Ben Yehuda Press: Jewish books🏳️‍⚧️ Would you like a thread of our books by trans / nonbinary / non-cis authors for Trans Awareness Week? 🏳️‍⚧️
#TransAuthors #TransAwarenessWeek #TransBooks @bookstodon #WritingCommunity (with an open call too!)
Everything Thaws by R.B. Lemberg @rblemberg is coming this winter!
A poetry memoir about growing up Jewish & nonbinary in Ukraine and Russia, migration, and climate change.
Lyrical and moving, written with a speculative sensibility:
The Shortest Skirt in Shul by Sass Orol revisits many classic Biblical stories from a trans standpoint, and offers poems with textual experimentation and deep resonance.
"Parchment: to create an utter thirst"
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/the-shortest-skirt-in-shul/
The Shortest Skirt in Shul - Ben Yehuda Press
“All bodies are mistranslated prophecies” Sass Orol’s debut poetry collection reexamines gender in Jewish history and steps into the present with daring and delight. From Avraham in the desert to a trans girl at the National Gallery, these intricately crafted poems explore embodiment, self-determination and desire. Orol engages with traditional sources and the Hebrew language […]
Our anthology Artifacts of Orthodox Childhoods was edited by Dr. Dainy Bernstein @dainybernstein!
Everything from material culture to beloved children's songs, with many authors writing both academic, personal and professional reflections:
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/artifacts-of-orthodox-childhoods/
#NonbinaryAuthors #MaterialCulture #JewishBooks #JewishNonfiction #ChildhoodStudies
Artifacts of Orthodox Jewish Childhoods - Ben Yehuda Press
The books, music, toys and experiences we grow up with shape who we become as adults. All those things are a reflection of how a society regards and raises its children. The culture of mainstream American childhood is vastly different than the culture of Orthodox Jewish childhood – which is itself a rich and varied […]
While this is the only anthology we have at present with a non-cis editor, we do have other anthologies which each have multiple trans contributors!
Other Covenants: Alternate Histories of the Jewish People edited by A.D. Lobel and Mark Shainblum is coming very soon!
In addition to stories on everything from zeppelins to zombies, it has *counts on fingers* at least three trans contributors?
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/other-covenants/
#JewishSFF #SpeculativeFiction #SpeculativePoetry #AlternateHistory
Strange Fire edited by T.S. Mendola features fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction reflecting our Jewish present within the pandemic!
And it has art by the aforementioned @dainybernstein based on (and made out of!) eir childhood siddur:
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/strange-fire/
#Anthologies #ShortStories #Poetry #CreativeNonfiction #Pandemic
Strange Fire - Ben Yehuda Press
A daring exploration of UnOrthodoxy in a moment of global crisis A century ago, the Philadelphia Jewish community held a Black Wedding to ward off the 1918 flu pandemic. A destitute bride and groom were chosen from the community and married off in Mount Moriah cemetery. A thousand guests attended, standing between and among fresh graves, […]
We also have a trans-translated book!
The Yiddish edition of You Be You (written by Jon Branfman with illustrations by Julie Benbassat) was translated by Lili Rosen!
The world's first queer- + trans-inclusive kids' gender & sexuality guide IN YIDDISH:
https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/you-be-you-yiddish-edition/
You Be You (Yiddish Edition) - Ben Yehuda Press
This is an illustrated Yiddish children’s book for ages 7-11 that makes gender identity, sexual orientation and family diversity easy to explain to children. Throughout the book kids learn that there are many kinds of people in the world and that diversity is something to be celebrated. It covers gender, romantic orientation, discrimination, intersectionality, privilege, […]
Finally, if you are a trans Jewish writer with a manuscript at hand, we are open to unagented submissions!
Please query us here:
https://www.benyehudapress.com/submit/
Thank you for reading!
Joseph-Kass Tomaras@BenYehudaPress manuscript is not quite ready yet, but I am a trans translator who's been working on Der Nister's stories, and you all are on my list of possible publishers!