In conjunction with the release of “A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York,” the graphic novel by Liana Finck, a panel on comics will be held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on April 23. The panel, “Jews, Comics, and the City,” will include three cartoonists, Liana Finck, Miriam Katin, and Eli Valley. The panel will be moderated by Tahneer Oksman of Marymount Manhattan College.
Details follow:
New York, NY—From Superman and Batman to Maus, there is a long tradition of Jewish comic book authors and illustrators. Three cartoonists, Liana Finck, Miriam Katin, and Eli Valley will discuss their inspirations in Jews, Comics, and the City, a fascinating panel discussion that will take place on Wednesday, April 23, at 7 p.m., in conjunction with the release of Ms. Finck’s long awaited graphic novel, “A Bintel Brief: Love and Longing in Old New York,” published by HarperCollins. The program will take place at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust.
The panel, moderated by Tahneer Oksman of Marymount Manhattan College, will discuss how the authors’ surroundings, family history, and backgrounds have informed their representations of Jewish life in pen and ink.
Finck says, “I was trying to rediscover the person I’d been ignoring since I started college. I thought it would be interesting to write about something Jewish.” A book her grandmother had given her, a collection of letters published by the Yiddish Forward in their popular advice column, captured her imagination. “I feel very deeply connected with the stories,” she says, “and the mood of struggling and the very, very wry humor.”
Tickets are $10, $7 students/seniors, and $5 for members. Tickets are available online at http://www.mjhnyc.org or by calling the Museum box office at 646.437.4202.
This event is co-sponsored by the Forward.
About the Panel
Liana Finck
Liana Finck studied fine art at Cooper Union College and has received a Fulbright Fellowship and a Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. She is the author and illustrator of a graphic novel based on the “The Bintel Brief,” a beloved Yiddish advice column that was published in the Forward beginning in 1906. Her work has been the subject of exhibits at the Museum at Eldridge Street and Yiddish Book Center.
Miriam Katin
Born in Hungary during WWII, Miriam Katin immigrated to Israel in 1957 where she served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a graphic artist. She has lived in New York City since 1990, working as a background designer for MTV and Disney. Her books include We Are On Our Own and Letting It Go.
Eli Valley
Eli Valley is a writer and comic artist whose work has appeared in the Forward, Haaretz, Gawker, and Jewcy. He is an artist in residence at the Forward.
Tahneer Oksman is Assistant Professor of Academic Writing and Director of the Writing Program at Marymount Manhattan College. Her research and teaching interests include composition studies, autobiography studies, graphic novels and comics, and American literature. In addition to her academic work, Tahneer frequently publishes reviews and interviews related to her interests in publications including The Forward and Jewish Book Council, and she is the graphic narratives reviews editor for the online literary journal, Cleaver Magazine.
About the Museum of Jewish Heritage
The Museum’s exhibitions educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the rich tapestry of Jewish life over the past century—before, during, and after the Holocaust. Current special exhibitions include Hava Nagila: A Song for the People, on view through April 22, 2014. Against the Odds: American Jews and the Rescue of Europe’s Refugees, 1933-1941 is open through fall 2014. Discovery and Recovery: Preserving Iraqi Jewish Heritage is open through May 18, 2014. It is also home to the award-winning Keeping History Center, an interactive visitor experience, and Andy Goldsworthy’s memorial Garden of Stones. The Museum offers visitors a vibrant public program schedule in its Edmond J. Safra Hall and receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
