While I was visiting my parents recently I took a few minutes to look at the bookshelf in their living room. There is a section on sailing for dad and The Complete Works of Shakespeare. There are atlases and dictionaries and several art books of the great masters. And then there is The Holocaust shelf.Continue reading “Under My Nose the Whole Time”
Category Archives: Research
True or False?
I had my first nibble and my first rejection from a literary agent this month. I have an author friend with an agent, and I decided to check out what types of books her agent was interesting in representing. Her website mentioned history, and narrative nonfiction and YA. This could be the one, I thought.Continue reading “True or False?”
A Curious Call
The other night I was getting ready to make dinner. I was in that lost state of looking in the fridge hoping that something was in there that would magically transform into a meal for my family when the phone rang. Hello? Dead air. I thought it was one of those obnoxious call-room scammers tellingContinue reading “A Curious Call”
Psychologist as Educator
My academic training is in psychology. My “therapist skills” have been very useful while researching and writing Scraps of Hope. My most important tool as a psychologist is listening, and while working on this book, I have listened a lot. I have listened carefully to my mother’s stories and thought about what was most importantContinue reading “Psychologist as Educator”
The Devil Really is in the Details
How do I turn a vague memory into a well-written moment in my book? My mother remembers that her father’s car (before the war reached the Netherlands in 1940) was light blue and had a rumble seat. Her parents rode in the front and when the weather was nice, she got to sit in theContinue reading “The Devil Really is in the Details”
Blog Changes
I spent this morning re-organizing this blog. It might not look very different, but I would like to point out a few updates. The column on the right now has a new look. There is a place to “Follow”. If you add your email address here you will get an email whenever I put upContinue reading “Blog Changes”
Research Dreams
Recently I have been delving into new questions related to my book. I want to know more about the falsified passport that saved my grandfather from being sent to Auschwitz. This is what I know so far: It was obtained from the Paraguayan Consulate in Bern Switzerland. I say “obtained” because I do not knowContinue reading “Research Dreams”
Perseverence in Research: Update
I found the daughter of the man who obtained the passports. She was very happy to hear from me as she had lost touch with our family after about 1950. She had a 1000 questions about my grandparents and mother and uncle. Now it is time to send her my 1000 questions about her fatherContinue reading “Perseverence in Research: Update”
Perseverance in Research or the Importance of Good Spelling
One of the leads that I have not found an answer to in my research has been how my grandfather was able to get a falsified passport that helped to save his family. What my mother has told me is that someone who my grandfather did business with in Switzerland somehow obtained two dozen copiesContinue reading “Perseverance in Research or the Importance of Good Spelling”
Surviving Jews were Asked to Pay Back Taxes after the Holocaust
Yesterday I came across this article, which I urge you to read for yourself. The surviving Jews of Amsterdam were apparently charged property taxes and utilities during the time that they were either in hiding or deported by the Nazis. They were fighting for their lives. Only 5% of the country’s Jews came home, andContinue reading “Surviving Jews were Asked to Pay Back Taxes after the Holocaust”
K Heidi Fishman (Popje and Me) 