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
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.
Dog Lovers: Ultimate Easy BBQ Collie Rib Recipe!
It’s a dog eat dog eat dog world. Here’s a bite-sized satire, ready in a matter of minutes!
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.
Dog Lovers: Ultimate Easy BBQ Collie Rib Recipe!
It’s a dog eat dog eat dog world. Here’s a bite-sized satire, ready in a matter of minutes!
Interviews
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”
The Interview with Max Gross, Author of “The Lost Shtetl”
In an interview with Max Gross, author of “The Lost Shtetl,” we discuss the enduring romance of the shtetl, Yiddish fiction, Fiddler on the Roof, and how the reading of this book has changed since Oct 7.
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.
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.
Dr. God Awful
Dr. Richardson winced at the sight of Jerry’s feet. Was it his imagination, or had they gotten puffier, leaving large, damp footprints by the deck chair where Jerry sat alone in flamingo-patterned swim trunks, sipping a giant pink Slurpee? By Diane Bracuk
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.
Dr. God Awful
Dr. Richardson winced at the sight of Jerry’s feet. Was it his imagination, or had they gotten puffier, leaving large, damp footprints by the deck chair where Jerry sat alone in flamingo-patterned swim trunks, sipping a giant pink Slurpee? By Diane Bracuk
The Interview
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”
The Interview with Max Gross, Author of “The Lost Shtetl”
In an interview with Max Gross, author of “The Lost Shtetl,” we discuss the enduring romance of the shtetl, Yiddish fiction, Fiddler on the Roof, and how the reading of this book has changed since Oct 7.
