Welcome to Esoterica
Esoterica is a magazine for those not well equipped to quiet their brain, who inhale thoughtful articles on topics that hover near the periphery of popular culture and the news agenda and ruminate on them for weeks, much to the chagrin of their lovers, partners, and co-workers.
As Leonard Cohen so poignantly wrote: “Somebody Said Lift That Veil.” Well, that someone is us. Welcome to Esoterica, the magazine that will bring your brain back to the post-pandemic world.
Leah Eichler
Big Ideas
The Alchemy of Music: Answers from the Great Beyond
Bruce Farrell Rosen stumbles on his deceased mother’s prized music collection, and in the listening, she comes back to him.
A Different Kind of Homecoming
I have always loved Berlin, a green, lively, welcoming place. But this recent visit combined memories, a roots trip and a handover of family papers to the archivists at Berlin’s Jewish Museum. I cried. I felt as though these documents, like me, were coming home. By Janet Guttsman
Father in Exile
Twenty years ago today, Gilbert’s wife, pregnant with their second child, took their almost 3-year old on a roundtrip flight to Buenos Aires. She never came back, launching years of heartache.
The Alchemy of Music: Answers from the Great Beyond
Bruce Farrell Rosen stumbles on his deceased mother’s prized music collection, and in the listening, she comes back to him.
A Different Kind of Homecoming
I have always loved Berlin, a green, lively, welcoming place. But this recent visit combined memories, a roots trip and a handover of family papers to the archivists at Berlin’s Jewish Museum. I cried. I felt as though these documents, like me, were coming home. By Janet Guttsman
Father in Exile
Twenty years ago today, Gilbert’s wife, pregnant with their second child, took their almost 3-year old on a roundtrip flight to Buenos Aires. She never came back, launching years of heartache.
Interviews
The Interview with Leah Paulos, Founder of Book Publicity School
You wrote a book, found a publisher, and now what? Leah Paulos, the founder and director of publicity at Press Shop PR, launched Book Publicity School to help authors find their way. Listen in:
Slovak Author Ivan Lesay Writes the Book He Wanted to Read
Ivan Lesay, author of “The Topography of Pain,” talks to Leah Eichler about writing the book he wanted to read.
Leah’s Picks: In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist
A 5 minute book review of “In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist”
Fiction
A little of this, a little of that. A collection of new fiction, articles and other published works that are currently touching my heart. Stories thread our lives together and unite us in the shared human experience.
Swimming like the Centre of the Flames
It would have been simpler if once Allison came out to them, her mother had disowned her, sat shiva like my Orthodox parents were advised by to do but didn’t. Instead, her mother hugged her, then scrutinized her closely and never brought it up again. By Danila Botha
Charles
Charles wants one final, anonymous hookup before reconciling with his boyfriend but his date has other plans.
Adventures of a Young Virgin
A 15-year-old teenager in the 60s yearns for true love like the one shared by Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights. By Mara Thygeson.
Swimming like the Centre of the Flames
It would have been simpler if once Allison came out to them, her mother had disowned her, sat shiva like my Orthodox parents were advised by to do but didn’t. Instead, her mother hugged her, then scrutinized her closely and never brought it up again. By Danila Botha
Charles
Charles wants one final, anonymous hookup before reconciling with his boyfriend but his date has other plans.
Adventures of a Young Virgin
A 15-year-old teenager in the 60s yearns for true love like the one shared by Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights. By Mara Thygeson.
The Interview
The Interview with Leah Paulos, Founder of Book Publicity School
You wrote a book, found a publisher, and now what? Leah Paulos, the founder and director of publicity at Press Shop PR, launched Book Publicity School to help authors find their way. Listen in:
Slovak Author Ivan Lesay Writes the Book He Wanted to Read
Ivan Lesay, author of “The Topography of Pain,” talks to Leah Eichler about writing the book he wanted to read.
Leah’s Picks: In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist
A 5 minute book review of “In the Courtyard of the Kabbalist”