tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post8923200662325108792..comments2023-11-28T10:21:47.318+00:00Comments on Paula Martin - Romance Author: Jennifer Wilck is my special guest todayPaula Martinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10040623635956769807noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post-82743329327774909972014-09-23T16:01:44.085+01:002014-09-23T16:01:44.085+01:00Exactly, because causing offense is the very last ...Exactly, because causing offense is the very last thing I want to do. :)JENNIFER WILCKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218241106543538422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post-44297344386718935632014-09-23T02:23:47.903+01:002014-09-23T02:23:47.903+01:00That actually makes a ton of sense. I grew up in a...That actually makes a ton of sense. I grew up in an area with a large Jewish population, and what you're saying exactly matches my experience, that for many people, being Jewish is really more about culture than religion. In other words, it can be more a part of the background than the focus of events - which sounds precisely like what you've been trying to achieve in your series. And if religion isn't the focus, you don't have to worry so much about making an error or unintentionally causing offense :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post-86848436194331019592014-09-18T12:11:23.574+01:002014-09-18T12:11:23.574+01:00Hi Lori, that's a great question. I don't ...Hi Lori, that's a great question. I don't know if I've done the characters justice, but I am Jewish, so I write what I know. Judaism is open to wide interpretation--there are many ways to practice, many varying beliefs and questioning is encouraged. So it took away some of the pressure you're talking about. Additionally, I didn't make it a particularly "religious" book--the characters are not having conversations about God or why they're supposed to do what they do. Just like a book that features a wedding in a church, it's just something that occurs. So, for Miriam, her preparations for Passover are more of a cultural and lifestyle choice--there is no religious discussion about why or how they should be celebrating Passover. Does that help?JENNIFER WILCKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218241106543538422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post-80159779741735871512014-09-18T07:00:33.687+01:002014-09-18T07:00:33.687+01:00I'm curious, Jennifer - I don't know wheth...I'm curious, Jennifer - I don't know whether you're Jewish or not, but for me, I always have trouble creating characters with specific religious affiliations precisely because, having been brought up with no particular faith myself, I fear making a mistake or possibly even offending someone. My characters, therefore, tend to experience Christmas as an Americanized holiday rather than a religious one, and I avoid depictions of both Easter and Passover with equal rigor. So I guess my question is, while I love the idea of making Judaism or some other faith the "default religion," if you are not Jewish, how did you get past that fear of misrepresenting Jewishness? To me, learning another culture is like learning a foreign language - literal translations are easy enough to learn, but mastering the idioms can take a lifetime, and I would hate to mistranslate something I don't know very much about.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10935825774195785605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5758308854209130362.post-36800536402622829892014-09-17T12:06:14.216+01:002014-09-17T12:06:14.216+01:00Thank you so much, Paula, for hosting me today!Thank you so much, Paula, for hosting me today!JENNIFER WILCKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16218241106543538422noreply@blogger.com