Helene Wecker on Using the Fantastic to Write a Human Story

In this conversation, we’ll talk about how Helene transformed her family’s history into myth, how her childhood as a Jewish, nerdy sci-fi fan and her experience of passing and hiding in plain sight made it into the character of Chava, the golem, and we’ll discuss why writing historical fantasy gave her the opening to explore the big questions of what it means to be human. Helene Wecker was in the midst of an MFA program, writing a realistic collection of short stories about the legacy of immigration and her relationship with her Arab-American husband, when a friend challenged her to use the fantastic and to tell a larger story. That was how Helene Wecker’s first novel, The Golem and the Jinni, was born. The novel was awarded the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature, the VCU Cabell Award for First Novel, and the Harold U. Ribalow Prize, and was nominated for a Nebula Award and a World Fantasy Award.  Helene Wecker’s work has appeared in literary journals such as Joyland and Catamaran, as well as the fantasy anthology The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and children. Helene Wecker’s Five Books: 1. The Bible, Book of Exodus 2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon 3. Orbital by Samantha Harvey 4. That's Funny, You Don't Look Buddhist by Sylvia Boorstein 5. The Gates of Midnight by Helene Wecker Other Episodes You Might Enjoy: Portia Elan on the Future We Choose Toby Lloyd on Biblical Horror and being a Jewish Atheist Jeremy Dauber on Jewish Literature, Pop Culture, and What The Horror Genre Reveals About America Allison Epstein on Taking on One of Literature’s Most Notoriously Antisemitic Characters Also Mentioned: Are You There God, it’s me Margaret by Judy Blume "The Golem" by Naomi Kritzer (from the collection Comrade Grandmother and other stories) We’re thrilled to share that The Five Books has been nominated for a Signal Award in Religion and Spirituality! This nomination is a testament to our team’s hard work and our listener’s support. We’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to vote for us! Thank you! 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. ⁠⁠⁠Sign up for our newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to get new episode reminders, authors’ five book picks, and more delivered straight to your inbox. Find us on at  ⁠www.fivebookspod.org, on Instagram ⁠@fivebookspod ⁠or on Facebook at The Five Books Podcast. For feedback or author recommendations please email us at ⁠team@fivebookspod.org⁠ The Five Books has the advisory and promotional support of the Jewish Book Council. Jewish Book Council is a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers. Stay up to date on the latest in Jewish literature! ⁠https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/events/celebrate⁠ The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity.  As an Amazon Associate, The Five Books earns from qualifying purchases. Any commissions we receive help support our nonprofit mission and are reinvested in producing the podcast and related programming. Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen Produced by Odelia Rubin Editorial and website support by Aimee Fogel Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions Thank you to Emma Simon for her help with this episode.