The Jewish Literary Exchange
Binnie Kirshenbaum
Dr. Margot Krebs speaks with Binnie Kirshenbaum, professor of writing at Columbia University, about her novel, Hester Among the Ruins (2000). This event is part of the Jewish Literary Exchange discussion series. Hester Among the Ruins is about a Jewish, female historian who visits Munich and falls in love with an older, German historian. Kirshenbaum explains that she thought of the story’s premise while on a book tour in Germany, where learned that her travel guide’s parents were members of the S.S. She wanted the characters in her story to pursue history as a profession while “ignoring their personal histories.” Ultimately, Kirshenbaum explains, the relationship was doomed to failure because “not enough time had passed for these people to trust each other.” The discussion includes questions from the audience.
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