have questions, please contact my PR people and she listed their names and email addresses. i wrote to them all. NOBODY REPLIED. THIS IS STONEWALLING. WHAT IS THERE TO HIDE?
Of course, many non-Jews and atheists have written about the Holocaust and that is fine, sure. One need not be Jewish to write about that time in human history. And as a writer, Ms Konar (on Google her name is listed as Konarski, which was interesting to note) has written a powerful novel that sheds even more light on that time in history. So I congratulate the author. My concern is with the publisher and editor of the book, and the many book reviewers from the Washington Post to the NY Times who have never once anywhere, wondered, what the personal background of the author is. Was she brought up in a Jewish home? Or was one of her grandparents a Polish Jew who came to Utica, New York, as she says in an interview online? Is Konarski her Polish-American father's name or what is her mother's maiden name. Why the two names listed online: Konar and Konarski? I am just curious from a publishing fact checking point of view, and none of my inquries to anyone in the publishing world has been met with an answer. Nobody wants to talk about these questions. And they are just questions. I am Jewish and I bring to this discussion years of reading novels by Jewish-American writers, and also many novels about the Holocaust. I am in no way saying Ms Konar had no right to write this novel. She did a magnificent job, she is prose stylist and a word poet. So bravo. I am on her side. My rections to the many good comments are in brackets below. [Danny]
So to MsPea re:
''What difference would it make to know if the author is Jewish? You loved the story. Isn't that enough? '' [Yes, that is enough. But see my comments just now, too.]
To Gabrielle Massey who wrote:
''Frankly, if she's not then it's all the more astounding a book. Reading it, I simply presumed she is. And I agree with Ms Pea.'' [Yes, the book is astounding. I agree. But see my comments above just now, too.]
To E. West who wrote:
''You "loved the tragic story" why on earth should it matter her religion or culture? She touched you, can we only write of our own background, that would make for a great loss in literature.'' [Yes, she touched me and that's enough, yes. But see my comments above, too.]
And to Joan Sutton who wrote: "Why should that be important. This is a story about humanity." [Yes, that is enough. But see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns and comments just now, too.]
And to mcha who wrote: "Most ridiculous book review I have ever read. This is like saying a man can't write a book about women because he isn't one. Mischling is a work of art." [Yes, mcha, anyone can write a book about the Holocaust, be they Jewish or half Jewish or not Jewish at all or a born again Christian or a Moslem or a Hindu or an atheist.. I see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns have fallen on deaf ears, re y comment above. Several years ago there was a deeply touching memoir about the Holocaust written by a Jewish man, and it was all set for publication, it was so touching and poweful, and hundreds of blogs worldwide said how wonderful his memoir was, and he was on the Oprah TV show not just one but three times, invited back, and the major news wires saluted the book before publication, but them, just before it was to be published the major book firm that was publishing it suddently cancelle the book after a major magazine confirmed that the memoir was a hoax.] These things happen in Holocaust publishing. Now I am in no way saying Ms Konar's book is a hoax. Not at all. But who is she? I just want to know. She won't tell me, her publishers won't tell me, and her editor won't tell me. And not one book reviewer wants to know. Her real bio would be interesting, I feel, and would only add to the book's power and appeal. What's wrong with a bloke like me asking a simple question? Well, it looks like I am never going to get an answer, and so be it. At least, I asked. - Danny B.
When I wrote to Ms Konar today at her konarski email address, which was never answer in the past month, i did receive a form letter that reads: "Hello, I regret that I'm not able to respond to inquiries about MISCHLING at this time.
If you have an interview request, or interest in hosting an event, please kindly contact my publicists.
Further bio information and a touring schedule can be found on my website: affinitykonar.com
I greatly appreciate the enthusiasm with which this novel has been received--thank you!
Yours in books,
Affinity Konar
Pen Name: Affinity Konar, Polish-Jewish author of ''MISCHLING''
http://www.affinitykonar.com/
HER WONDERFUL FIRST NAME? She says in interview online:
AK: ...... I just turned around and asked my mother about it, and she says it was a purely aesthetic choice, that she wanted something very feminine, so... It was a good move in any case though, because it sort of encouraged an affection for words that are somewhat off the beaten path. And provides for a lot of funny interactions.
EH: would you name a daughter Affinity?
AK: No, I wouldn't, even thought it's been entertaining for me -- and a lot of other people. I suspect sometimes that my name led to my shyness. Every time a stranger meets me I want to interject and tell them that it's okay to laugh, I know that it's funny too, and I still, after all these years, can't believe that that's what I'm known as.
AK: ...... I just turned around and asked my mother about it, and she says it was a purely aesthetic choice, that she wanted something very feminine, so... It was a good move in any case though, because it sort of encouraged an affection for words that are somewhat off the beaten path. And provides for a lot of funny interactions.
EH: would you name a daughter Affinity?
AK: No, I wouldn't, even thought it's been entertaining for me -- and a lot of other people. I suspect sometimes that my name led to my shyness. Every time a stranger meets me I want to interject and tell them that it's okay to laugh, I know that it's funny too, and I still, after all these years, can't believe that that's what I'm known as.
It's a story that has remained largely untold, and that holds strong personal connections for Konar, who is of Polish-Jewish ancestry.
The author is a mischling herself, but never admits this in interviews or in book reviews. Why not? It's okay to be of mixed cultural ethnic religious backgrounds. Most of us are these days. So speak up, Affinity and tell readers the facts.
REAL NAME? -- Affinity Christine Konarski is the author of MISCHLING. She holds a B.A. in English from San Francisco State and an M.F.A. in fiction from Columbia. Her Holocaust novel, Mischling—called “one of the most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books of the year”—is a story of resiliency about twin sisters fighting to survive the evils of the Holocaust.
Konar is said to be of Polish-Jewish descent. But none of the book reviews anywhere mention her ethnic background or comment on the issue of non-Jews writing about the Holocaust (which of coure they have every right to do! although some historians of the Holocaust and some literary critics, Jewish and nonJewish, feel that the issues are so sensitive that publishers need to be very upfront to readers about who the author is and her own ethnic ./ religious background.
The publisher of MISCHLING nowhere on their website says anything about the author's real name or that face that she is not Jewish. None of the reviewers even comment on this. None of the interviews even bother to ask Affinity how she got her interesting name and why she uses KONAR as her pen name and not KONARSKI.
It would be nice to know, it terms of truth in advertising. Readers want to know. It makes the book more interesting.
I appreciate the feedback here and that is why I posted by "review" -- in order to get some feedback, too. To answer the comments so far, let me just add that all I was trying do, as a longtime observer
of the publishing industry, was to try to find out why nowhere on the book's website or the publisher's website the bio info does not say anything about Ms Konar being Jewish. Of course, many non-Jews and atheists have written about the Holocaust and that is fine, sure. One need not be Jewish to write about that time in human history. And as a writer, Ms Konar (on Google her name is listed as Konarski, which was interesting to note) has written a powerful novel that sheds even more light on that time in history. So I congratulate the author. My concern is with the publisher and editor of the book, and the many book reviewers from the Washington Post to the NY Times who have never once anywhere, wondered, what the personal background of the author is. Was she brought up in a Jewish home? Or was one of her grandparents a Polish Jew who came to Utica, New York, as she says in an interview online? Is Konarski her Polish-American father's name or what is her mother's maiden name. Why the two names listed online: Konar and Konarski? I am just curious from a publishing fact checking point of view, and none of my inquries to anyone in the publishing world has been met with an answer. Nobody wants to talk about these questions. And they are just questions. I am Jewish and I bring to this discussion years of reading novels by Jewish-American writers, and also many novels about the Holocaust. I am in no way saying Ms Konar had no right to write this novel. She did a magnificent job, she is prose stylist and a word poet. So bravo. I am on her side. My rections to the many good comments are in brackets below. [Danny]
So to MsPea re:
''What difference would it make to know if the author is Jewish? You loved the story. Isn't that enough? '' [Yes, that is enough. But see my comments just now, too.]
To Gabrielle Massey who wrote:
''Frankly, if she's not then it's all the more astounding a book. Reading it, I simply presumed she is. And I agree with Ms Pea.'' [Yes, the book is astounding. I agree. But see my comments above just now, too.]
To E. West who wrote:
''You "loved the tragic story" why on earth should it matter her religion or culture? She touched you, can we only write of our own background, that would make for a great loss in literature.'' [Yes, she touched me and that's enough, yes. But see my comments above, too.]
And to Joan Sutton who wrote: "Why should that be important. This is a story about humanity." [Yes, that is enough. But see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns and comments just now, too.]
And to mcha who wrote: "Most ridiculous book review I have ever read. This is like saying a man can't write a book about women because he isn't one. Mischling is a work of art." [Yes, mcha, anyone can write a book about the Holocaust, be they Jewish or half Jewish or not Jewish at all or a born again Christian or a Moslem or a Hindu or an atheist.. I see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns have fallen on deaf ears, re y comment above. Several years ago there was a deeply touching memoir about the Holocaust written by a Jewish man, and it was all set for publication, it was so touching and poweful, and hundreds of blogs worldwide said how wonderful his memoir was, and he was on the Oprah TV show not just one but three times, invited back, and the major news wires saluted the book before publication, but them, just before it was to be published the major book firm that was publishing it suddently cancelle the book after a major magazine confirmed that the memoir was a hoax.] These things happen in Holocaust publishing. Now I am in no way saying Ms Konar's book is a hoax. Not at all. But who is she? I just want to know. She won't tell me, her publishers won't tell me, and her editor won't tell me. And not one book reviewer wants to know. Her real bio would be interesting, I feel, and would only add to the book's power and appeal. What's wrong with a bloke like me asking a simple question? Well, it looks like I am never going to get an answer, and so be it. At least, I asked. - Danny B.
When I wrote to Ms Konar today at her konarski email address, which was never answer in the past month, i did receive a form letter that reads: "Hello, I regret that I'm not able to respond to inquiries about MISCHLING at this time.
If you have an interview request, or interest in hosting an event, please kindly contact my publicists.
Further bio information and a touring schedule can be found on my website: affinitykonar.com
I greatly appreciate the enthusiasm with which this novel has been received--thank you!
Yours in books,
Affinity Konar
It would be nice to know, it terms of truth in advertising. Readers want to know. It makes the book more interesting.
I appreciate the feedback here and that is why I posted by "review" -- in order to get some feedback, too. To answer the comments so far, let me just add that all I was trying do, as a longtime observer
of the publishing industry, was to try to find out why nowhere on the book's website or the publisher's website the bio info does not say anything about Ms Konar being Jewish. Of course, many non-Jews and atheists have written about the Holocaust and that is fine, sure. One need not be Jewish to write about that time in human history. And as a writer, Ms Konar (on Google her name is listed as Konarski, which was interesting to note) has written a powerful novel that sheds even more light on that time in history. So I congratulate the author. My concern is with the publisher and editor of the book, and the many book reviewers from the Washington Post to the NY Times who have never once anywhere, wondered, what the personal background of the author is. Was she brought up in a Jewish home? Or was one of her grandparents a Polish Jew who came to Utica, New York, as she says in an interview online? Is Konarski her Polish-American father's name or what is her mother's maiden name. Why the two names listed online: Konar and Konarski? I am just curious from a publishing fact checking point of view, and none of my inquries to anyone in the publishing world has been met with an answer. Nobody wants to talk about these questions. And they are just questions. I am Jewish and I bring to this discussion years of reading novels by Jewish-American writers, and also many novels about the Holocaust. I am in no way saying Ms Konar had no right to write this novel. She did a magnificent job, she is prose stylist and a word poet. So bravo. I am on her side. My rections to the many good comments are in brackets below. [Danny]
So to MsPea re:
''What difference would it make to know if the author is Jewish? You loved the story. Isn't that enough? '' [Yes, that is enough. But see my comments just now, too.]
To Gabrielle Massey who wrote:
''Frankly, if she's not then it's all the more astounding a book. Reading it, I simply presumed she is. And I agree with Ms Pea.'' [Yes, the book is astounding. I agree. But see my comments above just now, too.]
To E. West who wrote:
''You "loved the tragic story" why on earth should it matter her religion or culture? She touched you, can we only write of our own background, that would make for a great loss in literature.'' [Yes, she touched me and that's enough, yes. But see my comments above, too.]
And to Joan Sutton who wrote: "Why should that be important. This is a story about humanity." [Yes, that is enough. But see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns and comments just now, too.]
And to mcha who wrote: "Most ridiculous book review I have ever read. This is like saying a man can't write a book about women because he isn't one. Mischling is a work of art." [Yes, mcha, anyone can write a book about the Holocaust, be they Jewish or half Jewish or not Jewish at all or a born again Christian or a Moslem or a Hindu or an atheist.. I see my publishing world and marketing/PR concerns have fallen on deaf ears, re y comment above. Several years ago there was a deeply touching memoir about the Holocaust written by a Jewish man, and it was all set for publication, it was so touching and poweful, and hundreds of blogs worldwide said how wonderful his memoir was, and he was on the Oprah TV show not just one but three times, invited back, and the major news wires saluted the book before publication, but them, just before it was to be published the major book firm that was publishing it suddently cancelle the book after a major magazine confirmed that the memoir was a hoax.] These things happen in Holocaust publishing. Now I am in no way saying Ms Konar's book is a hoax. Not at all. But who is she? I just want to know. She won't tell me, her publishers won't tell me, and her editor won't tell me. And not one book reviewer wants to know. Her real bio would be interesting, I feel, and would only add to the book's power and appeal. What's wrong with a bloke like me asking a simple question? Well, it looks like I am never going to get an answer, and so be it. At least, I asked. - Danny B.
When I wrote to Ms Konar today at her konarski email address, which was never answer in the past month, i did receive a form letter that reads: "Hello, I regret that I'm not able to respond to inquiries about MISCHLING at this time.
If you have an interview request, or interest in hosting an event, please kindly contact my publicists.
Further bio information and a touring schedule can be found on my website: affinitykonar.com
I greatly appreciate the enthusiasm with which this novel has been received--thank you!
Yours in books,
Affinity Konar
‘Mischling,’ by Affinity Konar
ReplyDeleteBy Elizabeth Rosner |
October 27, 2016 | Updated: October 27, 2016 11:40am
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Affinity Konar Photo: Gabriela Michanie
"Mischling" Photo: Little, Brown
Affinity Konar
"Mischling"
Photo: Gabriela Michanie
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Affinity Konar
It has been said many times: Auschwitz defies any and all attempts to write about it. Even firsthand witnesses have admitted to this breakdown of language. “I cannot tell you how I felt. It is impossible to put into words how I felt.” This, from Moshe Offer, a survivor of Auschwitz, whose entire family, including his twin brother, did not survive.
was 140 page views, now 600. why the recent spike?
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