Comments on Gefilte Fish Blues: It's Alright, Jonah

I came from G's blog and was reading several of yo...

2008-07-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

I came from G's blog and was reading several of your posts--putting off going to the beach to watch fireworks--I'm a Jew from the Island,too many Manhattan years, now in the heart of the bible belt--and had to tell you how amazing this story was

It had everything; plot--parents, divorce, grandmother's, food, wit, Long Island

Wow I loved it

Lion eyes -- It's stuck between the Moon and New Y...

2008-05-28T14:51:00.000-04:00

Lion eyes -- It's stuck between the Moon and New York City.

Bob -- in the words of Apu, thank you, come again! :)

Pixie -- thanks for the advice. You're not gunning for a piece of the profits, are you? :)

Yeah, yeah...you're great.

Where's the next...

2008-05-28T13:50:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah...you're great.

Where's the next one??

XOXOXOXO

I've been lurking for a few months and thought it ...

2008-05-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

I've been lurking for a few months and thought it was time to break the silence and crush on you like the others.

I have enjoyed your stories, they are well written and immensely readable.

Thanks.

Jonah it took me three or four times to come back ...

2008-05-21T09:53:00.000-04:00

Jonah it took me three or four times to come back and continue to read your post. It hurt my heart so much during reading that I had to digest it before I could comment.
Jonah you make me live through your past while I read your writings. You make me have to get up and take a break because I feel too much. You are THAT good of a writer that I actually hurt and ache and feel like I've lived through the experiences you relate. Either I had similiar pangs and I relate that way or you are actually making me feel things long burried. Your precise perfect humor is exactly my kind. I get it, I get the deflection of your anger and pain into the perfectly timed humor and biting sarcasm.
I LOVE your blog and when you publish this as a memoir I know that you will go far! Write up a proposal and send it to 100 addresses you get out of the libraries resources, dont wait till they are all written, hawk them now and write like a fiend as you wait for answers.
HUGS!

Red -- that was very sweet. And if you did break ...

2008-05-21T01:29:00.000-04:00

Red -- that was very sweet. And if you did break up your parents, did the divorce lawyers cut you in on the profits?

And thanks Amy. Hopefully your children appreciate your sacrifice as much as you enjoy my stories. And if they don't, just threaten them that you're going to send them to live with my parents.

Wow. When I get behind on my Reader, I always sav...

2008-05-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

Wow. When I get behind on my Reader, I always save yours for last. Partly because I know it's going to take me a long time to read... but partly because I'm trying my hand at delayed gratification. I feel like I finished a novel once I'm done, which is a nice feeling of accomplishment for a working mother of 2 who finds herself with not enough time to read. So thanks for that.

I'm glad to hear that you are planning on getting yourself published. I promise to buy a copy for all my friends as well. :)Unfortunately, I only have about 4. But it's a start, right?

I am amazed as always the detail, the perspective,...

2008-05-17T21:51:00.000-04:00

I am amazed as always the detail, the perspective, the flow, the humor. You have a gift. I'm sure you work at it, so I need to be certain you hear that your writing is appreciated...loved even, in a totally non-creepy, meat-free kind of way.
A fellow victim of divorced parents...but it was my fault.

I have only the utmost respect for my small cadre ...

2008-05-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

I have only the utmost respect for my small cadre of fans. Specifically, you all seem not to suffer from computer-induced ADD. I can't seem to stay on one site long enough to read three paragraphs, but you all read 30 page stories in one sitting. That's an accomplishment all by itself.

It may seem that your cadre of fans is smallish, b...

2008-05-17T02:01:00.000-04:00

It may seem that your cadre of fans is smallish, but we're passionate in thinking you're amazing.

What you do so well is take events that could be cliche (such as the guilty dad buying affection) and make them heart-rending and funny--you expose the humanity in them.

Thanks G! This will go on my mantle, once I get o...

2008-05-16T12:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks G! This will go on my mantle, once I get one, right next to the Pulitzer, once I get one of those too.

You've got something over at my blog Jonah. Happy ...

2008-05-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

You've got something over at my blog Jonah. Happy Friday!

Thanks Karen. Yeah, I decided against hypnotherap...

2008-05-16T00:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks Karen. Yeah, I decided against hypnotherapy. Repression is underrated.

Never go back man. You just can't recover from so...

2008-05-14T23:29:00.000-04:00

Never go back man. You just can't recover from something like that! Your writing really is extraordinary. It is always a treat when I check in and you have a new story up!

Thanks Cookie. Your comments show that I'm not ma...

2008-05-13T00:40:00.000-04:00

Thanks Cookie. Your comments show that I'm not making all this crap up. My life seriously is this meshugah.

And thanks to everyone for your comments. This is indeed a memoir, and when I've finished enough stories I will probably arrange them as such. Too bad I mentally blocked out all memories of my family before age 7. I could go to a hypnotherapist to mine what I'm certain is an embarrassment of riches, but I'm not sure I would ever bounce back from that.

ah, quentin. i fondly remember him waiting with co...

2008-05-12T16:25:00.000-04:00

ah, quentin. i fondly remember him waiting with coffee.

i too always liked that pool until i climbed the high diving board and my fear of heights decided-- this is the moment to kick in. i think melanie helped me climb back down the ladder.

Okay, remember to count me in as one of the early ...

2008-05-12T14:35:00.000-04:00

Okay, remember to count me in as one of the early fans.

Magnificent on every level. What I especially thought wonderful was your ability to add poignancy in to your razor wit - a winning combo.

Yeah, what she said.

This is not stories, i...

2008-05-12T13:02:00.000-04:00

Yeah, what she said.

This is not stories, it's a memoir. I just read "The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy" by Robert Leleux, and while it was often charming, yours is consistently better. I think it may have been written as individual stories that were later blended because of the occasional repetition of details.

Good luck in learning what you need to know or making a good connection at the workshop.

Or maybe when you're on the Oprah show promoting y...

2008-05-12T11:23:00.000-04:00

Or maybe when you're on the Oprah show promoting your book you'll remember who your early fans were and gets us tickets?
It never hurts to ask, right?

Seriously, Jonah, you need to be published, more people should be reading this (not that Hearts and I aren't more than enough for anyone).

Again, from your lips to God's ears, Heart. Or Sa...

2008-05-12T01:31:00.000-04:00

Again, from your lips to God's ears, Heart. Or Satan's. I'm not picky.

Seriously, I'm attending a workshop in a few weeks about selling your stories, so maybe I'll get some leads there. Or maybe I'll just languish in relative anonymity until I die, when my work will become worth many times its original monetary value, which is currently set around zero. I'm kind of hoping for the former, though.

Jonah, this is wonderful in so many ways. Your eye...

2008-05-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

Jonah, this is wonderful in so many ways. Your eye for detail is extraordinary, as is your ability to recall and recreate it.

I am reminded of Wordsworth's remark that art was emotion recollected in tranquility.

Get a damn agent already, and may I please have an autographed copy?