25
Aug
2009
Guest Post: Penelope Holt on Labels & Writing the Story Behind the Holocaust Story
Penelope Holt, author of The Apple, which debuts Sept. 1st (and for which you can win an ARC here), is here to discuss the process of writing and labeling her book. After some confusion by early readers, York House Press has subtly, though meaningfully changed the wording at the bottom of the cover. The one pictured here is the one that will go to stores. The one shown on my review is the one of the ARC.
Years ago, I encountered a fascinating fact about spies: If they are not debriefed within twenty- four hours, the intelligence that they have risked life and limb to secure is worthless. The mind plays tricks, you see, distorting memory, favoring this over that, until information is degraded as the subjective drowns out the objective; the old “we’re all watching our own movie” idea. Twenty-four hours, that’s the shelf life of the truth about what you think really happened to you yesterday.
Herman Rosenblat wrote his memoir almost fifty years after the end of World War II where he spent his childhood from ages ten to fifteen in Nazi concentration camps. Herman wrote things that he thought were true but were not, and he wrote things that he wished had been true. He wrote what he knew was not real, along with too much of what was agonizingly real.
When he put all this out there—the absolute truth, the near truth, the supposed truth and the fabrications, what we learned was that people like the made-up stuff best. They like the wishful thinking of a girl tossing him apples over the fence of a concentration camp, which took up about ten pages in his book, more than they like his accounts of suffering and slaughtered innocents, which took up some 250 pages.
Do I like the fact that Herman contaminated his Holocaust account with embellishments? Not particularly. Do I understand the complex weave of his motivations? Not really. But, having spent long hours talking to him, I have come to understand a great deal, and it is very complicated, which is why I don’t like people trying to make it simple; trying to make Herman good or bad, black or white. Deal with it, Herman is just like you and me, a creature caught between light and shade with morality that flickers on and off; sometimes heroic, sometimes vain; led by his angels and hijacked by demons.
What happened as Herman constructed his life story was dynamic and fluid. One thing led to another; there were forces—big ones, like Oprah, who loved the story of the little girl tossing apples and told all of Oprah-world about it. I’m not giving Herman a pass, (people are always labeling me an apologist). He misled people and that is wrong, even if his intentions were good—most of the time.
Packaged up into a book, the unique and combustible concoction that was Herman’s life required a label. Was it fact or fiction? The truth or based on the truth? This is about the Holocaust now, so accurate labeling is monumentally important, more so than usual; much more important for Herman Rosenblat than, say, for James Frey, because “lying Jew” trips so easily off the tongues of bigots, doesn’t it?
Herman’s story made the Holocaust deniers rub their hands with glee and made the Holocaust establishment slump and groan and cry in their Manishevitz. Can you see how Herman’s story so quickly became about other things than a memoir, became about really, really big things?
As I researched The Apple, I wanted to find out the truth, so I set off with my cell phone and notebook, but I couldn’t find it. Everyone I spoke with–Herman, the historians, other survivors, the press, the pundits, the punters; those who knew Herman, and those who didn’t; they all thought that they knew the truth and none of them did.
I came to a decision as I began to write, I found an MO, which was–Let me tell you, in part, Dear Reader, what happened to Herman Rosenblat when he was a young boy and what he decided to do with it when he became an old man, and then you can decide what you want to call it, how you want to label it.
I went looking for answers in order to write a book, but I only found more questions, which is what everyone knows happens when you explore things in the proper way. I put the questions out there: What is memoir really? How does trauma affect memory and motivation? What happens when fantasy life and real life mingle? Is it harder for children from the Holocaust to give accurate accounts? Is a Holocaust survivor’s storytelling duty to himself or to the collective? Go rogue or follow the handbook?
These are interesting questions, but I don’t think people will answer them; most of them are caught up in the labels. Don’t get me wrong, labels are good, labels are necessary, but you never really find anything true unless you look under the labels.
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I am beyond intrigued!
Lindsey,
Just because you are my friend in real life, don’t feel that you can’t sign up for my give away. Though if you do, I’m not sending it to you and you would have to wait until October when we come home for Mark & Kate’s wedding. Just sayin’.
This sounds absolutely fascinating. I have to say, I can’t abide the idea of memoirs that contain absolutely falsehoods and made up stories. What’s the point? Reminds me of that James Frey book — I TOLD my friend, who had me read it, that I just couldn’t believe some of it. Two weeks later … well, we know he was found out!
I’m deep in the 1940s myself right now, reading a riveting World War II memoir “Abandoned and Forgotten” by Evelyne Tannehill. What a frightening example of what happens when law and order break down and anarchy reigns. Americans haven’t experience war on their own soil — so this is a look at what happens when the rules are out the window and people must fight for survival. (The book is a memoir of the fight for survival after the German nationals were tossed from the “lost territories” after the war.)
And yes, I think this memoir is true.
So does this book contain Herman Rosenblats “memoir” and Penelope Holt’s investigations or is it all Penelope?
I was one of the few who recieved a review copy of your book from ITunes – and yes I have to admit I was ambivalent about reading yet another “Holocaust Story” Albeit wrapped up in the whole Oprah “Apple throwing debacle”, and no the reason was not because I am a Holocaust nay sayer, on the contrary, I believe the Holocaust was perhaps one of the most shameful events in human history, but because I find reading about those inhuman acts just too hard to bear – it makes me feel ashamed and sickened! So – feeling a bit like a reluctant student just given his summer reading list, I set about reading The Apple!! – within a few chapters I was captivated. Herman’s story became so real to me that he stayed in my head for days after. Yes his experiences in the various death camps were beyond horrendous, but with Ms Holt’s sensitive and compelling portrayal of Herman’s experiences, allowed us all to bear witness to fact that there was some humanity, and that with the support and love of his family he survived. Herman is neither angel or devil, he is just a man who even thought he went to hell and back he still managed to keep faith with his own sense of humanity and continued to believe in love. Well done Ms Holt – your book is a little gem. Thank you
Wanda,
It’s all Herman Rosenblat–no Penelope.
In reply to Wanda’s question, The Apple is written through Herman’s eyes–simultaneously as a child in Nazi concentration camps and as an old man in the present day. As the scandal about his memoir is breaking, the book lays out the story he first told about his survival, complete with embellishments, and what happened as a result.
J.T and Penelope: Thank you both for responding to my question! As I mentioned earlier in J.T.’s review, I was intriged by this story when I saw it on a local news segment and had no knowledge of any scandal (until today). I’d still like to read it, embellishments and all, just wanted to be sure whose story I’d be delving into.
That is an amazing post. I am looking into signing up for the ARC now!
I really feel sorry for Mr Rosenblat, to have lived such a life, as a kid. But I also feela bit sorry for Mrs Holt, because she has gotten herself involved in a sad saga that cannot have a happy ending for her. Just as Laurie Friedman, the children’s book writer in Florida who spent hours interviewing Mr Herman and write her kid’s book based on his story, I fear Mrs Holt who also says she spent countless hours talking to Mr Herman, also got hoodwinked and will feel the repercussions of getting involved in this sad saga for the rest of her life. It’s not a pretty picture. On the other hand, as a professor of literature in south Florida, maybe some good will come of this and Americans of all faiths, and Brits, too, will come away from this third book about Mr Herman will a renewed interest in the Holocaust, which surely was a terriblly tragic human event. So I am looking forward to signing up for the ARC now, too, because I do want to test the waters here, and I plan to share the book with my students in September when fall semester gets under way. Good luck to you, Mrs Hold, this cannot have been an easy assignment, but if you did your best and found an angle that nobody else has been able to see — and maybe that’s because you are not Jewish and have no connection to the emotional baggage of the Holocaust — then G-d bless you and may this book rise to meet the occasion!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aju4dybTZsc
Ms. Holt argues that if spies are not debriefed within 24 hours, their intelligence is worthless. Yet she debriefs Herman Rosenblat after more than six decades and wishes us to believe his story. This from a man who has already proved that he is unable to separate fact from fiction; who, when his serial lies were exposed, blithely asserted that they were not lies, they were his imagination. Are we now going to be asked to believe that his fantasies are facts?
I challenge Ms. Holt to explain this to a simple man like me.
this book is really awful. read it and hated it. this woman’s background is as a pr flack. seems she should stay with what she does best.
i have heard that herman rosenblat has converted to christianity under the influence of ms. holt. what can one say? if true, she is just another evangelical wacko taking advantage of the holocaust for her own right wing crusade.
herman rosenblat converted to christianity? unreal! this whole story is unbeliable.
Harris Salomon aka lauri mattel, barry rosenwasser and lorin schneider this post is for you. Keep up the smear campaign because there is a nice court case waiting for you….
A Manhattan Supreme Court judge forced Google to unmask Port, rejecting Port’s claim that blogs “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions, including invective and ranting” and shouldn’t be regarded as fact.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/08/23/2009-08-23_outted_blogger_rosemary_port_blames_model_liskula_cohen_for_skank_stink.html#ixzz0QXLU03Qf
To Barry Rosenwasser
Ms. Holt knows well that I do not esteem Herman Rosenblat very highly, but the recent rumor that he has converted to Christianity under her influence is beyond crazy. It was initiated by a known wacko whose insane comments have been posted under a variety of pseudonyms. He is a man who is making a name for himself as an unstable, psychotic personality. Be assured that you cannot take seriously anything he writes.
Just get a copy of “The Apple” and see for yourself what the fuss is all about. You will see that what you wrote about Ms. Holt is an untrue and unworthy comment.
rosenblat looks like he is drugged and out of his mind in that video. what has she done to him?
hey kubick, so what is the problem if he did convert? you got an issue with being christian? im a proud christian, i dont get it? why are you holier then tho? i think our side is better off without him anyway. let him lie in your camp rather then ours. you should be ashamed for helping resurrect this liar. are you getting paid from him or the author?
its not the best book. the book seems to try and justify why herman rosenblat lied. to try and find reason and say its ok now. to cleanse him for his guilt. the writer cant pull it off. it comes off preachy and bland. like a publicist trying to prove a point. herman rosenblat lied because he was greedy and wanted fame. he cant be cleansed. miss holt is sullied by the same shame put on rosenblat when she tries to clean him. probably the same for this peter kubicek guy whomever he is. the book wil prbably sell 10 copies so does it even matter?
before you read the apple read this book! its so much better.
http://www.books-by-isbn.com/0-9620413/0962041394-1000-1-Odds-Memoir-of-a-World-War-II-Childhood-0-9620413-9-4.html
wow!
http://gawker.com/5330138/lying-holocaust-author-recounts-tale-of-thing-that-never-happened
this says penelope holt is just some public relations woman! is this book a pr thing for herman rosenblat? she is just a flack! link:
http://www.impactplan.com/bio_holt.php
im confused is penelope holt the writer of this new book or rozenblat’s publicist?
freaky story tho. here is why. i did a background check on the rosenblat robbery and i could find none. there is no record of it that i could find. so i am just wondering did he make that up too? so who shot his son and how did he end up in a wheelchair?
i read the earlier version of the book by the same author, “angel at the fence” on the smokinggun.com website. it was really good.