In an autobiography, writers bring theirs and their family’s history into language, give voice to the continued silence.
As the child of Holocaust survivors, I am promoting myself as a representative of my father’s legacy during the Holocaust and how it relates to me. I’m also approaching this subject, knowing the limits of my perception of what he went through.
My vocabulary about my experience growing up with a father who was emotionally damaged by the war tends to concentrate on trauma. Undeniably, I respect that his life demonstrated strength and resilience under the most difficult circumstances. But the Holocaust trauma was passed on to me, and I was raised in its shadow.
The losses and upheaval that…
Important to remember those who sacrificed so much
On August 15, 2021, facing little resistance, Taliban fighters swamped the capital, Kabul, and took over the presidential palace hours after President Ghani left the country. The takeover follows the Taliban’s rapid advance, during which it captured all but two of Afghanistan’s provincial capitals and seized most border crossings.
As President Biden and former President Trump point fingers at each other, Biden reminded Americans that the pullout was negotiated initially by Trump and Trump fired back that Biden should resign based on his poor handling of the withdrawal.
The reports and images coming out of Afghanistan are disturbing, and we…
My strong emotional reaction to foul language
There is no denying that online hate speech has increased worldwide, attributing to violence. Social media feeds drive views and privileges incendiary content, setting up a stimulus-response loop that promotes outrageous expression.
Hate is a human emotion that is sparked through exposure to particular types of information. Social scientists and others have noted how social media posts, and other online speech, can inspire acts of violence.
We have seen attacks against refugees in Germany. In the United States, a white supremacist killed nine black clergy and worshippers. In Pittsburgh, a synagogue shooter killed…
What happens when the two of us become entangled?
I’d hoped the world would stay steady on its course. Instead, with ground-eating strides, you crossed eternity and jerked open the door uninvited. Things we once took for granted wrecked the actuality of our view.
It’s only now that I recognized the wretched life you cloaked the world in and how your misery needs company. Whether lashing out was premeditated or not, you crossed the line when a new version of you is spreading quickly across the world and casts increasing uncertainty over our future.
More than a year after I…
Judge, jury, and executioner — assert and punish.
“Once I thought that anti-Semitism had ended; today it is clear to me that it will probably never end.” — Elie Wiesel, Jewish Holocaust Survivor
Throughout history, anti-Semitism has continued to raise its ugly head. It first appeared under religious pretexts in the Middle Ages, then appeared as nationalism from the nineteenth century onwards, before assuming a scientific claim in Nazi ideology. Since the conclusion of WW2, it has reappeared in the guise of anti-Zionism.
There has been an alarming eighty percent spike in antisemitic acts in this country since May amid…
A Case of choosing ignorance over truth.
We exist in a world where it is not difficult to find extreme forms of social hostility. The case of discourse directed at specific groups is exposed. Prejudice affects not just separate individuals but communities and nations. It moves between people, formulate and reformulated, resisted, or internalized.
Prejudiced attitudes — produced and reproduced.
Extreme prejudice and moral exclusion are unmistakable in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus Finch deserves distinction as one of the greatest fictional moral heroes of all time, demonstrating heroism by his willingness to oppose tradition and institutionalized racism.
Atticus shows his heroism through the worth he places on justice and compassion…
To fabricate assumptions about a country is not some universal truth.
An assumption is a conclusion that someone comes to on their own based on combining different clues. An opinion is based only on someone’s personal feelings about a matter, a belief without proof. In fact, a story is created! That story may contain facts, but it weaves assumptions, guesses, and speculation with emotions to arrive at something that is just an opinion.
Let’s go beyond the comfortable categories of politics.
We haven’t populated a post-truth society yet, where facts no longer exist and opinions rule the day, especially when pitched into the public square by the news media. …
Step out from behind your words and show your readers more about who you are!
As I mentioned in my last article, appearing in podcasts as a guest is a powerful way to grow your brand, whether you’re launching a book, growing your podcast, or getting more attention for your business.
Growing your audience isn’t always a straightforward undertaking, and at times, you’ll need to go out of your comfort zone to generate some noise around your brand.
There are more than 400,000 podcasts on the airwaves. There are podcasts on everything from marketing to entrepreneurship, from essential oils, and everything in between. Listeners are eager for content that matters to them.
How do I get on podcasts?
Getting yourself in…
He was a little man, cigarette in hand, unshaven, tight-lipped, and uncomfortable. But he was a hell of a writer.
People often ask me where I get my ideas for my books. It’s simple. I watch TV. The best ideas don’t come as a big explosion of inspiration. Instead, it whispers as a single visual, or a line of dialogue, or a character trait. Or watching good shows on TV.
Some of the best writing in the world is in the scripts of my favorite shows. Lately, my inspiration sparks as I journey into the vault of Rod Serling, the creator of The Twilight Zone. And then, I create sounds and visuals, which affect the reader’s mind, taking them into…
Henya Drescher
Psychological thrillers writer, wife, mother, weightlifter, gardener. Stolen Truth on Amazon. https://henyadrescher.com
