Best Selling Books by Lev Raphael

"Raphael makes the most of the academic setting of his immensely enjoyable....Raphael’s witty prose enhances a crafty plot." Publishers Weekly starred review Years ago Nick Hoffman was given a position in the English Department at the State University of Michigan because SUM wanted to hire his partner as writer-in-residence, but now he''s been unexpectedly installed by his dean as chairman of that department. It''s a wildly unpopular choice, and he''s suddenly the focus of more animosity from his colleagues than he''s ever dealt with before. He can''t seem to make anyone happy and can''t get a handle on his myriad new responsibilities as an administrator, a position he never wanted. Then tragedy strikes again way too close to home: Someone seeking his help is murdered, and under the shadow of another recent murder, Nick is a prime suspect. Hounded by campus police, the local press, and social media, Nick wonders if this could finally be the end of his career—that is, if he manages to stay out of prison. In the spirit of David Lodge, Francine Prose, Richard Russo and Jane Smiley, Department of Death is Lev Raphael''s most blistering satire yet of the current perversity of academic life.

Fully refreshed to address modern issues, this popular essential guide helps kids build self-confidence and assert themselves. Using simple words and real-life examples, this book shows kids how to be assertive with other kids—and with adults. Kids will learn to feel better about themselves, stronger and more secure inside, and more in charge of their lives. They’ll read about effective ways to deal with intense feelings and to build self-esteem and self-confidence. In addition, they’ll learn strategies for building inner security to cope with powerlessness and uncertainty and discover ways of protecting themselves when using social media.

Eamonn Wall arrived in the United States in the 1980s as part of a wave of young, educated immigrants who became known as the New Irish. In this book he comments on his own experiences and those of his generation, who identify as much with contemporary immigrant America as they do with the long-settled Irish American community. Wall''s starting point is the now closed Sin-e Cafe in New York''s East Village, which was a hangout in the early 1990s for expatriate Irish musicians, actors and writers. He comments on the poetry, fiction, essays, and memories of both the New Irish and Americans of Irish heritage, locating them within a literary and historical context. This is also a deeply personal book in which Wall wrestles with his own identity as an Irishman living in America, from the streets of Manhattan to the western hills of Nebraska.

Haunted by his parents’ horrific suffering and traumatic losses under Nazi rule, Lev Raphael grew up loathing everything German. Those feelings shaped his Jewish identity, his life, and his career. While researching his mother’s war years after her death, he discovers a distant relative living in the very city where she had worked in a slave labor camp, found freedom, and met his father. Soon after, Raphael is launched on book tours in Germany and, in the process, redefines himself as someone unafraid to face the past and let it go. Bookmarks, “Top Ten Nonfiction Titles of 2009”

Scandal and murder are on the agenda when English professor Nick Hoffman is dragooned into organising an Edith Wharton conference at the State University of Michigan. A witty, fast-paced gay thriller that is also a send-up of academia at its snarling worst.

This teacher’s companion to a classic book for kids provides tools for building self-esteem and personal power. Without self-esteem, kids doubt themselves and may turn to unhealthy habits as a way of coping. With self-esteem, kids feel secure, are willing to take positive risks, and are resilient in the face of challenges. This teacher’s guide expands the messages of Stick Up for Yourself!, teaching self-confidence and how to be assertive with easy-to-use sessions. Created for the classroom, these sessions can also be used in other group settings including counseling groups, out-of-school programs, community programs, and more. Digital content includes reproducible handouts.

When Lev Raphael published the controversial story collection Dancing on Tisha B''Av, he broke new ground in contemporary literature. Never before in one collection had an American writer revealed the conflicts between homosexuality and traditional Judaism, linked the chilling mind diseases of anti-Semitism and homophobia, and offered testimony not only to the legacy of Holocaust survivors but the suffering and conflicts of their children. Winner of the prestigious Lambda Literary Award, Raphael widened the scope of American Jewish fiction for a new generation. Secret Anniversaries of the Heart unites the most compelling tales from Dancing on Tisha B''Av with twelve new stories appearing in book form for the first time and the title story, never before published. Emotionally complex, edgy, and daringly intimate, here is a collection of twenty five years of stories that wrestle with questions of religious and sexual identity while displaying the gifts of a visionary writer in mid-career. Book jacket.

Murder erupts in the cutthroat world of academia and Nick Hoffman wonders, with his review coming up, if it isn''t more than his job that''s on the line.

Part mystery, part family saga, three siblings discover their past in the secrets of Holocaust survivors.

A coming-of-age novel set in New York and Michigan during the Vietnam War era, Winter Eyes shows how the past controls and divides the immigrant Borowski family, and isolates their American-born son Stefan. But when Stefan comes to learn the terrible secrets at the heart of his family, that knowledge transforms them all and points the way to a happy new future for him, despite his doubts about his sexual identity. A haunting and remarkable novel, Winter Eyes is a tale of family secrets, silence, revelation - and the hope for healing and change. A spellbinding achievement from a talented author of American fiction. This new 2022 edition contains a foreword by Brian Bouldrey (The Genius of Desire). ufeffufeff"Raphael''s Winter Eyes resembles a piano sonata, a piece he knows so well that his fingers breathed the music." - Los Angeles Times "Winter Eyes is one of the most affecting, absorbing, and quietly powerful American coming-of-age novels." - Booklist "Loneliness, separation, desire and the struggle with gay identity are leitmotifs of Lev Raphael''s novel. What distinguishes it is Raphael''s handling of grand themes, and his ongoing exploration of worlds both Jewish and gay and how they intersect, daring himself and his readers to contemplate wholeness." - Jenifer Levin

Curiosity turns to obsession at the State University of Michigan. Professor Nick Hoffman can''t understand how his supercilious new office mate Perry Cross beat out other candidates for a brand new position in the department. How did Cross get hired when he''s under-qualified? But Nick''s curiosity changes to a jealousy when he learns that his longtime lover, Stefan, shares a past with Cross. When Cross is found dead and the verdict is murder, Nick becomes a prime suspect since he was one of the last people to see Cross the evening he was killed. Nick has no choice but to investigate on his own. Only acclaimed author Lev Raphael can spin such a tale of twisted academia.

Still reeling from having escaped a mass shooting on campus, English professor Nick Hoffman finds himself on the receiving end of confessions by one colleague after another. All of them have good reason to hate the new department chair, Dr. Napoleon Padovani, who throws his weight around capriciously and cruelly. Resentment mounts on campus -- with an inevitably fatal result. Chaos and confusion reign among the faculty, which then turns on its own. Can Nick and his spouse Stefan restore order and save the day? Raphael has described the university as "a unique combination of the vanity of professional sports, the hypocrisy of politics, the cruelty of big business, with a touch of organized crime thrown in." “In Raphael’s entertaining ninth [Nick Hoffman] mystery... the distinctive characters and authenticity of the setting keep the story moving forward. Series fans will hope they won’t have to wait years to see Nick again.” —Publishers Weekly

Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing (Vol. VII, No. 1) March 2022 Recovering The Self is a quarterly journal which explores the themes of recovery and healing through the lenses of poetry, memoir, opinion, essays, fiction, humor, art, media reviews and psycho-education. Contributors to RTS Journal come from around the globe to deliver unique perspectives you won''t find anywhere else! The theme of Volume VII, Number 1 is "Focus on Work" Inside, we explore physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of this and several other areas of concern including: • Working and living in the same space • Discovering your true calling • Entrepreneurship and owning a small business • Sobriety and recovery from alcoholism • Creating your dream job • Winning the "lottery of life" • Overcoming personal shame • How to cope when your life plan goes awry • How a service animal can help you • ...and more! This issue''s contributors include: Ernest Dempsey, Chynna Laird, Leila Ferrari, Adriana Matak, Bethany Anne, Bernie Sigel, Annemarie Brignoni, Ruchira Khanna, Diane Wing, Gerry Ellen, Marjorie McKinnon, Bonnie A. McKeegan, Huey-Min Chuang, Holli Kenley, Katrina Wood, John Justice, Neall Calvert, Patrick Frank, Diane J. Abatemarco, Trisha Faye, Christy Lowry, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Vincent Hostak, Lev Raphael, Michell Spoden, Jay S. Levy, Edgar Rider, and more "I highly recommend a subscription to this journal, Recovering the Self, for professionals who are in the counseling profession or who deal with crisis situations. Readers involved with the healing process will also really enjoy this journal and feel inspired to continue on. The topics covered in the first journal alone, will motivate you to continue reading books on the subject matter presented. Guaranteed." --Paige Lovitt for Reader Views Visit us online at www.RecoveringSelf.com Published by Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com

State University of Michigan English professor Nick Hoffman stumbles on the corpse of Vlado Zamaria, the ruthless head trainer at the Michigan Muscle health club, in a steam room. Nick and his pal, Juno Dromgoole, team up once again to ferret out the killer, for whom there''s no shortage of suspects: Vlado''s bland, dutiful wife plus a plethora of actual and wanna-be lovers and jealous trainers. Nick manages a too-easy sneak peek into Zamaria''s unlocked office, finding secrets that eventually reveal the murderer.

Gershen Kaufman and Lev Raphael expose the role shame has come to play in the lives of gay men and lesbians. The authors break the silence surrounding gay and lesbian experience so that individuals can "come out" of shame and begin a path toward personal growth and acceptance.

A Nick Hoffman / Academic Mystery, Book 4 - The fourth novel in the highly acclaimed series begins on a high note. It appears that Nick''s career is finally moving in the right direction, and the celebrity that comes with solving murders has brought him more students than he can possibly handle. But things are never calm at the State University of Michigan: Nick''s partner''s career seems to be taking a downturn, a new faculty member is causing a lot of nasty talk, and cryptic messages are showing up in Nick''s mailbox. What turns up next is a corpse - and some very unsettling thoughts for the reluctant sleuth. Lev Raphael is a Lambda Literary Awards winner and multiple nominee for several books. This new edition in his Nick Hoffman series contains a 2021 foreword by Meg Perry (Jamie Brodie series).

A Nick Hoffman / Academic Mystery, Book 6 - It''s winter, but academic madness is in full bloom at the State University of Michigan. Untenured professor Nick Hoffman is desperately trying to keep out of the way as three senior professors battle to be the chair of his department. They all hate each other and all demand his support in an atmosphere of intense crisis. The situation implodes when an emergency meeting turns the department upside down. Nick is left desperate to make a quick getaway, so his partner Stefan suggests an idyllic week at a Caribbean Club Med. The island of Serenity, however, proves to be anything but serene. Once again, Edith Wharton scholar Nick Hoffman, who grew up in New York City and was never even mugged, finds himself face-to-face with murder. In this sixth novel in the series, Lev Raphael, Lambda Award winner, amuses and delights on campus and on vacation. Included in this new edition, a foreword by Anthony Bidulka (Russell Quant Mysteries). ufeff"Author Lev Raphael knows quite a lot about the dismal swamps of academe and the sunlit beaches of the Caribbean. The time he has obviously spent in these places make it possible for him to write vividly - and wittily - about both, with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek." - Lambda Book Report "Funny, cynical, and bittersweet, the new Nick Hoffman mystery will be eagerly pounced on by Raphael''s many fans." - Lauren Henderson, My Lurid Past "Lev Raphael has done it again - another mordantly witty mystery featuring everyone''s favourite acerbic English professor, Nick Hoffman. Relax with Tropic of Murder and take an entertaining, exotic Club Med vacation without even having to get out of your favorite chair." - Dean James, Decorated to Death "Beguiling and funny." - Washington Post "Raphael keeps us turning pages with mouthwatering descriptions of buffets and a paradise brimming with cheerful attendants; he ratchets up tension with rumors of ghosts and some very substantial fellows threatening to trade blows." - Booklist "Raphael''s wit is sharp as ever." - Kirkus Reviews

A person''s self-esteem is based on real facts and achievements, and it is the single most important psychological tool to facilitate relationships with other people. Without self-esteem, kids doubt themselves and wilt under the pressure of their classmates, making them feel inferior and worthless-- oftentimes seeking alcohol and drugs for an escape. This guide for parents and teachers is a step-by-step program meant to be used from first grade through middle school. It teaches the three most important skills in life: how to create self-esteem, how to be conscious of ones'' self, and how to be assertive in a positive way. La autoestima de cualquier persona se basa en hechos y logros verdaderos-- es la habilidad psicolo gica ma s importante que se puede desarrollar para poder desenvolverse en la sociedad. Sin autoestima, los nin os dudan de ellos mismos, se doblegan ante la presio n de sus compan eros, se sienten inferiores y sin vali a y pueden buscar en las drogas o el alcohol su apoyo. Esta gui a para maestros y padres es un programa paso por paso que puede ser utilizado desde los an os avanzados de primaria hasta el final de la educacio n media. Ensen a las tres hablilidades importantes para la vida: co mo formar la autoestima, co mo ser conciente de uno mismo y co mo ser asertivo de manera positiva.

"In Journeys & Arrivals prize-winning author Lev Raphael explores for the first time in non-fiction the gay and Jewish identities that have dominated his highly acclaimed fiction for many years." "Journeys & Arrivals reveals in a collection of autobiographical and critical essays the influence these often conflicting identities of being gay and Jewish have had in his life and his writing." "The child of Holocaust survivors, Raphael came to his positive Jewish identity late in life and his gay identity even later. He describes growing up in a secular family, discovering a Jewish community, early sexual exploration, the turning point that came with writing his first autobiographical story, and life with his partner and his partner''s sons. Other pieces report on gay literature, gays and lesbians in Israel, and the legacy of the Holocaust for both Jews and gays. Throughout, Raphael confronts with unflinching honesty the difficulties and rewards of laying claim to both a gay and a Jewish identity."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Writing a Jewish Life chronicles novelist Lev Raphael''s struggle to claim both his religious and sexual identities, and the happiness he subsequently found. Until he reached his mid-20s, the author felt alienated from other Jews, ambivalent about his homosexuality; or as he puts it, "twice strange ... in each [community], different, lesser, ashamed." A son of Holocaust survivors, Raphael grew up in an unmistakably Jewish but nonreligious home. However, as an adult he initiated his own affiliations with Judaism: He had a bar mitzvah at age 30, went to Israel twice, and fell in love with a Jewish man. It was "coming out as a Jew,'' he writes, that "ultimately made it possible for me to come out as a gay man and then work at uniting the two identities." Attesting to his journey is the contrast between his confused childhood and the joyful domestic life he now shares with his lover, Gersh, and their two sons.

A Nick Hoffman / Academic Mystery, Book 5 - Evil Stalks the Halls of Academe! Welcome to the hothouse world of academia where egos bruise as easily as peaches and vendettas grow like weeds. Nick Hoffman''s State University of Michigan is a place where the Borgias and the Marx Brothers would be equally at home. Heading into the Christmas season, SUM is being torn apart by bizarre attempts to make it more diverse while an autocratic new provost pushes for a White Studies program and Nick faces not only a tenure battle but conflicting requests for support in a battle for department chair.With his professional life a mix of seasonal chaos and departmental warfare, Nick discovers that he''s not only attracted to the outrageously sexy Juno Dromgoole and disturbed by these disorienting new feelings in his life, but also the target, along with Juno, of a vicious harassment campaign that escalates into stalking, assault, and attempted murder.This new edition contains a 2022 foreword by Martha C. Lawrence (Murder in Scorpio).

This study draws on recent discoveries in the psychology of emotion, most notably Dr Silvan Tomkins'' affect theory, in an attempt to examine Wharton''s fiction from a fresh angle.

In diesem Roman verknüpft Lev Raphael sein schriftstellerisches Talent zu einem emotionalen Thriller über ein durch und durch glaubwürdige jüdische Familie, die sich auf 50 Jahre Stillschweigen eingestellt hat. Erst durch den plötzlichen Tod der Mutter kommen dunkle Geheimnisse im Zusammenhang mit dem Holocaust ans Licht.