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Alexandra Cooper is an editor at Simon and Schuster. I met Alexandra at a recent SCBWI Writer’s Retreat. She was kind enough to answer some questions about Jewish books, and her role as an editor. Many people wonder about the editor’s perspective, and I’m delighted to share Alexandra’s thoughts on Jewish literature for children.

As an editor in a mainstream publishing house are you able to produce books that fit into the genre of Jewish children's literature?

I think so. Every editor has to have a balanced list, between novels and picture books and also between more commercial and more literary projects. I would count Jewishly-themed books as a part of my mix, and I am definitely enthusiastic about editing books of Jewish interest. It's about striking that balance--no editor can publish books meant only for one audience, unless that editor is at a publishing house exclusively devoted to that particular audience. As an editor at a general trade house, I think I have the opportunity to raise awareness and bring books I love to a wider population.

Are there any unique marketing issues with a book that has a Jewish thread?

The Jewish community in particular has some wonderful resources, so there are a number of opportunities for books of Jewish interest to reach their target audience. But what about expanding beyond that base? I wouldn't want a person to pick up a book, then realize that the book has some Jewish content and think, "That's not for me." Every book has a specific theme, but the challenge is to make that translate universally so the book speaks to a wide audience, not just those readers who could directly relate to the protagonist.

Is there a Jewish topic that is not well represented in mainstream books that you would like to see?

That's a tough question! I'm looking for books that appeal to a wide audience, but at the same time, aren't just another book that's similar to what's already been published, or to a book I've already edited. There are all kinds of topics, Jewish and not, that aren't necessarily what I'd call well-represented by general publishers, but that's also not the mission of a mainstream house. I think that more and more, specialized publishers are going to gain traction, because they will be able to put out strong books meant for a specific audience, books that will be found and embraced by that specific audience. It's already happening with the recording industry and with movie-making--smaller companies are finding it easier to brand themselves by creating niches.

Do you have any book in your previous or current list you would like to mention?

I edited a middle-grade novel called THE TRUTH ABOUT MY BAT MITZVAH, by Nora Raleigh Baskin, that I'm really excited about. It centers around a girl who is just discovering her Jewish identity--her mother is Jewish but her father isn't, and her best friend is starting to plan her own bat mitzvah. I think Nora absolutely captured how it feels to be in seventh grade and confused about everything, trying to navigate friendships and boys and school, and the character here is also struggling with religion, tradition, and family.

What was your favorite book as a child?

I couldn't pick only one--I think that's part of the reason I work in children's books now! I remember loving Ferdinand the Bull, Caps for Sale, and the Frog and Toad stories, to name a mere

Alexandra, thanks so much for sharing your words of wisdom!

I just spent the weekend with my family and the excitement about the Giants making the Superbowl for the first time since 2000 was palatable. So I decided to do some research and see what my hometown team could do between now and next weekend to ensure a win. I found Michael Gleeson and Ronald J Maughan’s The Biochemical Basis of Sports Performance had my answer. Their book describes the biochemical processes involved in energy provision for different sports events and the way in which limitations in the energy supply can cause fatigue and thus limit performance. Below is an excerpt I hope will help the Giants! (more…)

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Now here's a great idea. Cancel the gym membership & listen to literature while burning calories by walking. That's what Belinda Webb suggests in her January 1st column in the UK's Guardian. Take a moment to read her advice and suggest your favorites for her daily walk!

Now that my term on the Odyssey Award committee is nearing the end, those fabulous boxes full of the latest titles from publishers will stop magically appearing on my porch, and I will have to start finding other ways to satisfy my addiction. Audiobooks are a pretty expensive habit, if you want the newest release that isn't yet available from the public library. When the publishers were feeding my addiction, I had the luxury of listening to my no-cost audiobooks at the gym. But if it comes down to working out at the gym or listening to the newest title, I know which one I'd pick.

However, both options have one drawback - the public display of listener engagement. Every audiobook addict knows the loony-lady stigma of laughing out loud in a crowded room of serious treadmill-focused gym rats, or the concerned expression of the sidewalk passer-by who sees the denouement-induced tears. But better to consume audiobooks while becoming physically fit - as my other favorite way to listen is while cooking elaborate treats in the kitchen!

NOTE TO SELF: DON'T JUDGE A WORM BY ITS LOOKS


A New Zealand inventor of the "wormorator" has been forced to defend the use of worms in a composting toilet he has developed after officials became concerned that the creatures might become traumatised by the procedure. Coll Bell was told to get an expert's report on the mental impact on the tiger worms being used after an official became concerned during a site visit.He says the official felt that the worms were being unfairly treated, being expected to deal with human faeces, and that it could affect them in a psychological way.Mr Bell was told he had to get someone with the necessary qualifications to say the worms were happy. A vermiculture consultant was called in and she has found the worms are in excellent health and breeding happily.

In Bell's invention, a colony of worms filters solids from the toilet waste and the leftover water is filtered into underground trenches.

When you think about it and some would rather not and for sure some don't care one way or the other (most likely the latter), the mere fact that they are turning...you-know-what into rich loam could be an indication that they i.e. the worms, enjoy the process. Or...on the other hand and we don't really know since the worms, can't express their true inner feelings, their action and end result could be a result of the trauma of having to deal with human feces. I mean - it's totally understandable.

So my next question is: just where does one find somebody with the right qualifications or indeed any qualification to deal with worm trauma? Can the testimony of a vermiculturalist be believed? What does she/he do to test out her/his theory? Pull a worm out of the earth and have a conversation with it?

"Hello worm," she would probably say. "How 'ya doin' today? I'm fine! So...how d'ya like dealing with all that sh**?"

How could the vermiculturalist know the difference between an unhappy and happy worm? More to the point, does a worm know if its happy or unhappy? Do worms suffer from depression?

Also, in as far as hygeine is concerned, who would sit on this compost toilet?

The Auckland Regional Council's concerns went down the pan after vermiculture consultant Patricia Naidu found the worms in excellent health and breeding happily. I guess one has to take her word for it.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/071216/oddities/nzealand_animals_offbeat_worms