On Sunday March 26th I had the pleasure of hearing the LA Valley Girls' Choir sing the song "A World to Light" for which I wrote the lyrics, adapted from my book Mindel and the Misfit Dragons. It comes from the plea of the

dragoness Pointilla to her parents that she must leave home now because she wants to light the world with her fire, and knows she will find a place for herself to do just that.
Diana Warshawsky composed the gorgeous music and Marilyn Kay directed the choir and also produced a beautiful album, "Nishmas," in which this song appears. It was an incredible experience for me to listen to these wonderful young girls sing their hearts out and bring my words to life! "Nishmas" features the Shireynu Women's Choir singing original songs by LA Valley composers and lyricists.
I also wrote the lyrics for another song on the album, "If I Forget." Diana again wrote the music and the first time I heard it I was so humbled by the added dimension and richness that the music brought to what before had been mere words on paper. I want to thank Marilyn and Diana so much for including me in this wonderful project of "Nishmas."
You can listen to excerpts of these songs at www.MarilynKayProductions.com where you can also purchase the album.

dragoness Pointilla to her parents that she must leave home now because she wants to light the world with her fire, and knows she will find a place for herself to do just that.
Diana Warshawsky composed the gorgeous music and Marilyn Kay directed the choir and also produced a beautiful album, "Nishmas," in which this song appears. It was an incredible experience for me to listen to these wonderful young girls sing their hearts out and bring my words to life! "Nishmas" features the Shireynu Women's Choir singing original songs by LA Valley composers and lyricists.
I also wrote the lyrics for another song on the album, "If I Forget." Diana again wrote the music and the first time I heard it I was so humbled by the added dimension and richness that the music brought to what before had been mere words on paper. I want to thank Marilyn and Diana so much for including me in this wonderful project of "Nishmas."
You can listen to excerpts of these songs at www.MarilynKayProductions.com where you can also purchase the album.

I have some very special news to share: My book, Lily of the Valley—An American Jewish Journey, has been named a finalist for the Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award in the Religious (Adult Fiction) category for 2016!

As many of you know, this story touches something deep inside of me, and it is very gratifying to know that others have been touched by it as well. From the time the very first Lily began whispering her story to me many years ago, I felt a tremendous responsibility to bring her words out into the world. I am humbled as much as excited by this honor, and most of all, if it brings Lily's story to the attention of more readers, then I will be ever grateful.
You can check out Foreword's review of Lily of the Valley here.

As many of you know, this story touches something deep inside of me, and it is very gratifying to know that others have been touched by it as well. From the time the very first Lily began whispering her story to me many years ago, I felt a tremendous responsibility to bring her words out into the world. I am humbled as much as excited by this honor, and most of all, if it brings Lily's story to the attention of more readers, then I will be ever grateful.
You can check out Foreword's review of Lily of the Valley here.

This month, March 2017, marks the first anniversary of the publication of my verse novella, Lily of the Valley—An American Jewish Journey. This, as many of you know, is the story of five generations of American Jewish women and the resilience, faith and American Dream they all share.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been so supportive, who have bought books, who have been part of the wonderful gatherings, audiences and classes where I have been privileged to share Lily's story. Those occasions have always resulted in such lively and deeply moving question-and-answer sessions at the end. One of the most frequently asked questions is one that I address in the Preface to the book: who was Lily, the very first Lily, to me?
My answer is always the same. I do not know. This book is not autobiographical. It is officially categorized as a work of fiction. But is it? I do not know. As I say in the Preface, Lily began whispering her story to me in snippets of rhymed, metered poetry many years ago on my morning walk. She was very insistent that I tell her story, which I did as a requested performance at a banquet for Chabad of the Valley many years ago. And when I returned to the story more than a decade later to prepare it for publication, Lily began whispering to me again, fleshing out her tale beyond what could fit into a fifteen minute reading at the banquet. So who was Lily to me? I do not know, but she was someone, and she is very real to me. She is lodged somewhere deep inside my soul.
This answer often leads to an intriguing follow-up question, usually asked by people who themselves want to write: does Lily still talk to me? At first the question caught me off guard. I really had to think about it. Had I heard from Lily since I brought the book out into the world? And the answer, I realized, is yes, she does come to me occasionally. But now she is no longer telling me her story. Instead she is encouraging me to listen to other voices trying to break through, to other people with stories they wish me to tell. As I have always told my creative writing students, the first task of a storyteller is to be receptive, to quiet your everyday mind-chatter enough to listen to who or what is coming to you.
So are there other voices trying to break through to me? Very much so, from long ago times and faraway places that I know little about. But I am listening.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been so supportive, who have bought books, who have been part of the wonderful gatherings, audiences and classes where I have been privileged to share Lily's story. Those occasions have always resulted in such lively and deeply moving question-and-answer sessions at the end. One of the most frequently asked questions is one that I address in the Preface to the book: who was Lily, the very first Lily, to me?
My answer is always the same. I do not know. This book is not autobiographical. It is officially categorized as a work of fiction. But is it? I do not know. As I say in the Preface, Lily began whispering her story to me in snippets of rhymed, metered poetry many years ago on my morning walk. She was very insistent that I tell her story, which I did as a requested performance at a banquet for Chabad of the Valley many years ago. And when I returned to the story more than a decade later to prepare it for publication, Lily began whispering to me again, fleshing out her tale beyond what could fit into a fifteen minute reading at the banquet. So who was Lily to me? I do not know, but she was someone, and she is very real to me. She is lodged somewhere deep inside my soul.
This answer often leads to an intriguing follow-up question, usually asked by people who themselves want to write: does Lily still talk to me? At first the question caught me off guard. I really had to think about it. Had I heard from Lily since I brought the book out into the world? And the answer, I realized, is yes, she does come to me occasionally. But now she is no longer telling me her story. Instead she is encouraging me to listen to other voices trying to break through, to other people with stories they wish me to tell. As I have always told my creative writing students, the first task of a storyteller is to be receptive, to quiet your everyday mind-chatter enough to listen to who or what is coming to you.
So are there other voices trying to break through to me? Very much so, from long ago times and faraway places that I know little about. But I am listening.

Looking for an activity for the little ones before Sukkos?

Check out these downloadable coloring pages adapted from some of the posters I've created over the years for my children and grandchildren to color and hang in the sukkah. Check out the dragon in the sukkah! That was done at my grandkids' request after the publication of Mindel and the Misfit Dragons. Feel free to use these or create your own!
Click here to download a printable PDF.

Check out these downloadable coloring pages adapted from some of the posters I've created over the years for my children and grandchildren to color and hang in the sukkah. Check out the dragon in the sukkah! That was done at my grandkids' request after the publication of Mindel and the Misfit Dragons. Feel free to use these or create your own!
Click here to download a printable PDF.

A meaningful Yom Kippur to all. May all our prayers for the coming year be answered.

In these High Holy Days of contemplation, I am thinking of a poem I wrote in a special moment of connection with G-d.

In these High Holy Days of contemplation, I am thinking of a poem I wrote in a special moment of connection with G-d.

This heartfelt saga in verse form is about five generations of women’s journeys from Russia’s persecuting pogroms of the 1890s to America during the 2000s, including Ellis Island and New York’s Lower East Side sweatshops.

The story is broken up into five parts, one for each of the women’s generation. The story begins and ends with Lily. Laili is a young girl who flees Russia during the pogrom of 1890’s that persecuted Jews. Her name changed to Lily on Ellis Island. Part Two tells the tale of Lily’s daughter, Molly, who unlike her mother, survives the fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Molly’s daughter, Lily, grows up during the Great Depression of the 1930s, but fortune smiles on her and she marries and has a daughter, Maxine whose tale about growing up in the 60s is told in Part Four. Maxine’s daughter Lily reaps the benefit of modern day America. But she acknowledges that her good fortune came about because of all the sacrifice and perseverance of the spirited women before her who had dreams of a better life—free of discrimination and persecution for being Jewish.
Author Xianna Michaels wastes no time diving into the theme of persecution and hope, with the first stanza explaining how the pogrom, and the attack on her mother and infant brother led to Lily and her sister, Basya, being sent on a ship, To the Goldene Medina, where life/Is free of fear and blood and strife. Michaels effectively gets to the crux of each story, maintaining the fast flow as all five generations of women trying to find their new identity while maintaining and learning about their Jewish heritage. Michaels reveals how life improves for each generation by infusing details that are also historical milestones—such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that kills Molly’s mother and the mention of the G.I. Bill.
While the ababcc rhythm limits the narrative at times for the sake of rhyming, it works well at times to create a juxtaposition of light rhyme and heavy content during some of the heavier descriptions—including in the last two lines of the stanza: It was ninety two, the end had come/For this was Laili’s last pogrom. Though some of the descriptions to accommodate the rhyming scheme are simplified and don’t expound on the themes and details as much as they could; it makes this story suitable for a younger audience, and can be a spring board into rich discussion on themes about numerous events in history including Jewish immigrants in America and how they influence in New York’s culture.
Lily of The Valley—An American Jewish Journey is a beautiful tribute, not only to America—a land of opportunity and hope—but also to family, love and human spirit.
Read the full review here at San Francisco Book Review.

The story is broken up into five parts, one for each of the women’s generation. The story begins and ends with Lily. Laili is a young girl who flees Russia during the pogrom of 1890’s that persecuted Jews. Her name changed to Lily on Ellis Island. Part Two tells the tale of Lily’s daughter, Molly, who unlike her mother, survives the fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Molly’s daughter, Lily, grows up during the Great Depression of the 1930s, but fortune smiles on her and she marries and has a daughter, Maxine whose tale about growing up in the 60s is told in Part Four. Maxine’s daughter Lily reaps the benefit of modern day America. But she acknowledges that her good fortune came about because of all the sacrifice and perseverance of the spirited women before her who had dreams of a better life—free of discrimination and persecution for being Jewish.
Author Xianna Michaels wastes no time diving into the theme of persecution and hope, with the first stanza explaining how the pogrom, and the attack on her mother and infant brother led to Lily and her sister, Basya, being sent on a ship, To the Goldene Medina, where life/Is free of fear and blood and strife. Michaels effectively gets to the crux of each story, maintaining the fast flow as all five generations of women trying to find their new identity while maintaining and learning about their Jewish heritage. Michaels reveals how life improves for each generation by infusing details that are also historical milestones—such as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire that kills Molly’s mother and the mention of the G.I. Bill.
While the ababcc rhythm limits the narrative at times for the sake of rhyming, it works well at times to create a juxtaposition of light rhyme and heavy content during some of the heavier descriptions—including in the last two lines of the stanza: It was ninety two, the end had come/For this was Laili’s last pogrom. Though some of the descriptions to accommodate the rhyming scheme are simplified and don’t expound on the themes and details as much as they could; it makes this story suitable for a younger audience, and can be a spring board into rich discussion on themes about numerous events in history including Jewish immigrants in America and how they influence in New York’s culture.
Lily of The Valley—An American Jewish Journey is a beautiful tribute, not only to America—a land of opportunity and hope—but also to family, love and human spirit.
Read the full review here at San Francisco Book Review.

One of the great joys for me in creating my new book, Lily of the Valley—An American Jewish Journey, was doing the artwork. This allowed me to explore my love of history—particularly as it pertains to the gradual changes in

everyday life—and the symbolism that Lily holds for me, as well as to indulge a bit of whimsy.
This book is the story of five generations of American Jewish women, and each of the five parts begins with a border vignette depicting the time in which that particular character lived. The vignettes are meant to enhance the story, set a mood, and draw the reader in, somewhat in the way that a film score does for a movie. In addition it is my hope that the drawings provide a certain delight for the eye. Books for adults are not illustrated the way children's books are, and yet I think we never really outgrow our enjoyment of the visual.
And so the border for "Part I— Lily" shows the Statue of Liberty with the approaching ship, then a scene from the Lower East Side at the beginning of the 20th Century.  "Part II—Molly" depicts the era from World War I through the 20's, including the soldier, the trolley and the lady in the cloche hat. In "Part III—Lily" fashion has changed dramatically, and there's a car in front of the suburban home. I drew the World War II soldier from a picture of my father, of blessed memory, in his uniform. "Part IV—Maxine" is the age of flower power, as well as the beginning of the return to observant Judaism for Maxine and many others, and "Part V—Lily" depicts modern day Los Angeles.
The vignettes at the bottom of each border give rise to all manner of lilies, including lilies of the valley. In the border for Part I the symbolism is clear, as the flame of hope in the torch  of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the flames of the tragic factory fire, transform into the leaves and flowers. And the early borders hint at palm trees, a nod to one of the first Lily's dreams. By the end the Southern California foliage shows the dream come to fruition.
The front book cover came from a vision I had of the title rising from the flower of its name in full bloom, and the back cover in a way symbolically tells the whole story. It begins with flames—a pogrom, a factory fire. The flames transform into flowers, to lilies, as Lily's dreams take hold, and then on the top the palm leaves come together, as do all the aspects of the first Lily's dreams for her family. I loved creating that back cover!
I also enjoyed doing the decorative initials that begin each part of the book. They harken back to medieval manuscripts, when almost all stories were told as poems. But they also are meant to be evocative of the passage of time. The sewing machine in Part I was cutting edge technology at the turn of the 20th Century, and the flames foreshadow tragedy to come. The candlestick phone and radio in Part II are more of the latest technology, as is the television in Part III. Part IV brings the psychedelic Sixties, and Part V evokes the 21st Century, complete with iPhone, high heels in the workplace, and a nod to the Twin Towers. I fully enjoyed doing these initials. Besides the process of drawing, I felt like I was creating stories within the larger story.
Finally, I indulged a bit of whimsy with the endpapers. As with all hard covered books, these are the folded sheets with one half glued to the inside of the front cover and the other forming the first free page of the book. The back endpapers do the same in reverse. I love to create scenes for my endpapers. Lily of the Valley shows a melange of images from the old-time San Fernando Valley, including a horse and cart, an old adobe house and a general store. Then there is the roadway lined with bell markers identifying El Camino Real, the original trail of Spanish missions. That eventually became the 101 Freeway and today is known as Ventura Boulevard, the longest contiguous stretch of businesses in the world. And then there's the house with the gate nestled somewhere above the Hollywoodland sign. Perhaps some of my readers might recognize it!
There is a special magic for me in transferring a vision I have in my mind onto the page with pen and ink. This is especially true because, while I have been writing poems and stories all of my life, I did not begin drawing until I was in my 40's. That's a story in itself, but suffice it to say that discovering I could draw was a surprise that continues to be a source of delight for me. I hope I have communicated some of that delight to the readers of Lily of the Valley.

everyday life—and the symbolism that Lily holds for me, as well as to indulge a bit of whimsy.
This book is the story of five generations of American Jewish women, and each of the five parts begins with a border vignette depicting the time in which that particular character lived. The vignettes are meant to enhance the story, set a mood, and draw the reader in, somewhat in the way that a film score does for a movie. In addition it is my hope that the drawings provide a certain delight for the eye. Books for adults are not illustrated the way children's books are, and yet I think we never really outgrow our enjoyment of the visual.
And so the border for "Part I— Lily" shows the Statue of Liberty with the approaching ship, then a scene from the Lower East Side at the beginning of the 20th Century.  "Part II—Molly" depicts the era from World War I through the 20's, including the soldier, the trolley and the lady in the cloche hat. In "Part III—Lily" fashion has changed dramatically, and there's a car in front of the suburban home. I drew the World War II soldier from a picture of my father, of blessed memory, in his uniform. "Part IV—Maxine" is the age of flower power, as well as the beginning of the return to observant Judaism for Maxine and many others, and "Part V—Lily" depicts modern day Los Angeles.
The vignettes at the bottom of each border give rise to all manner of lilies, including lilies of the valley. In the border for Part I the symbolism is clear, as the flame of hope in the torch  of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the flames of the tragic factory fire, transform into the leaves and flowers. And the early borders hint at palm trees, a nod to one of the first Lily's dreams. By the end the Southern California foliage shows the dream come to fruition.
The front book cover came from a vision I had of the title rising from the flower of its name in full bloom, and the back cover in a way symbolically tells the whole story. It begins with flames—a pogrom, a factory fire. The flames transform into flowers, to lilies, as Lily's dreams take hold, and then on the top the palm leaves come together, as do all the aspects of the first Lily's dreams for her family. I loved creating that back cover!
I also enjoyed doing the decorative initials that begin each part of the book. They harken back to medieval manuscripts, when almost all stories were told as poems. But they also are meant to be evocative of the passage of time. The sewing machine in Part I was cutting edge technology at the turn of the 20th Century, and the flames foreshadow tragedy to come. The candlestick phone and radio in Part II are more of the latest technology, as is the television in Part III. Part IV brings the psychedelic Sixties, and Part V evokes the 21st Century, complete with iPhone, high heels in the workplace, and a nod to the Twin Towers. I fully enjoyed doing these initials. Besides the process of drawing, I felt like I was creating stories within the larger story.
Finally, I indulged a bit of whimsy with the endpapers. As with all hard covered books, these are the folded sheets with one half glued to the inside of the front cover and the other forming the first free page of the book. The back endpapers do the same in reverse. I love to create scenes for my endpapers. Lily of the Valley shows a melange of images from the old-time San Fernando Valley, including a horse and cart, an old adobe house and a general store. Then there is the roadway lined with bell markers identifying El Camino Real, the original trail of Spanish missions. That eventually became the 101 Freeway and today is known as Ventura Boulevard, the longest contiguous stretch of businesses in the world. And then there's the house with the gate nestled somewhere above the Hollywoodland sign. Perhaps some of my readers might recognize it!
There is a special magic for me in transferring a vision I have in my mind onto the page with pen and ink. This is especially true because, while I have been writing poems and stories all of my life, I did not begin drawing until I was in my 40's. That's a story in itself, but suffice it to say that discovering I could draw was a surprise that continues to be a source of delight for me. I hope I have communicated some of that delight to the readers of Lily of the Valley.

A verse narrative follows the fortunes of a Jewish family through five generations after it immigrates to the United States.

In 1892, a Russian Jewish couple suffer a horrifying loss when their baby is murdered by Cossacks in a pogrom. They send their two remaining children, Basya and Laili, to the United States, because “in America everyone has a chance.” With their names changed to Bess and Lily at Ellis Island, the girls toil in a Lower East Side sweatshop. Lily dreams of making beautiful clothes for rich women and moving to warm, sunny Southern California, but realizes “Not for Lily’s family, no. / But a grandchild, maybe, one day would go.” Her daughters, Molly and Anna, join her at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, where the girls survive the factory’s notorious fire, but their mother dies. Through two world wars and the Great Depression, Molly and her husband, Max, work hard and better their circumstances. Their daughter Lily and her husband prosper, sending their daughter Maxine to college. Not very religiously observant up till then, Maxine is drawn to the Chabad movement and Orthodox Judaism. She marries young and has five children while getting her Ph.D. in costume history, and fulfills her grandmother’s dream by moving to Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley. Maxine’s daughter Lily continues the family interest in fashion and style by starting her own clothing line (“Lily of the Valley”) after marrying and having children. Michaels (Mindel and the Misfit Dragons, 2014) offers a gorgeously designed and illustrated book, though its appearance may outweigh its entirely familiar story (Ellis Island, sweatshops, world wars, reclamation of one’s heritage). Still, it’s told with verve and a pleasing sense of things coming out right. Michaels employs an English sestet form that works well; it’s short enough to keep things moving, while the ABABCC structure lends an air of finality to each stanza. The rhyme and the sometimes singsong rhythm might make this seem a children’s book, but the content isn’t always kid-friendly: “[The Cossacks] stomped on the baby and slashed Mama’s side.”
A beautiful volume that tells a classic American story.
Read full review here at Kirkus Reviews.

In 1892, a Russian Jewish couple suffer a horrifying loss when their baby is murdered by Cossacks in a pogrom. They send their two remaining children, Basya and Laili, to the United States, because “in America everyone has a chance.” With their names changed to Bess and Lily at Ellis Island, the girls toil in a Lower East Side sweatshop. Lily dreams of making beautiful clothes for rich women and moving to warm, sunny Southern California, but realizes “Not for Lily’s family, no. / But a grandchild, maybe, one day would go.” Her daughters, Molly and Anna, join her at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, where the girls survive the factory’s notorious fire, but their mother dies. Through two world wars and the Great Depression, Molly and her husband, Max, work hard and better their circumstances. Their daughter Lily and her husband prosper, sending their daughter Maxine to college. Not very religiously observant up till then, Maxine is drawn to the Chabad movement and Orthodox Judaism. She marries young and has five children while getting her Ph.D. in costume history, and fulfills her grandmother’s dream by moving to Los Angeles County’s San Fernando Valley. Maxine’s daughter Lily continues the family interest in fashion and style by starting her own clothing line (“Lily of the Valley”) after marrying and having children. Michaels (Mindel and the Misfit Dragons, 2014) offers a gorgeously designed and illustrated book, though its appearance may outweigh its entirely familiar story (Ellis Island, sweatshops, world wars, reclamation of one’s heritage). Still, it’s told with verve and a pleasing sense of things coming out right. Michaels employs an English sestet form that works well; it’s short enough to keep things moving, while the ABABCC structure lends an air of finality to each stanza. The rhyme and the sometimes singsong rhythm might make this seem a children’s book, but the content isn’t always kid-friendly: “[The Cossacks] stomped on the baby and slashed Mama’s side.”
A beautiful volume that tells a classic American story.
Read full review here at Kirkus Reviews.