nouember 16,2000
The Blue Banner
Page 12
news
Jewish Studies hosts
Dubner as speaker
UNCA author obtains
Thomas Wolfe award
1
PHOTO BY PATRICK BRASWELL
Stephen Dubner, best-selling author, tells an audience of his
experiences as a Roman Catholic raised by once-Jewish parents.
Justin Ulolf
staff Ulriter
UNCA’s Center for Jewish Stud
ies hosted a standing-room-only
crowd of Asheville’s Jewish com
munity Nov. 14 in the Owen Con
ference Center. The gathering was
to hear best-selling author Stephen
Dubner discuss his book, “Turbu
lent Souls: A Catholic Son’s Return
to His Jewish Family.”
The book is based on Dubner’s
life growing up as a boy in a Roman
Catholic family, only to find out
later that his parents were once
Jewish. After years of deciphering
the story of how and why the trans
formation took place, Dubner said
he converted back to Judaism.
“My parents did not surrender all
of their past when they converted
from Judaism to Catholicism,” said
Dubner. “This intrigued and in
spired me to figure out what this
whole Jewish thing was all about.”
Dubner’s book was once a cover
story written for New York Times
Magazine, a story that later became
one of the most widely discussed
stories in the history of the publica
tion, according to Richard Chess,
the director of UNCA’s Center for
Jewish Studies.
“This writing is passionate and
inspiring for anyone who is search
ing for a truth or on a journey,” said
Chess. “It touches on an important
choice that many of us deal with,
the choice of religion.”
The realization that his own per
sonal story might be appealing to
the public was something that
Dubner said he did not recognize
until well into his writing career.
“It was not until I was working at
The New York Times when all this
came about,” said Dubner. “I was
writing profiles on people like
Steven Spielberg and Paul Simon. I
did not even realize that my most
interesting story was my own fam
ily.”
Dubner’s visit to UNCA was made
possible by a gift from Rosalie
Schrier, in memory of her husband
Earl Schrier, a leader in the Asheville
Jewish community and a founder
ofUNCA’s Center for Jewish Stud
ies, according to Chess.
“We really appreciate the gener
osity of Schrier for bringing this
whole event together,” said Chess.
“Earl was the founder of this area’s
Jewish community, and, more im
portantly, a great leader in the Jew
ish community.”
Along with a majority of the eld
erly crowd, around 10 students
came to hear Dubner speak as well.
“It is important the Jewish com
munity be represented in this area,”
said Allan Tryber, an undeclared
sophomore. “I know a couple of
Jewish students around here and
they love their religious upbringing
very much. It was a great speech by
Dubner.”
Dubner is an accomplished jour
nalist, and has served as editor of
New York Times Magazine mANew
York Magazine, according to Chess.
Dubner has a master’s degree from
Columbia University and a
bachelor’s degree from Appala
chian State University, so he is fa
miliar with this area.
“Asheville was the first place I
visited outside of the small farm
town I grew up in,” said Dubner.
“It is wonderful to be back, but I
had no idea there were so many
Jews in the mountains.”
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PHOTO BY SARAH LACY
Tommy Hays, a creative writing instructor at UNCA, wrote “In The Family Way” in 1999.
Lauren Owens
staff UJriter
Tommy Hays, a creative writing
adjunct instructor at UNCA, re
ceived the Thomas Wolfe Memo
rial Literary Award for his 1999
book, “In the Family Way.” The
novel describes the experiences of
growing up in a Southern town in
the 1960s with issues like racism
and the threat of nuclear war.
“I wanted to get across to the
reader how my own personal feel
ings about racism and nuclear war
threats came to bear on a little boy,”
said Hays. “The balance of writing
the book was to write about some
thing emotionally important, but
not be bound by it.”
The award is given every year by
the WNC Historical Association to
a book related to the area, or is
written by someone who lives in
this area. The winners are presented
with a silver engraved cup and a
$500 award, according to Hays.
“The money comes from Mr. and
Mrs. E. Frank Edwinn because of a
friendship they had with Lewis
Lipinsky and Thomas Wolfe,” said
Hays. “They put the money aside
so they can have this award every
year.”
“In the Family Way” is the second
book published by Hays. His first
published novel is “Sam’s Cross
ing,” and both novels represent
personal terrain and place, said
Hays.
“I started writing ‘In the Family
Way’ at the time my eight-year-
old, Max, was born,” said Hays.
“Having a child started making me
think about what it was like for me
to grow up in the 1960s.”
The novel is a first-person story
about a 10-year-old child growing
up in Greenville, South Carolina in
1963. Hays said the family in the
book is very similar to his own family.
“I made a death happen in the
beginning that did not happen in
my family, and, by doing that, I
made all the characters their own
people rather than trying to stick to
an autobiography,” said Hays. “I
also included a death early in the
book because I wanted to consider
howa 10-year-old boywouldhandle
it.”
While Hayes is a professor, he is
also the director of the Great
Smokies Writing Program, an or
ganization between UNCA and
writers in the community. The pro
gram has monthly readings off cam
pus, and its goal is to blend UNCA
and the community together.
“We are fortunate to have Hays
on our faculty as an adjunct in
structor and now as the director of
the Great Smokies Writing Pro
gram,” said Rick Chess, chair of
literature. “We know there is a hun
ger in our community for classes in
creative writing for serious writers.
Writers whose ambitions are to
write great works of art.”
Hays also teaches an advanced fic
tion writing class for the Great
Smokies Writing Program.
“Tommy is the perfect person to
direct this program,” said Chess.
“His prose is eloquent, his voice is
deeply engaging, and his vision is
expansive.”
Th,e Blue Banner Weather
Seven Day Forecast
THURSDAY
Rain / Showers
• ' ‘ ' High: 49 Low: 28
FRIDAY
Rain is Likely
• ••••“ High: 47 Low: 40
SATURDAY
r Sunny & Cool
High: 43 Low: 26
SUNDAY
Flurries Possible
High: 44 Low: 32
MONDAY
Clearing Late
High: 46 Low: 31
TUESDAY
Partly Cloudy
High: 45 Low: 29
WEDNESDAY
Partly Cloudy
High: 48 Low: 27
Local Almanac Last Week
Day
High Low Normals
Precin
Wednesday
73
58
62/37
0.08”
Thursday
66
52
61/37
2.23"
Friday
53
38
61/37
0.00"
Saturday
58
34
61/37
0.00"
Sunday
61
28
60/37
0.00"
Monday
58
31
60/36
0.04"
Tuesday
50
34
60/36
Trace
Precipitation for the week 2.35"
Normal precipitation for the week .... 0.84"
Departure from normal for the week . . + L51"
Precipitation for the year 31.43"
Normal precipitation for year to date . 42.15"
Departure from normal for the year . . -10.72"
* Precipitation includes snow converted to rainfall
North Carolina Recreational Forecast
A cold front will move through the immediate area over the next couple
of days, bringing a likely chance of rain in the process. Temperatures
will be well below normal for this time of year, as high temperatures
will be 10-15 degrees below normal. Highs will only be in the mid to
upper 40s through the entire forecasted period. Lows will generally be in the upper 20s
to lower 30s. There even will be a slight chance for some flurries during the day on
Sunday. Next week brings high pressure back into the picture and this is going to be
your best chance for any recreational activities.
Nov. 16, 2000
Temps Last Week
l.ocal High/Low Temps Last Week
Lst Qtr
11/18
1st Qtr
All forecasts, data, and graphics
provided by accessweather.com, a
registered trademark of Rossby
Weather Services, Inc. © 2000. All
rights reserved.
Sun/Moon Chart This Week
Sunrise Sunset Mnonrise Moonset
7:07 a.m. 5:23 p.m. 10:15 p.m. 11:57 a.m.
7:08 a.m. 5:22 p.m. 11:23 p.m. 12:46 p.m.
7:09 a.m. 5:21p.m. 1:29 p.m.
7:10 a.m. 5:21p.m. 12:30 a.m. 2:07 p.m.
7:11a.m. 5:20 p.m. 1:36 a.m. 2:41p.m.
7:12 a.m. 5:20 p.m. 2:40 a.m. 3:13 p.m.
7:13 a.m. 5:20 p.m. 3:42 a.m. 3:45 p.m.
National Weather Summary This Week
- ^ front will move through the Southeast as we head
weekend. Heavy rainfall amounts are possible along the Gulf
Coast as a result. A series of upper level areas of low pressure will move
into the Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley states in the next few
days. These lows will keep plenty of clouds in the picture and create a
chance of snow as well. High pressure will settle in across the western United States,
allowing for beautiful weather and temperatures to return to near normal values for this
time of year. A powerful cold front will move in off of the Pacific by the end of next
week, creating a likely chance of rain in much of the Pacific Northwest. Snow will fall
in the higher elevations of the Cascades.
Wed Thu Fri Sal Sun Mon Tuc
Weather Trivia
What was the most costly
drought in the history of P
the United States? L
To find out the answer, log onto
http://www. accessweathen com/theblue-
banner.html to find today's trivia answer
and previous Weather Trivia answers.
Weather History
Nov. 18. 1955 - An early season
cold spell ended on this date.
Helena, Mont. had experienced
138 consecutive hours of subzero
temperatures, including a reading
of 29 below zero. Salt Lake City
smashed their previous
November record with a low of
14 below. Total crop damage
from the cold wave was estimat
ed at II million dollars.
Nov. 19. 1921 - The Columbia
Gorge ice storm finally came to
an end. Fifty-four inches of snow,
sleet and glaze blocked the
Columbia River Highway^9t The
Dalles. All transportation
between the cities of Walla
Walla, Wash, and Portland, Ore.
came to a standstill.
(Q;
Asheville t North Carolina
- —
Employment Hotline: 828-255-1144
Visit the Biltmore Estate Web site at
www.biltmore.com for Estate information
and links to our job postings.
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Sherlock Holmes story
performed at Pack Place
The Health Adventure will host the Au
tumn Players in a readers’ theatre-style
presentation of "A Scandal in Bohemia,”
the first story in the Adventures of
Sherlock Holmes as printed in The Strand
Magazine in July, 1891.
A v/ine and cheese reception v/ill be
offered. Cost is $5 for members of The
Health Adventure and $6 for non-mem-
bers. For more information, call (828)
254-6373, ext. 300.
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