Books, Writing, History, and Me
In “Books, Writing, History, and Me” I share my thoughts on travel, cooking, van-life, books, the process of writing, the experiences of an indie-publisher, WWII, the Holocaust, and anything else I feel might be of interest to readers of my books. Please send me comments and let me know what you like and what you want to know more about. Everything in this blog reflects my personal ideas and feelings–a memoir of sorts, it is my perspective and any errors or omissions are mine.
The Best Job in the World – Working at the Zebra Room in Los Angeles
“Herman was sure he had landed a job in one of the most exciting nightclubs in Los Angeles. The Zebra Room Cocktail Lounge, its tall chairs upholstered in zebra skin, hummed with action from afternoon until long after midnight.” – Immigrant Soldier, p. 141 Herman’s life was studded with serendipity. One of those moments, meeting the bartender…
We Are Readers – An Author’s Favorite Childhood Books
Most writers are also devoted readers. In fact, a love of reading, books, indeed for stories of all kinds, is almost always at the heart of why we begin writing. Most of us read voraciously from an early age. I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite books from all…
A Jewish Question – Herman’s Friendship with Richard Schulze-Kossens
Recently I have received comments from Jewish readers of Immigrant Soldier regarding Herman’s friendship with the SS Officer Richard Schulze. One of these, an acquaintance and fellow author, wrote, “I understand that your uncle needed the help of Schulze to organize the POW camp, but I’m wondering how he could let their relationship become a close friendship considering…
Finding My Radio Voice
I have been on the radio twice and it still makes me nervous. We in Laguna Beach (California) are lucky to have our own radio station, KX 93.5 FM. It is a commercial-free, community station that plays music from the 1960s forward, interviews local personalities, and announces area events. Though it has only been in operation…
The Blitz
1940: “The news from Britain was ominous. Herman began to have trouble getting to sleep at night. He would lie in bed for hours, his mind a jumble of worries, watching the dawn light creep through his apartment window. He could not banish thoughts of his mother and sister trapped in London while German planes…
A Stranger in Paradise
Herman arrived in California in mid-December 1939, after a long cross-country trip on a Trailways bus. As a new immigrant, all he wanted was a place to put down roots, a job that could sustain him, and a better life than he had lived in Germany under Hitler. What he found was paradise. The letters…
A Community of Immigrants, Chicago 1939
Herman arrived in Chicago to visit with his relatives on a cold and blustery day in November 1939. The city had a large and growing Jewish community, many of whom were actively involved in aiding refugees from Nazi Germany. In fact, without the affidavit of financial support from Herbert Oberfelder, Herman would probably not have…
Two Sons of China
Several months ago, when I received news from the Independent Publishers Book Awards that Immigrant Soldier had earned the bronze medal in the military/wartime fiction category, one of the first things I did (after sending the news to my readers) was to look at the other winners of this niche genre. When I had placed my book…
The Spirit of Dunkirk
“While Herman enjoyed the intoxicating scene at the Zebra Room, the news from Europe continued to spiral downward. . . . Headlines blared the harsh news of the massacre at Dunkirk . . .” Dunkirk marked the dismal failure of the Battle of France in May 1940. In the United States, the word Dunkirk represents…
An Enemy Alien in the Phoney War
Only weeks after Herman’s mother arrived in England, Germany invaded Poland. Within days, Britain and France declared war on Germany in response. “Mother and son now found themselves not only refugees but also classified as enemy aliens in a foreign land.” The internment of such civilian nationals of enemy countries was standard practice at the…
Sign up to receive the latest news, events and personal insights from Katie Lang‑Slattery.