Renowned Jewish author to speak

Dara Horn, one of the preeminent young Jewish novelists, is coming to Forest Hills. Horn will speak about her second novel, The World to Come, inspired by an art heist of a painting by Marc Chagall that appeared in The New York Times, at the Central Queens YM & YWHA on Tuesday, November 14 at 1:30 p.m.
&#8220It's a little more personal than a reading in the bookstore because you get to talk about the process and all of the ideas that went into it,” Horn said.
Horn, who recently earned her Ph.D. in Yiddish and Hebrew literature from Harvard University, has lectured at universities and cultural institutions throughout the United States and Canada, and published her first novel, In the Image, when she was 25.
&#8220I actually thought I would become a journalist,” Horn said. &#8220I think I saw interesting ways to explore ideas that interested me in fiction more than in non-fiction.”
Her first novel received a 2003 National Jewish Book Award, the 2002 Edward Lewis Wallant Award and the 2003 Reform Judaism Fiction Prize, and was chosen as one of the Best Books of 2002 by the San Francisco Chronicle.
&#8220It's every writer's dream,” Horn said. &#8220You write because you have to, but you are hoping someone reads it that is not your mom.”
In her latest novel, The World to Come, she incorporates historical background about artist Marc Chagall and his friend, Yiddish writer Der Nister, into the literary mystery.
&#8220There is a bit of ambiguity in the end; readers have different approaches to it,” Horn said. &#8220It's fun for me to see how different readers see things and how much the reader contributes to the book.”
Horn's talk is one in a series of Meet the Author events sponsored by the Hevesi Jewish Heritage Library in the Central Queens YM & YWHA at 67-09 108th Street in Forest Hills.
All events are open to the public, with a $4 voluntary donation suggested. For more information, call 718-268-5011, Ext. 151 or contact pkurtz@cqyjcc.org.