Customer Reviews

A Letter to Harvey Milk: Short Stories

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I read this book as part of my women's studies class and want to thank my professor, Marlene Howell, for leading me and my classmates to this book several years ago. This book really opened my eyes to two worlds that I, as a boring, straight, Presbyterian girl, had always been fascinated by: Judaism and Lesbianism. Newman structures her book so that each of the stories represents one candle on the Hannakah menorah, revealing each woman's fears and issues as they come to terms with their sexuality, religious, and personal issues such as sexual abuse. There are reflections on the Holocaust and discrimination against Jews and homosexuals. While Newman helped me to reflect on my own sexuality, and to discover my own love for other women-without erotic details-you don't need to be bi, lesbian, or Jewish to take something away from this book.

The title story was shared by a friend. That prompted me to purchase the book. I did not find the other stories nearly as compelling.

This is a collection of stories that offer a fresh perspective on current issues of homosexuality and anti-Semitism. It lends a unique voice to those experiencing growing pains and self-discovery. In these stories characters anxiously discover their lesbian identities while beginning to understand, and finally to embrace, their Jewish heritage.

These nine stories add a dose of humor while confronting the issues of our time like AIDS, and issues that have been around for centuries like mother-daughter misunderstandings. Ms. Newman's characters are just a bit crazy but this helps to transfer the story from the pages to memory.

"A Letter to Harvey Milk," by Leslea Newman, is a collection of 9 stories that explores what it means to be Jewish and lesbian in America. The book includes a glossary of the many Yiddish terms used in the stories.

Newman deals with a number of issues throughout the book: the AIDS crisis, President Reagan's controversial visit to Bitburg, the legacy of the Holocaust, religious chauvinism, "coming out" to parents, preservation of the Yiddish language, and more. Some of her issues seem a bit obvious and even forced, but overall she handles the material effectively.

I found the best story in the collection to be the title story; it's about the relationship between an elderly Jewish man and his writing teacher, a young Jewish lesbian. Also impressive is "The Gift," which consists of snapshots of a woman's life from age 5 to adulthood. "Something Shiny" tells the story of a woman's participation in a lesbian & gay march on Washington. Although much of the book has a dated feel, overall the collection is very moving, and Newman effectively uses touches of humor to offset the seriousness of much of her subject matter. For interesting companion texts, try "Rubyfruit Jungle," by Rita Mae Brown, and "Zami," by Audre Lorde.

This was a truly amazing collection of short stories - it's not easy to pull someone into another world in just a few pages, but Leslea Newman can do it. I've already passed this on to two other friends. This is a book you want to share. :) Laura