Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler

 

 “To Thine Own Self Be True.” William Shakespeare

 

I am very pleased to feature Greta Beigel in this interview about “Kvetch: One Bitch of a Life: A Memoir of Music and Survival.” Greta and I met on Linkedin. My reviews can be found on Goodreads and Amazon.

 

Welcome, Greta!

 

           

KP: What made you decide to write your memoir?

 

 GB: A lonely prodigy growing up in South Africa, my only companions remained the characters created by British author Enid Blyton. At age 10, I declared that I, too, would write a book. Most of my life involved making sense of my aberrated upbringing–and the dysfunctional mores that governed Jewish life in Johannesburg.  Yet I kept no written record of events.  Rather, every image, bit of dialogue, cultural encounter and exchange remained imprinted on my brain/soul, always, it seemed, at-the-ready to be revealed. I had to tell my story. While writing offered little catharsis, within weeks of publication all went poof. No need for recall or any tell all. I was done.

 

 

KP: What are the main themes in your memoir- the main message(s) you to convey through your story?

 

GB: I take the lofty view that art is not created in a vacuum; rather we need to be rounded human beings before greatness can be achieved. In the essay “Clair de Lune,” I delve into what becomes a prodigy, examining the essentials for transformation from gifted child to mature artist, namely familial support,  good mentors/teachers– and money.  Along the way, I illustrate how those hideous tentacles of abuse can stifle and choke any life force. And in extreme, destroy love and sexuality. I’d like to believe that I conclude on a message of hope.

 

 

KP: I found your writing style to be concise and engaging. How did you find your writing voice?

 

GB: By profession I remain a journalist. And by training–I was a reporter and editor for many years at the Los Angeles Times— prune content to its essentials. This proved invaluable when scripting about sexual molestation as I strove to keep the account taut. I put the memoir aside for months at a time, and on every re-read stripped the extraneous. In the early days my memoir resembled a doorstopper that included every stürm und drung of my life. Now slim, apparently it rates a breezy read.

 

 

 

KP: You weave in childhood abuse, your Jewish culture, Apartheid, an overbearing mother and your music into a narrative of transformation and healing. What was it like for you to resurrect all those painful memories?

 

GB: Sadly, I lived and breathed those memories throughout my life. It was just all there, waiting to be shared.  With instant recall, I sorted through the incidents and horrors and humor–also the Jewish rituals and celebrations–and chose which episodes to bring into focus. Perhaps my life story is resting comfortably in the Cloud. And if my narrative exhibits a type of transformation, I’m thrilled.

 

 

KP: Music—playing the piano as a child prodigy—is a key part (no pun intended!) of your story. What role do you feel music had in your healing?

 

GB: My music, my very being, existed merely to enhance my mother’s life. Yet my love of great art and artists endures forever.  At age 23 I gave up playing the piano, morphing instead into the world of music journalism. I always thrill at the sight of a keyboard –be it in a concert hall, or art gallery even a knick-knack store. And I sometimes capture those old feelings sitting on a bench in a piano store, imagining the orchestral downbeat about to begin. I’ve been blessed with many artistic gifts and this has spawned a rich, oftentimes international, cultural life. I often declare that as long as there’s Bach, Mozart, Beethoven’s Ninth (Symphony)–and good coffee– the world is glorious.

 

KP: How did you find the title of your book?

 

GB: Early on, I forwarded a music critic friend a copy of the first two chapters. He responded: God Greta you’re such a kvetch. (Nowadays, I rarely let others view my work). A kvetch is defined in Webster’s as a complainer. While I’m assured my story exhibits far more optimism than begets a mere kvetch, I enjoy the title. Sitting in a friend’s office in Los Angeles I once said, what a bitch of a life it’s been. A subtitle emerged. Originally I called the book, “A Jew from Joh’burg.” However, after publishing a short story about my Dad called “A Jew from Riga,” a change was in order.

 

KP: Do you have any memoir writing tips  you’d like to share?

 

GB: There are many ways to get a story down. Some write chronologically; others weave in and out of past and present. Still others construct vignettes or write poetry.  If having trouble, it helps to browse the shelves for memoirs, be it life stories by chefs, inventors, techno giants, musicians, sports greats or smalls, whatever. Suddenly something could resonate and voila, you know your voice. As a child I devoured biographies and still peruse libraries for tomes on musicians, artists, historians, world leaders. Recently I picked up “Bad Boy,” a terrific memoir by artist Eric Fischl. Scattered throughout the pages, fellow artists/ friends offer tidbits about his life. Nice touch. A few years ago, wanting to narrate a story about a cat who thinks she’s Jewish–really my alter ego– I could not design an appropriate format. Residing at that time in New Zealand, I came across a famed author who had written books for children employing poetry as her medium. I subsequently set all chapters of “Mewsings: My Life as a Jewish Cat” in rhyme. I’d found my muse.

 ***

Thank you, Greta for sharing your inspirational story and music with us. You show us how writing and music became your pathway to healing and transformation.

 

 

 

In “Kvetch: One Bitch of a Life,” concert pianist-turned-journalist Greta Beigel looks back, sometimes in horror, often with humor at (dysfunctional) Jewish family life lived under the umbrella of apartheid in South Africa, circa the ’50s and ’60s. While her memoir chronicles Orthodox Jewry’s responses to events during that shameful era, it also explores the rituals, customs–and delicious foods associated with a rich cultural heritage. For Greta, however, danger remains omnipresent. A child piano prodigy then teen concert performer Greta lives at the mercy of a superambitious matriarch, desperate for entree into Jewish Society. With violence never far, Greta faces a choice: Stay in Africa and surely die–or flee to California and create anew. She chooses life. The story moves to Los Angeles, where the author metamorphoses into a music journalist, soon reporting for the Los Angeles Times, interviewing music giants such as Van Cliburn, Esa-Pekka Salonen among others.  But always in the background, a dark familial figure hovers…. www.amazon.com/dp/B005GFI5MO  AUTHOR BIO:Greta Beigel, a child prodigy pianist-turned arts journalist was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the height of apartheid. Greta’s mother, struggling and stigmatized by divorce, lived vicariously through her talented daughter, all in an effort to gain acceptance from her unforgiving Jewish brethren. Surviving many years of torment Greta went on to win an overseas scholarship from the University of South Africa. You can hear part of her award-winning recital on an Amazon MP3 featuring works by Bach and Glazunov. Thanks to that prize, Greta was able to escape Africa and familial violence, and migrate to California where she reunited with much-maligned father Richard who had left the family in South Africa when she was 10.  In Los Angeles, Greta studied with pedagogue Aube Tzerko, then went on to become a classical music writer, working on staff at the Los Angeles Times, where she also was an arts editor. She has contributed to the New York Times. To her surprise, Greta has authored three Jewish-themed books: First, “Mewsings: My Life as a Jewish Cat,” featuring the beloved cat Ketzel’s take on modern Judaism–also an MP3, with Greta narrating and music by pianist Michael Hoppe; “A Jew from Riga,” a short story capturing her visit to Latvia to learn more about her father’s mysterious past, and the memoir, “Kvetch: One Bitch of a Life.”   LINKS TO GRETA’S BOOKS:     Mewsings: My Life as a Jewish Cat Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B00486U5YS   audio cd: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mewsings-my-life-as-jewish/id410642795. A Jew from Riga: www.amazon.com/dp/B004YKSXUQ.   Kvetch: One Bitch of a Life–A Memoir of Music & Survival.  www.amazon.com/dp/B005GFI5MO

 

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:

 

www.facebook.com/GRETABEIGEL

www.linkedin.com/pub/greta–beigel/9/6a2/945

 www.facebook.com/GretaBeigelMewsingsNarrator

 

Recordings:

 

Greta’s recording that won her a chance to study overseas can be heard on Scholarship Recital. Here’s a link to her performance of Glazunov’s Theme & Variations on YouTube, and to purchase:

 

 

Here are sample tracks on Amazon to purchase:

www.amazon.com/scholarship-recital-piano/dp/B005J2H58E

 

 

How about you? What role has music played in your life and in your writing?

 

Greta has graciously offered to give away a free eBook version of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing. In addition, four MP3 singles  of the piece you liked by Glazunov as depicted on YouTube and sold via Amazon. A single track, running 16 minutes,will be sent to the recipient as a gift via Amazon.

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

 

Friday, 10/25/13:  ” Memoir Writing Tips by Denis Ledoux: Conveying Theme Effectively”, fourth and least session.