The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

Exploring the Legacy of Female Ancestors: Writing About Celia Dropkin

Watch now:

Kenneth Levinson, novelist and grandson of Yiddish writer Celia Dropkin, describes the experience of doing research on his grandmother's life and writing a novel inspired by her.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Kenneth Levinson.

This excerpt is in English.

Kenneth Levinson was born in Northampton, MA in 1953.

This interview is part of the Beyond the Books: Yiddish writers and their descendants series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

The Resonance of Celia Dropkin's Writing: New Audiences in the 21st Century

3 min 9 sec

Reflections on My Jewish Identity

8 min 44 sec

How Having Celia Dropkin as a Grandmother Influenced My Identity as a Writer

3 min 18 sec

"A Frieda Kahlo Figure of Poetry": The Thematic Depth of Celia Dropkin's Poetry

3 min 52 sec

"She Was Always There in the Paintings": Celia Dropkin's Presence in the Family

1 min 11 sec

Celia Dropkin's Transition From Writing in Russian to Writing in Yiddish

1 min 33 sec

Celia Dropkin's Writing Process

2 min 8 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

Themes: