Overview

Murder, deceit, and treachery are just some of the themes present in these 13 stories from the first book of the Hebrew Bible. Retold from the perspective of oft overlooked secondary characters—including Eve, Cain, Esau, and Noah’s wife—these stories only refer to events that appear in Biblical text. In the classic Talmudic tradition of searching for truth by weighing all sides, author Barry Louis Polisar allows these interweaving stories to unfold, revealing tales of true spirituality.

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Shrewd, funny, and often moving: a great achievement. These are serious yet playful midrashim. -- David R. Slavitt, Poet, Author, and Translator A clever and artistically compelling first person way of pointing to the lessons of the Torah. --Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles So much of the beauty of the Torah lies in its ellipses--the rich detail left unexplored, the unexpected plot twist left unfollowed. Barry Louis Polisar's lovely prose poems give voice to the Bible's lesser characters, and add a compelling vision to the long Jewish tradition of filling in the gaps in our stories with new stories, and new interpretations. --Joshua Foer, Author and Journalist It takes a keen ear to hear everyone's story. What Barry Louis Polisar has heard from children and set to music he now hears from Torah and sets to print. As I read these, I kept saying to myself, Of course! Why didn't I see that before? --Rabbi Jack Moline, Agudas Achim Congregation Often comic, each delightful yet provocative dramatic monologue dives bravely beneath the surface of famous and lesser-known stories from Genesis, its impact heightened by beautiful and evocative dream-tinged illustrations. --Len Berkman, Professor of Theatre, Smith College Humorous and poignant, heartbreaking and hopeful, this book is a tour de force birthed by a rich religious imagination. Each of the characters that Polisar gives voice to, eagerly speaks his or her mind, and all sound grateful to have at long last been given the opportunity to speak. I can imagine this book being used by many educators to spark conversations among students. --Rabbi Mark Novak, Minyan Oneg Shabbat These stories remind us of how timeless the Genesis story is. Despite our knowledge and familiarity with the Bible, we often miss the charm of the story, the sweep of history and the timelessness of the word made flesh. These stories invite us all to see a new depth in the accounts of these families, as well as our own family experience. We can read, mark, learn and inwardly digest these stories in a way that invites us to go back and read the Bible again with new eyes and a new awareness. --The Rev. Anne Weatherholt, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Barry Louis Polisar's latest book uses humor and irony to retell Biblical stories in a refreshing way. His recasting of the narratives causes us to look at familiar stories in a new light. Reading these first-person stories, one comes away with a personal attachment and a more profound understanding of the text. It certainly got me thinking about stories I have read many times in a whole new perspective. An extremely readable and wonderful contribution to our understanding of characters we thought we knew. --Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, Congregation B'nai Tzedek Readers who know the original biblical text will pick up on the poetic references to those passages in this timely and fresh perspective. Gail Rubin, the New Mexico Jewish Link

Shrewd, funny, and often moving: a great achievement. These are serious yet playful midrashim. -- David R. Slavitt, Poet, Author, and Translator A clever and artistically compelling first person way of pointing to the lessons of the Torah. --Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles So much of the beauty of the Torah lies in its ellipses--the rich detail left unexplored, the unexpected plot twist left unfollowed. Barry Louis Polisar's lovely prose poems give voice to the Bible's lesser characters, and add a compelling vision to the long Jewish tradition of filling in the gaps in our stories with new stories, and new interpretations. --Joshua Foer, Author and Journalist It takes a keen ear to hear everyone's story. What Barry Louis Polisar has heard from children and set to music he now hears from Torah and sets to print. As I read these, I kept saying to myself, Of course! Why didn't I see that before? --Rabbi Jack Moline, Agudas Achim Congregation Often comic, each delightful yet provocative dramatic monologue dives bravely beneath the surface of famous and lesser-known stories from Genesis, its impact heightened by beautiful and evocative dream-tinged illustrations. --Len Berkman, Professor of Theatre, Smith College Humorous and poignant, heartbreaking and hopeful, this book is a tour de force birthed by a rich religious imagination. Each of the characters that Polisar gives voice to, eagerly speaks his or her mind, and all sound grateful to have at long last been given the opportunity to speak. I can imagine this book being used by many educators to spark conversations among students. --Rabbi Mark Novak, Minyan Oneg Shabbat These stories remind us of how timeless the Genesis story is. Despite our knowledge and familiarity with the Bible, we often miss the charm of the story, the sweep of history and the timelessness of the word made flesh. These stories invite us all to see a new depth in the accounts of these families, as well as our own family experience. We can read, mark, learn and inwardly digest these stories in a way that invites us to go back and read the Bible again with new eyes and a new awareness. --The Rev. Anne Weatherholt, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Barry Louis Polisar's latest book uses humor and irony to retell Biblical stories in a refreshing way. His recasting of the narratives causes us to look at familiar stories in a new light. Reading these first-person stories, one comes away with a personal attachment and a more profound understanding of the text. It certainly got me thinking about stories I have read many times in a whole new perspective. An extremely readable and wonderful contribution to our understanding of characters we thought we knew. --Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, Congregation B'nai Tzedek

Shrewd, funny, and often moving: a great achievement. These are serious yet playful midrashim. -- David R. Slavitt, Poet, Author, and Translator A clever and artistically compelling first person way of pointing to the lessons of the Torah. --Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles So much of the beauty of the Torah lies in its ellipses--the rich detail left unexplored, the unexpected plot twist left unfollowed. Barry Louis Polisar's lovely prose poems give voice to the Bible's lesser characters, and add a compelling vision to the long Jewish tradition of filling in the gaps in our stories with new stories, and new interpretations. --Joshua Foer, Author and Journalist It takes a keen ear to hear everyone's story. What Barry Louis Polisar has heard from children and set to music he now hears from Torah and sets to print. As I read these, I kept saying to myself, Of course! Why didn't I see that before? --Rabbi Jack Moline, Agudas Achim Congregation Often comic, each delightful yet provocative dramatic monologue dives bravely beneath the surface of famous and lesser-known stories from Genesis, its impact heightened by beautiful and evocative dream-tinged illustrations. --Len Berkman, Professor of Theatre, Smith College Humorous and poignant, heartbreaking and hopeful, this book is a tour de force birthed by a rich religious imagination. Each of the characters that Polisar gives voice to, eagerly speaks his or her mind, and all sound grateful to have at long last been given the opportunity to speak. I can imagine this book being used by many educators to spark conversations among students. --Rabbi Mark Novak, Minyan Oneg Shabbat These stories remind us of how timeless the Genesis story is. Despite our knowledge and familiarity with the Bible, we often miss the charm of the story, the sweep of history and the timelessness of the word made flesh. These stories invite us all to see a new depth in the accounts of these families, as well as our own family experience. We can read, mark, learn and inwardly digest these stories in a way that invites us to go back and read the Bible again with new eyes and a new awareness. --The Rev. Anne Weatherholt, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Barry Louis Polisar's latest book uses humor and irony to retell Biblical stories in a refreshing way. His recasting of the narratives causes us to look at familiar stories in a new light. Reading these first-person stories, one comes away with a personal attachment and a more profound understanding of the text. It certainly got me thinking about stories I have read many times in a whole new perspective. An extremely readable and wonderful contribution to our understanding of characters we thought we knew. --Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, Congregation B'nai Tzedek Readers who know the original biblical text will pick up on the poetic references to those passages in this timely and fresh perspective. Gail Rubin, the New Mexico Jewish Link In Retelling Genesis , Barry Louis Polisar has approached the task with unexpected reverence but also with his usual creativity and verve. Joanne Palmer, the New Jersey Jewish Standard

Author Information

Barry Louis Polisar is a four-time Parents Choice Award winner who has written songs for Sesame Street and Weekly Reader; starred in Field Trip, an Emmy Award-winning television show for children; performed at the White House, the Smithsonian, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and has been featured regularly on the Learning Channel. He has won a Special Library Recognition Award for his ability to communicate with and excite children to read through his books, poems, and songs, which include Barry Louis Polisar's a Little Different; Insect Soup; Old Dogs, New Tricks; and Old Enough to Know Better. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

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