Mostly Fiction: Stories by a Second Generation Holocaust Survivor

Mostly Fiction, Stories by a Second Generation Holocaust Survivor is a collection of eighteen fiction and two non-fiction pieces written during the last five years. Although about half of the collection includes stories without direct references to the Holocaust, all the stories are written through the lens of an individual who was one step removed from the historical trauma but who had a front row seat on how that calamity impacted his parents and family. Authored by a psychiatrist, the stories also reflect a psychological perspective that elucidate the inner lives of its characters, interrogating themes of fate, fortune, tragedy, otherness, and hope. Some of the fiction pieces have clear Holocaust connections, including Anya and Blackjack, that trace the lives of heroic survivors beyond their war experiences and into a world that is both ordinary and strange. Other stories such as Crumbs of Hope and Closets draw from the author’s experiences growing up in the home of survivor parents and contain autobiographical elements. Still others such as The Milos Viper and The Ghost of Kiev explore Holocaust connections that are unexpected, but force their way into the stories with a relentless pressure, demanding to be heard. Some of the stories, including The Doppler Effect, Old Man Smell, and The Green Elephant, reflect the author’s experience as a psychiatrist and include themes of resilience and hope. Finally, the two-nonfiction pieces, Yosl and Henekh and The Baba, remove the fourth wall and tell much of my family story.