RESOURCES FOR BOOK CLUBS

  for Veritas, My Father's Paradise, Heart of the City, and The Outsider

VERITAS

Click here for book club extras for Veritas.


MY FATHER'S PARADISE

Since 2008, the Jewish communities of Baltimore, Denver, Long Island (NY), Northern New Jersey, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), and The Twin Cities (MN) have chosen My Father's Paradise as their "One Book" community read, using the book as a springboard for wide-ranging events and year-long discussions of culture, history and identity. If you've selected My Father's Paradise for your book club, here are some resources that may help spark a lively discussion:


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: At the back of the paperback edition is a lengthy Q & A with the author and several pages of discussion questions. For clubs using the hardcover, Philadelphia's One Book, One Jewish Community has produced an exceptional readers' guide, complete with questions for discussion. Download the discussion guide (PDF) here.


SABAR FAMILY TREE: Unraveling the ties among the main characters in My Father's Paradise can at times be tricky. On the Same Page Long Island has put together a helpful one-page family tree (PDF) here


FIND ZAKHO ON THE MAP










HEAR THE AUTHOR: Ariel has talked about My Father's Paradise, Aramaic and the Kurdish Jews on NPR and other radio stations. To hear Ariel (and sometimes his father, too), click below:

 

  Ariel and his father, Yona, on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show (one hour)

 

  Ariel and his father on Southern California's KPCC (18 minutes)

     [Click "Listen to Episode" and advance sliding dot to 87:30]


​  Ariel on Dallas NPR station KERA

 

  Ariel on Philadelphia NPR station WHYY


  Ariel on NPR's All Things Considered, discussing his February 2013

    Smithsonian Magazine article on the scholarly hunt for the last

    speakers of Aramaic, the language of Jesus and of the Jewish

    Talmud (5 minutes, February 2013)

 

Ariel discusses the history and fate of Aramaic on Chicago                   NPR station WBEZ (15 minutes, March 2014)


WATCH THE AUTHOR: You can stream video by clicking below.


  Interview on "Mosaic" public affairs program

    WPTV / Palm Beach NBC affiliate (30 minutes) - Nov. 2011

    

  Interview on PBS's The Book Studio (8 minutes) - January 2010

 

  Interview on C-SPAN2's Book TV (10 minutes) - March 2009

 

  Feature program on Ariel & his father on Jewish Life TV (40 minutes)

 

COOK LIKE MY SAVTA (GRANDMOTHER) MIRYAM

Download my grandma's recipes for kubeh matfonia (cracked wheat dumplings in beet-tomato soup) and yaprach (stuffed grape leaves), as recalled by her youngest child, my aunt Ayala


TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF JEWISH KURDISTAN 

​     Powerful online exhibit on the journey of the Kurdish Jews to Palestine

     Video montage of historic photos of Zakho

     Recent Photos from Diarna, the Geo-Museum of Middle-Eastern Jewish Life

     A short documentary about Israeli Kurds, by Rivka Stein



READ RECENT NEWS STORIES ABOUT THE JEWS OF IRAQ AND KURDISTAN

  Israelis reclaim Iraqi Jewish roots, New York Times, April 2016
  Extremists destroy Shrine of Jonah in MosulNew York Times, July 2014
  Baghdad Jews become a Fearful FewNew York Times, June 2008

 

READ ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Ariel's bio

   
  Algonquin Books Conversation with the Author


  D.C. Examiner Q & A Photo Spread 


  Los Angeles Times story about Ariel & his father Yona

  

  First-person essay for Algonquin's literary journal The Algonkian
  

CONSIDERING MY FATHER'S PARADISE FOR YOUR CLUB? 

  Download and pass around the Introduction and First Chapter (pdf)



HEART OF THE CITY

  Listen to Ariel on NPR's Tell Me More (6 minutes)

  Read the New York Daily News story

  See the photos Ariel's mother took in Washington Square Park the day        she met his father. 

   Join the New York Love Stories Facebook page


​​


​THE OUTSIDER

  Listen to Ariel tell part of psychologist Roger Barker's story on the                award-winning radio program This American Life.

  Read an interview with Ariel on KCUR, Kansas City's NPR station.

  Read a front-page Kansas City Star feature story inspired by The Outsider, then watch a short accompanying YouTube video with scenes from around Oskaloosa today.









FOLLOW ARIEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

  Facebook: "Like" Ariel's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/arielsabar

  ​Twitter: Follow @arielsabar on Twitter: www.twitter.com/arielsabar

ARIEL SABAR author   journalist

​    winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award

ORDERTHE OUTSIDER