Barbara Fischkin is the author of three books of narrative nonfiction and fiction and is currently writing an autism-related historical novel, working title The Digger Resistance. The book spans the years 1900-present and takes place in Ukraine and other European and American locales. She holds a SUNY interdisciplinary Master of Liberal Studies Degree in “Autism Past and Present,” and has taught journalism at three universities. Her books include Muddy Cup: A Dominican Family Comes of Age in a New America—published by Scribner and considered a landmark work about Dominican immigration to the United States and two satiric novels published by Bantam Dell at Random House: Exclusive and Confidential Sources. As an international journalist, Fischkin covered stories in Latin America, Asia, and Europe and wrote for major publications including Newsday, where she was on staff, the New Yorker, and the New York Times. Email: barbarafischkin [at] gmail.com
Website: https://www.barbarafischkin.com/
by Barbara Fischkin As the Jewish New Year 5784 unfolds, the late newspaperman Jimmy Breslin comes to mind. Jimmy was a great guy, an awful guy, and a Catholic guy. Channeling him now might be tantamount to sacrilege. Or, maybe not. My immediate ancestors, whose memory I honor this week, loved sacrilege. I imagine their…
by Barbara Fischkin Deep Water Background For an opus on surfing, I recommend Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. I am humbled each time I pick up this book. Four summers ago, at 64, I decided to try to surf. People who do not surf, and even some who do, are impressed when…
by Barbara Fischkin Again, I thought about changing my name. I dreamed about publishing essays under a new byline. I tried out pseudonyms for my next book. I wrote down alternate names, said them out loud. A name change would make introductions easier. Now, when I extend my hand and say “Fischkin,” people look at…
