Jonathan Papernick

My first is a book peddler at the Waltham farmers market was a great success. Between 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM today I had sold 13 copies of my books and bartered one with the cheese lady. It was really fun getting out there and meet my readers, and having the opportunity to convince people that this is a book that they need to read. The weather could not have been any better, but I did learn I need an umbrella to keep the sun off of me. Looking forward to part two next week at the farmers market. In the meantime, I'm planning a trip to Union Square in New York City. That should be fun.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Eve Rubinstein
Phone: 617-820-9400
Email: everubinstein@hotmail.com
Papernick the Book Peddler
Boston, MA, July 29, 2010 — Local author Jonathan Papernick, otherwise known as Papernick the Book Peddler, is currently appearing at farmers markets throughout New England and New York, now through October 2 to promote his short stories and reintroduce the age-old art of hand-selling books. The tour will culminate with a parade from Brooklyn to the Upper West Side of Manhattan where Papernick will read from his work. He will be accompanied by Zisl Slepovitch, leader of the klezmer band Tamevate Kapelye (Foolish Band) and friends. For tour dates and locations, please visit www.jonpapernick.com.
Papernick came up with his alter-ego persona based on the great Yiddish writer, Mendele the Book Peddler. Papernick, a new immigrant himself (from Canada) recreates his story through the eyes of his European Jewish ancestors, complete with an updated fluorescent pushcart. Papernick has decided to bring his books directly to the people, meeting his readers one at a time. Papernick says he is "going old school, building face-to-face relationships in an age where new technologies and e-books have replaced human contact."
He is the author of The Ascent of Eli Israel, Who By Fire Who By Blood, and the new collection of stories There Is No Other. Hadassah Magazine wrote, "Papernick joins a handful of young Jewish writers... who have been steadily redefining not only the range but also the very substance of contemporary Jewish writing." Publishers Weekly called There Is No Other Papernick's "second collection of powerful stories...tight and fearless."
For the past four years he has been writer-in-residence at Emerson College and artist-in-residence in the BIMA program at Brandeis University.

There Is No Other: Stories
Jonathan Papernick, Exile Editions (IPG, Dist.), $19.95 paper (184p) ISBN 978-1-55096-138-6
A second collection of powerful stories by Papernick (The Ascent of Eli Israel) pursues the conflicted inner turmoil of Jews caught in a modern maelstrom. The chilling title story, set during Purim in a New York City Jewish school, pits a well-meaning, beleaguered young teacher against one of his disaffected charges, the angry half-Haitian Junius Barker, who comes to class dressed as a suicide-bombing prophet Mohammed and challenges the teacher to explain why the Jews are the chosen people. In "A Kiss for Mrs. Fisch," a 40-year-old businessman on his first trip to Israel and his first time away from his mother, decides to get a wife, but finds himself swimming uncomfortably between American materialism and ritualistic Judaism. In "The Madonna of Temple Beth Elohim," a shell-shocked Iraqi war victim offered work at a Boston-area synagogue believes he sees the imprint of the Madonna in a pulpit, setting off a firestorm between Christian pilgrims and bewildered Jews. And in "The Last Five-Year Plan," the millionaire developer protagonist hits on a brilliant idea to establish accord between Israelis and Palestinians: he'll introduce them to baseball. Papernick's new collection is tight and fearless. (Sept.)