Three novels with Jewish themes were nominated for the 2016 Harold U. Ribalow Prize: Jessamyn Hope’s Safekeeping, Jim Shepard’s The Book of Aron, and my A Reunion of Ghosts. This week it was made official: The Book of Aron took the prize. I have to say that having my work considered along with work by Jim Shepard, one of my favorite authors, a writer whose work I frequently teach to my students, made me feel as though I’d stepped into an alternate universe. I’m truly overjoyed to be in this company and to end the year knowing that this book has had some nice pats on its paper back. I’m about to begin a sabbatical; the plan is to make some serious headway on book number 3. So here we go–