Why It Seems Like My Book was “Rushed”
My book Among the Many is out now on Amazon. It began as a book that I wrote in high school. I finally got it published. It took me so long to finalize, adding people and not writing about others, that I had originally planned. But I already had written about three survivors, Eva Ginz (Chava Pressburger), Renee Kann Silver and Peter Feigl. It’s about time these people finally get the book that they’ve been waiting on for so long. Chava is not in the best of health and I really wanted her to have this book before I lost the chance to give it to her. She and her brother Petr were written about and originally, it was only suppose to be Petr, but I had added Chava in 2011, after I interviewed her. Renee and Peter, I met both in 2010 and they have been waiting on the book for so long, now it’s here.
I had two reputable people look at my book, and they gave me suggestions on what I could add or change. Some of the formatting my look a little odd. The photos all look good, except when I come to the last person I wrote about, the formatting was off, which my editor failed to notice, but hey it looks great!
My editor suggested I put in the backstory of my book, so I began with the story of my grandpa, Billy Bob (yes, that’s his name). I talked about he encouraged my studies in the Holocaust.
I published it so Renee, Chava and Peter could have it. The other survivor, Irene Fogel Weiss, also needs it, though I don’t know if her daughter was aware that I was going to have this published, though I told her I was publishing this book on my own. With a publisher, it would have taken several years and frankly, I don’t have that kind of time, Chava, Renee, Peter and Irene are all in their 90’s and I don’t know how much time they have? So I wanted them all to see this book- as intended. Irene was a replacement for Susan Warsinger, who I had originally wrote about, but she stopped being in touch with me, so I guess we haven’t spoken in over ten years. Peter and I talk when we can, but he doesn’t do emails anymore and sometimes texts me back. But I will write him a letter reminding him of the book that I was writing in high school and through college. Renee has since written her memoirs and Irene, this is the first book she’s been mentioned in. So this is exciting.
This is my third book I’ve written. The first one was through a publisher and it took almost 4 years for it to come out. But I have three more books in me, and then it’s all for me.
I have two more Old Hollywood books, and one book on Otto Wolf and Felicitas Garda, if I can get all the information I need. I am a serious writer and I may have “the writing style of a seventh grader” as one person has said to me, but I want to write biographies and Holocaust books. Jewish stories touch me so much and I want to share certain people’s stories.
Otto’s book is going to take a year’s worth of research, interviews and a possible trip to the Czech Republic (but in this day and age, I don’t think I’ll be able to go). But if I could just get Wolf’s niece and grand niece on board then I could start. But it’s going to pose a lot of problems, especially me not knowing Czech or even have been there, or who to talk to about Otto and his family, especially when Felicitas didn’t bring Otto up much after the war. This book is going to be a hard thing to write, but I hope to write it within the next few years.
I have two Old Hollywood books that I’m writing, and I am ready to publish the next Old Hollywood book- about Old Hollywood actresses.
Jewish writing is a big passion of mine and it will always be on my mind.
My grandpa is the reason why I am a writer in terms of what I write about. He was a writer himself. But he did not have his works published. He was good at writing historical arguments and reports on electronic systems.
The interesting thing about my grandpa is that he never saw the books I wrote, none of them, except he did see the beginning of what Among the Many became. He died in the middle of me writing it. It’s why I began the book on how he gave me the idea to write it. I didn’t write too much about him, for my dad would be pretty upset, as he would say “Grandpa shouldn’t be remembered as only that!” He was a man who talked history and politics. That was him. He was also a Texas man, who did hard labor. He was used to working hard for what you wanted. He instilled that in me. I have done all I can to pursue my dreams of getting noticed in the Holocaust Museum circuit or with survivors. I know 4, hopefully to know more soon. It’s hard to contact them, because some don’t reply, but they’ll be interviewed by Museums or other places. But I guess cause I’m not affiliated with a Museum yet or a Grad student, it’s hard to get interviews.
But, the book is out now and I’ve done a lot of research to write this. Over ten years went into this book and I hope it was worth it. If I find more information, I’ll do what my friend Alexandra Zapruder did for Salvaged Pages, I’ll release a second edition :)
If you get the book, please let me know how you like it!
x Kate
