Portia Elan tells us about her journey to become a Jew by choice after attending Friday night services and feeling that she had “come home.” We also discuss her fascination with the AIDS quilt as a child, and the beauty in finding queer elders in her synagogue. Portia also reflects on how she understands tikkun olam: rooted in how we care for others and in our responsibility to the balance of entire ecosystems.
Portia Elan studied history at Stanford University and earned an MFA from the University of Victoria before returning to California, where she has worked as a waitress, bookseller, teacher, and public librarian. She is a former Lambda Literary Fellow and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her wife and an abundance of cats. Homebound, Portia’s debut novel, is a clear-eyed, hopeful work of speculative fiction about humanity’s future and capacity for love.
Homebound is a GMA Book Club pick and the latest selection for Nu Reads, the curated, bi-monthly book subscription service from Jewish Book Council.
Homebound Portia Elan’s Five Books:
Surprised by God by Danya Ruttenberg
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
The Encore by Juliet Izon
HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan
Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:
Alicia Jo Rabins on Composing a Life of Meaning
Yael van der Wouden on Rage, Desire, and Magic
Rabbi Sharon Brous on Finding Her Place in the Jewish Community
Other Books Mentioned:
The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel
When the Emperor Was Divine and The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Sam Sussman, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Allegra Goodman.
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