Notes and Links to Donna Minkowitz’s Work
Donna Minkowitz is a writer of fantasy, memoir, and journalism lauded by Lilith Magazine for her “fierce imagination and compelling prose.” Science fiction great Terry Bisson called her writing “rich and wild, dark and funny, as fearless as her legendary journalism and as scary as a fairy tale.” And she’s proud that Kirkus has praised the “defiant and playful energy” of her work.
Her memoir Growing Up Golem, a finalist for both a Lambda Literary Award and the Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award, is being republished by Indolent Books after 13 years!
Buy Growing Up Golem
Donna Minkowitz's Website
Review of Growing Up Golem from Kirkus Reviews
At about 1:30, Donna and Pete highlight the pending reissue of Growing Up Golem
At about 2:30, Pete asks Donna about how she sees Growing Up Golem 13 years later, and she gives a summary of the book
At about 4:10, Donna expands on the idea set forth in the Writer’s Note that the book is “88% true”
At about 7:15, Donna talks about the general idea of the “golem” and the providence of the book’s conceit
At about 9:00, Donna reflects on the idea of “memory” and the science behind it, as well as the memoir as a “work of art”
At about 10:10, Donna responds to Pete’s asking about the book’s opening referencing Donna’s mom and her creating a “Donna Doll”
At about 12:40, Donna expands on ideas of guilt and selfishness and psychosomatic pain that came with her Repetitive Strain Injury
At about 14:40, Donna responds to Pete asking about her mother’s health struggles and ideas of impending death
At about 17:00, The two talk about Donna’s mother’s artistic prowess and Donna’s feelings of “twoness”
At about 19:45, Donna examines the idea of her mother that lying could be correct, and what the philosophy said about her mother and her morality
At about 22:40, Donna expands on feelings of “twoness” in connection to W.E.B. DuBois
At about 24:10, Donna reflects on her early writing with The Village Voice and her motivations and mindset in writing for the publication
At about 27:00, Donna outlines her mother’s health problems and connections to her sexuality and sensuality
At about 29:00, Pete asks Donna how she balances the fact that her mother was a victim of sexual violence
At about 32:05, Donna expands on The Village Voice and her reporting around ACT Up and its advocacy and activism, as well as Queer Nation
At about 34:35, Donna tells Julio Rivera’s story, as she did for the publication
At about 36:20, Donna talks about her father’s death and his “scari[ness]” before his death and the “strange dynamic" of him as a “scapegoat” and her mother’s behavior after his death
At about 39:20, Pete wonders about a sort of "competition" between Donna and her mother, particularly with regard to a 1991 Thanksgiving interaction
At about 41:45, Donna responds to Pete asking about her mother’s often making fun of her mother's body
At about 44:25, Donna speaks about the “competing therapists”
At about 48:15, Donna speaks on the idea of the golem as being built and possibly destroyed by the same person, as well as the classic legend of the golem
At about 51:30, Donna talks about a familial way of acting when threatened and confronting that reaction
At about 52:25, Pete cites some “beautiful moments” from her therapist and mother, and Donna reflects
At about 53:20, The two reflect on ideas of control and freedom in Donna’s personal life and connections to therapy and her mother’s influence
At about 55:25, Donna talks about connections between early and later relationships and the ways she was treated
At about 58:20, Pete and Donna discuss the book’s juxtapositions and her concerns and struggles with her chronic pain
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you’re checking out this episode.
Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Jeff Pearlman, a recent guest, is up now at Chicago Review.
Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl
Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete’s one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!
This month’s Patreon bonus episode deals with short, powerful poems and prose that pack a punch-take that, alliteration! The episode features meaningful and resonant work from Robert Hershon, Mosab Abu Toha, Ernest Hemingway, Sara Abou Rashed, Khaled Juma, Andrea Cohen, and Marwan Makhoul.
Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show. You can also buy single episodes for $3 each.
The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Please tune in for Episode 341 with Kerri Schlottman, whose novel Tell Me One Thing was named a 2025 Storytrade Literary Fiction Finalist, a two-time 2024 PenCraft Fiction Award Winner, and a 2023 American Book Fest Best Literary Fiction Book Finalist. She is a part-time graduate professor at NYU in arts administration.
The episode airs today, Pub Day for her latest gem, Daytime Moon, May 12.
Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.
You can also donate at chuffed.org, World Central Kitchen, and so many more, and/or you can contact writer friend Ursula Villarreal-Moura directly or through Pete, as she has direct links with friends in Gaza.
