by Paula Wagner | Mar 25, 2021 | Essays, General, Judaism
Passover is my favorite Jewish holiday. As a kid, I loved the rituals, songs and ceremonial foods commemorating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. Okay, I admit it was tough to wait for hours before dinner finally arrived, but...
by Paula Wagner | Sep 14, 2020 | Essays, General
“You make the path by walking on it.” — Antonio Machado In writing Newcomers in an Ancient Land – the story of my youthful quest for adventure, love and self-discovery in 1960’s Israel – one of my biggest challenges was figuring out how to keep readers engaged through...
by Paula Wagner | Aug 1, 2020 | Newcomers in an ancient land
The pitch black sky was studded with stars as I crept down the dimly lit paths of Kibbutz Dan on my way to work in the kerem (vineyards) at 4:30 in the morning. My heart thumped as I passed the terra cotta bungalows, children’s houses, health center and hadar ha’ochel...
by Paula Wagner | Dec 1, 2019 | Newcomers in an ancient land
I shuddered at the thought of venomous vipers, as snakes were called. But darkness had long since fallen and I could no longer put off finding a place to sleep. The youth hostel was full, my fair weather English friends were sleeping on the beach, and I’d finally...
by Paula Wagner | Nov 1, 2019 | Newcomers in an ancient land
The Negev Desert was a land of extremes – by day a white-hot griddle; by night a blackened skillet; at dawn a copper pot; at dusk a painted gourd. Its unforgiving rocks and sharp scent reminded me of my early childhood in Texas and Kansas, where the harshness of the...
Patience or Perfection?March 1, 2023Next, I pay attention to my surroundings: the iridescent green of a hummingbird whirring through the eucalyptus leaves outside my window. That enormous hawk I spotted sunning her creamy chest in the sun’s early rays high on a redwood spire. My mother always said she wanted to be a bird in her next life. Now I’m sure of it. I imagine her spreading her spirit wings at dawn, then nesting with them again at dusk. […]No Comments
Stories are like mushroomsFebruary 1, 2023Stories are like mushrooms. Who knows where they start or end? Perhaps you stumble across one on a walk in the redwoods at dusk after a spring shower has drenched the earth and the conditions are just right. The setting sun streaks the trees in glowing bronze. […]No Comments
Newcomers in an Ancient LandJanuary 2, 2023Adventure, Love, and Seeking Myself in 1960s Israel An […]No Comments
Outsiders in FranceJanuary 2, 2023I’m so excited to share the mockup cover for Outsiders […]No Comments
Is Hindsight 20/20? Checking the Crystal Ball in your Rear-View MirrorJanuary 1, 2023No Comments