Richard Michelson, FANNY'S BIG IDEA: How Jewish Book Week Was Born

[1:49]Zibby Owens: This is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby. Formerly, moms don't have time to read books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest, or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your time. As a bookstore owner, publisher, author, and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to. Stay in the know, get insider insights, and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram at zibby owens. Richard Mickelson is the author of Fanny's Big Idea, How Jewish Book Week was Born. Richard's books for children's, teens, and adults have been named among the 10 best of the year by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and The New Yorker, and among the best dozen of the decade by amazon.com. Richard received a national Jewish book award and has twice been a finalist, two Sydney Taylor gold medals and two silver from the Association of Jewish Libraries, three Junior Library Guild gold medals, a national parenting publication gold medal, and an International Reading Association Teachers' Choice Award. A native of Brooklyn, Richard served two terms as poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts, where he hosts Northampton Poetry Radio and owns R. Mickelson Galleries, which represents the original artwork of many of the country's major artists and illustrators. Welcome, Richard. Thank you so much for coming on Totally Bucked to talk about Fanny's big idea, how Jewish book week was born. Congrats.

[3:27]Richard Michelson: Well, thank you, and it's an absolute pleasure. I love finally e meeting you because you're doing so many wonderful things and for the book world, for the Jewish world. So thank you. Oh, you're so welcome.

[3:41]Zibby Owens: Okay. Read the whole book to my kids. I was like, okay. Identify different Jewish objects in here, even though they're, way too old for that game. But it's fine. They loved it. It was very inspiring. Tell everybody a little bit about not only the book and what it is about, but how you came to write it and why now.

[3:59]Richard Michelson: Well, why now? We'll start there because this is the hundredth anniversary of Jewish Book Week, now Jewish Book Month. It starts November 13 through December 13, and it was started one hundred years ago by Fanny Goldstein, was the first Jewish librarian. She was at the Boston Public Library, and she's an amazing person. We'll talk a little bit about that later. And how I came to write it, well, that's the why now, because it's obviously wanted to tie in with this anniversary. Fanny was also started the Jewish Book Council, and which, you know, has been just absolutely wonderful for Jewish authors for a long time. So I actually this is a busy year for me. I have four books out, so I've been running around like crazy. And I actually you know, they were all sold in different years. My book that came out a couple of weeks ago about Louis Brandeis was sold five years ago. This was sold a year ago. So that's how publishing works sometimes. But I actually keep a list Every time I come across an idea that interests me, I write it down on a list. I first heard the name Fanny Goldstein. I was very fortunate to win the Sydney Taylor gold medal twice now, but from the Association of Jewish Libraries. And when I went in 2018 to get my award, there was a Fanny Goldstein lecture going on. And I went to it, and that's the first time I heard the name. And I noticed that the Fannie Goldstein Award has been given out for a number of years. And a lot of my friends, Jewish librarians that I knew had gotten this award. And whenever I, you know, either I get an award or somebody I know gets an award, I'm always curious under whose a Jesus that is coming. So I looked up Fanny Goldstein, and I was amazed, number one, how little information there was online about her. And number two, they all contradicted each other. You know, when she was born, when she died, when she did things. Even on the Jewish Book Council site, the information turned out to be incorrect. So I jotted it into my little notepad. I now have 114 ideas. I'm not going to live that long, even if I continue as many books as I had this year. But about a year ago, I got a call from the PJ Library. And I hope many of your listeners know about the PJ Library. If you sign up for free, you will get a free Jewish themed children's book from the time your child is born until, I think, they're eight, nine, or 10 years old every month. It's amazing. A lot of people know Dolly Parton's Book Club. This is a wonderful idea started by Harold Grinspoon and the Foundation.

[7:26]Zibby Owens: So I did it for my kids, by the way, and thought it was just the greatest thing. I was like, I cannot believe this is free. This is amazing. Amazing. How old are your children? Well, now my I have two 18 year olds and a 12 year old and a 10 year old. But back in the day with my older kids, I would eagerly look forward to the new book that I didn't even have to think about. It just arrived and entertained us. So It's it's

[7:49]Richard Michelson: And they and all over the world, they give these books out. Just everybody go to their site and sign up. I mean, you don't even have to be Jewish. You just get books. You know? Amazing. How cool is that? PJ Library. If I remember, I'll add it to the show notes. PJ Library. Okay. Keep going. So I was fortunate in that they have used, I think, now six or seven of my books. And an earlier book this year about the first seder in the White House, next year in the White House, was PJ Library idea. They came to me and asked me to write that book. So I got a call from them, and they had mentioned that the Jewish Book Council had called them and asked if it was possible to get a book on the history of the Jewish Book Council. And they called me and said, geez, it was on my list, but it we only have a year to go until the anniversary. It's possible. It's not gonna happen. It can't. As I said, my last book was five years. Usually, it's two or three years. So I said, it's absolutely impossible, not going to happen. And then, of course, I sat down and started to write it because I thought, even if it doesn't happen, Fanny Goldstein is a person people need to know. So I wanted to start writing about her. And then I sent it out. And I actually wrote to Lori Honig, Penguin Random House, in print. I did not know her, but I had just read an article about her in Publishers Weekly talking about her background, and I thought, oh, this might be interesting. And I wrote her a a email saying, I know this can't happen in time for the hundredth anniversary, but I think this is an important book. Are you interested? Could you look at it? Etcetera. And I've never had a response so quickly. And she emailed me back not only to say that she was going to do it and get it out in time. She had already hired an illustrator, and that's Alyssa Russell, who she'd been waiting. This is Alyssa's first book. She did an amazing job. She did an amazing job. And so we started working on it even before I had a contract. Wow.

[10:16]Zibby Owens: Yeah. That's how it came to be. That's amazing. I love that story. The illustrations really are fabulous. I'm I'm holding it up for those who are listening. And Mhmm. You know, they're endearing, evocative. There's so much on each page. The colors are lovely. It really captures sort of Judaism, but all the races and all the backgrounds, which is so important to Fanny. And that was one of the things that she really advocated for, which we learn in your book is that, yes, she started Jewish Book Month, but she also started what was then called Negro Book Month and other book months and really wanted to expose people to all different cultures and ideas. And her main thesis, which you repeat in the book, is how if you understand more about how a person feels, you can put yourself in their shoes. It's sort of she's like the the empathy queen here. So tell me a little bit about that. Today's episode is sponsored by Quince. Summer always makes me rethink what I'm reaching for every day. Lighter fabrics, better materials, pieces that just feel good the moment you put them on and look effortless. That's why I keep coming back to Quince. They focus on high quality essentials. Think breathable linen, soft organic cotton, washable silk, but without the luxury markup. It's that rare balance where everything feels elevated but still easy. Quint's has beautiful everyday pieces like 100% European linen pants, dresses, and tops with styles starting at $32. Their denim is soft and easy to wear. I wear my jean jacket all the time. And their organic cotton sweaters are perfect for layering on cool summer nights. Everything at Quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen, so you're paying for quality, not brand markup. And it's not just clothing. Quince has really become a destination for elevated essentials across home, kitchen, bedding, and beyond, making it easy to bring a more premium feel into everyday life. In addition to my jean jacket, I recently got a white tank top dress with a beautiful cotton skirt that is absolutely gorgeous, and I can't wait for it to be warm enough so I can wear it every day, but it has been a cool spring. Elevate your summer wardrobe. Go to quince.com/zippy for free shipping on your order order and three hundred and sixty five day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's quince.com/zibby for free shipping and three hundred and sixty five day returns. Quince.com/zibby.

[13:24]Richard Michelson: Well, you know, basically, she she always said the more you know about someone, the harder it is not to like them. And in a sense, Fanny was the forerunner of what we know today as windows and mirrors, which is in the children's book world what you know, the the most important, I think, wave in the last twenty years is windows and mirrors, which means that every child deserves to see themselves in picture books, and every child deserves to see other cultures and how other people live. And it's such a shame to me, as this book's coming out, to see how quickly this, which seems just common sense, how it's being reversed. The book bans that are going on, the assault on literature, you know, Fanny, as I am, would be, you know, heartbroken to see what she started in that sense of being turned back. But she to know about she was curious. She wanted to know about everybody's history. And she wanted to, you know, know how other people were raised, what their traditions were. She was at the Boston Public Library. Every time a new group of people moved into the neighborhood she was at, You know, Jews moved out. Blacks moved in. Blacks moved out. Chinese moved in. Every time things started to change, she made sure that her library was stocked by writers of that ethnicity and by, you know, stories about the culture. The you know, her her big, you Jewish Book Week started because in her generation and really in my generation as well, I was raised to fit in and be all American. You know? I was we we hid our Judaism. We wanted, you know, to, you know, to play baseball, you know it it was how the the main thing was to fit in, to not stand out, to assimilate into American culture. And especially for an immigrant like Fannie and she was an immigrant, as were so many people who did so many good things in this country she, when she got the job at the Boston Public Library, what she noticed was that people of her generation were giving their children books, all American books. They weren't talking to their children about where they immigrated from, what their life was like in the old country. I was an adult before I even knew where my grandparents came from. You know, I considered myself a somewhat intelligent person. You know, I could name the kings and queens of England Russian literature. But I didn't know where my own grandfather came from.

[16:42]Zibby Owens: And Where where did he where did he come from? Well,

[16:45]Richard Michelson: you know, my my family is from Poland, Austria. The borders changed Mhmm. Regularly. You know, my grandfather is from Tasmaniaka. Now, in fact, I'm researching it more as I start looking for dual citizenship in places I might need to escape to. At this time in my life, I'm sorry that that even comes into my mind. But I didn't know. And Fannie realized that children in her library didn't know where they came from and where their parents came from. And their parents didn't want them to know. So she decided that she would have a week in her library where she would focus on Jewish books so she could teach the children, but also the parents. Mhmm. You know? So she made a a little table. She invited everyone she knew. She had been part of this Saturday evening girls club of immigrants in Boston. And she welcomed everyone. I mean, she had a Christmas tree there. She was not you know, she was totally welcoming. As you mentioned, Zuby, she started Jewish Book Week. She started Negro Book Week. She started Catholic Book Week. She started Boston Red Sox Week. I read that. That was funny. Later on. But she thought that society

[18:19]Zibby Owens: would be improved if we all learned more about each other. She's right. I mean, it's such a simple message, and yet it's so powerful, and I wish more people would pick it up and embrace it. And I love in the book how you really take us through the stages. Right? It seems like when people start things, it can be easy to think like, oh, she just founded Jewish Book Week. Like, well, how? How did she take her interest in books? How did where did her interest come from? What was her next step? Oh, the Saturday evening club, like, with her friends and, you know, how everything grew into something that can now persist for, you know, a century. But it was the little steps she took based on interests. Like, let's get these people together. Let's highlight women more. Let's do this. And and it all built on itself. And it's just so it's lucky that her work is not forgotten. It's lucky you put your mind to it. I now wanna know more about her than even your book. Like, let's see the movie about Fanny Goldstein. Like, who is she? What was her temperament more like? You know, she was such a great advocate. She was a tough old lady,

[19:28]Richard Michelson: if you read her letters. It's kind of interesting when you say how these things grow. At one point, there was a rabbi who took credit a a couple of years few years after for having started Jewish book. And Fanny decided to allow that because, originally, she said, it's not about me. Mhmm. And a well known rabbi whose name we won't mention, rabbi Felix Mendelson of Chicago. But if a well known rabbi is going to claim Jewish Book Week, then maybe it will reach more people, and it will spread longer. And she said it's you know, for me, the end is more important than people know it's I who did it. So this rabbi claimed it. And then a couple of years later, she realized, as she said, that men very happy to take the credit for things, but they don't wanna do the work. And what she found was this rabbi did nothing to promote the book. She wrote an editorial exposing. She said she was she was less angry than ashamed that someone who proposes to be a man of god, his ego is so great that, you know, he will betray, etcetera, etcetera. And that taught her something. She went on. If she was asked to speak at any group or library, she would insist that she get paid the same amount of any man that they invited to speak. Because, of course, at the beginning, they all wanted her to come for free, but they were paying other people. She said, no. If she was on a panel and was the only woman, she would very delicately say that she had a ready list of other women speakers who could join the panel. And she really helped and promoted other people. But she also, you know, she could be sharp. She could be crusty. She reminded me of my a couple of my aunts. And researching her life was difficult because women's, as much as she wrote, her papers were not considered important for the future. Women's writings were not I mean, so a lot of this was I had to track down her nieces. She never had any children, but she did have sisters and brothers. And I have to say, you know, it took me quite some time to get anyone to talk to me, to think that what right I had to write her story. But eventually, her family welcomed this. You know, I said, you know, more people need to know about this woman and her accomplishments.

[22:33]Zibby Owens: And it's just thrilling for me to be part of that. Well, I don't know why you wouldn't have the right to write it. It's I mean, it's amazing that it was written, that the research was done, and that new people can learn about this, you know, really hardworking, book loving woman who has changed how we how we read and and all of that. In terms of Jewish Book Month, which is starting soon, and actually some of the episodes from my live show are gonna be on Jewish Broadcasting Service TV during Jewish Book Month to celebrate that, so that's pretty cool. Tell me about why it starts in the middle of the month. People might not understand why is it November 13 to December 13 and not say November.

[23:19]Richard Michelson: Yeah. Well, we're on a lunar calendar and as opposed to a solar calendar. I'm not quite sure how the dates work. Every year is different, of course. So our holidays fall on different dates every year as opposed to most Christian holidays. The calendar gets confusing. I always have to look it up because I know the preliminary holiday is starting. But I'm happy to say that the Jewish Book Council is using one of Alissa's drawings from this book as their poster for the month. So many JCCs or communities will receive a poster

[24:04]Zibby Owens: advertising Jewish Book Month. Oh, that's great. The dates are right on there. You don't know when So no one will get confused or upset or anything else. That's amazing. Do you have any favorite Jewish books that are your go tos?

[24:18]Richard Michelson: Well, I mean, I'm primarily a poet. In fact, you had one of my good friends on not all that long ago, Owen Lewis. Yes. Yes. Did. Whose book of poetry, I was on it to blurb when Owen asked me to do so. So, I mean, my without mentioning because I know so many so many writers, I will go to the previous generation. My own favorite Jewish poet is Yudra Machai, who I think is I mean, I keep one book in the glove compartment of my car in case I break down sometime or I run off the road and need something to read. And that is Yod Amakai's Collected Poems. To me, the right I have another copy right by my bed whenever I want to be inspired. I pick pick it up. There's so many. I was recently teaching at Yitzhira, which is the national organization of Jewish poets. So for people who are interested, go to their site, yetzirah, And there's a whole host of Jewish poets there, and they do an annual conference, which is absolutely wonderful. Children's books. You know, so many of my friends, my good friends, write children's books. You know, one of my I live here in Western Massachusetts, where among my closest friends are Lesleya Newman, who many people know for Heather Has Two Mommies, one of the most banned books of all time. But certainly many, many wonderful Jewish children's books as well. Leslie and I had the good fortune of going to Israel together. Harold Grinspoon from the PJ Library footed the bill and brought us there. We have a little group as well. Mordecai Gerstein, who did wonderful children's books, was a dear friend of mine who passed away. Jane Yolin lives right around here. For people who know her devil's arithmetic. Recently, one of the classics and also recently banned in this great wave that is trying to take everything. And, you know, I think before before we started recording, I mentioned my friend Geraldine Brooks, her novels, which are amazing. I always hate to start doing this because I have so many. I know. I don't usually ask. I was just curious. But Geraldine, you know, her her people of the book Mhmm. Is one of my favorites. And I mean, just about everything she writes is is amazing. And I'm talking to you. You see behind me, I my day job is I handle original artwork, careers, and illustrated work. Some of the artists I represent are Leonard Baskin. Many people probably know his Haggadah, but also the Ann the Holocaust Memorial in Ann Arbor, the FDR Memorial in DC, those projects that that I did with Leonard. He passed away years years ago. And many of the illustrators on your most looking to full books, right, who put me on that list, many of the people when I looked at the list are illustrators I represent. I think Brian Collier was on your And most recent if you come into my gallery, work by Jerry Pinkney, Ezra Jack Keats, Maurice Sendak, Jules Pfeiffer. You know? All the greats. So it's

[28:18]Zibby Owens: it's an absolute pleasure. Well, thank you so much. Thank you for this beautiful and important book, and it's so perfectly timed. I'm glad that an editor saw the urgency of it and got right to work. So thank you so much and for all the work, of course, that you do and have done for years. So thank you. Thank you for coming on. Appreciate it. And I

[28:38]Richard Michelson: encourage everyone to listen to your shows and also your book on being Jewish now. And as you continue with that, it's a great great resource.

[28:51]Zibby Owens: Thank you. A pleasure. So much. Thank you. Alright. Bye, Richard. Thank you. Thanks. Bye. Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly moms don't have time to read books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, follow me on Instagram at Zibby Owens, and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.