We still need celebrations.
Because the human spirit still needs joy.
When I was in elementary school, I asked my best friend if she thought I was stubborn.
“Not stubborn,” she replied, demonstrating what would later become her excellent social worker skills. “You’re persistent.”
She understood that about me even then.
When my first novel The Prophetess was published, one of my goals was to have the book be printed in paperback. In October 2019, that seemed feasible within a year or two. I had a successful book launch party. I had a five-city book tour. By February 2020, I thought I was building momentum toward that paperback goal.
Well, that’s not how 2020 (or 2021 or 2022) turned out. Nonetheless, I continued to promote The Prophetess, to learn how to teach its wisdom and share the messages of the book. Next week, that long-awaited paperback is finally coming out:
With the paperback scheduled for a November 14 release, I had prepared a launch campaign to start on October 9. Over the last month, with everything that has been happening in Israel and around the world, my heart just hasn’t been in it.
But then I remembered this.
In September 2001, I was living in downtown Washington, D.C. After 9/11, I felt dazed and frightened. I walked through my neighborhood, taking pictures of military tanks. I couldn’t sleep when military planes flew overhead.
During this horrifying time, the mother of an Israeli friend organized a birthday party for her young adult son. I thought it was a surprising time to have a party. But she said that at a time like this, “we need celebrations” to keep our spirits up.
This Israeli woman understood that in times of distress and fear, the human spirit needs joy. We need to celebrate what it good. We need to acknowledge, and not downplay or hide, when our dreams come true.
That is how I have found the strength, in the last week, to begin to throw my heart back into podcasts, guest blogs, articles written, and all the other things that will go into my book launch next week.
And it is why I’m sharing all of this with you.
There is so much to mourn, to grieve, to fear, to process. It will probably take years to understand and heal from all that has happened in just the last month.
Part of that healing process will be discovering new, deepened truths about ourselves and the world. And part of it will be, slowly, re-opening our hearts to joy.
The Prophetess is a book of joy. It’s a book of celebration, growth, claiming our greatness and believing in the greatness of others. It’s also a book of profound love for Jewish wisdom, Jewish tradition, and Israel. A book that can make us feel proud to be who we are.
I want to bring that book into the world as much as I did four years ago — in paperback: easy to toss into your backpack; at a paperback price; easy to read, and ready to inspire. I hope you will consider buying one for yourself, one for a family member, one for a friend. Buy it for the dreamers, the would-be prophets, the world-changers, the teachers, and everyone who needs inspiration right now. It will make a difference.
For each book pre-ordered by November 14, my publisher and I have each agreed to make a donation to Leket Israel, an Israeli organization that rescues surplus food and distributes it to those in need. I honor their efforts to feed the hungry and at the same time reduce food waste (a mitzvah).
In this incredibly challenging time, may we mourn, may we speak up for what matters, and may we find joy where we can. May your family and loved ones be safe, and may we see lasting peace soon at the right time.
Evonne
P.S. Cyberspace being what it is, this email may have been flagged as spam in your inbox. I promise, it's really me, putting the final touches on this newsletter before starting my actual job for the week. (No bot would know that but you do, right?) If you want to see more messages from me, please let your email service know I'm real and writing to you from my author account, evonnewrites@gmail.com.