Pamela L. Laskin’s beautiful and lyrical novel in verse delivers a fresh and captivating retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that transports the star-crossed lovers to the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict.
Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict—much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred.
The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

Ronit & Jamil

Teen & Young Adult

Laskin, Pamela L.

Historical Fiction

Katherine Tegen Books

Whether her poems remain close to home among her loved ones, venture out into the urban streetscape, or explore the world's terrains of trauma, Pamela L. Laskin's concerns are united by her forthright gaze at the human body - frail, endangered, but consistently resilient. She offers us a deep and serious engagement with our moments of change, of vulnerability and her natural sympathy allows her to embrace, with respect and care, our most elemental and challenging experiences. Best of all, her vision evinces the optimism that arises out of close and conscientious attention; for Laskin, the poet must "refuse to believe/in permanent stains." We can all be grateful for her bold, delicate and affirming poems.  David Groff, Theory of Devolution Yes, in a collection called Secrets of Sheets, you might expect mention of laundry, as well as everything else that haunts our days, and true to poet/wife/mother Pam Laskin's expansive heart, that laundry includes the metaphoric and the actual - from the son's and daughter's, which transforms into "Dry Cleaners" upon the daughter's graduation, to "Other People's Laundry," to "no laundry" in "Darfur." Laskin refuses to believe in "permanent stains." Yet, at her tough best, she can also write in the found poem "Away": "She was learning disabled so I shot her through her heart.... I didn't want her to die, I just wanted to stop being her mother...." Pam Laskin will make you wince in recognition, and laugh in recognition, but don't worry; she'll protect you, too. Estha Weiner, Editor, Blues for Bills

The Secrets of Sheets

Literature & Fiction

Poetry

Plain View Press

Wish upon a Star: A Story for Children With a Parent Who Is Mentally Ill

A little girl tries to adjust to her mother's mental illness

Moskowitz, Addie Alexander

Children's Books

Magination Pr

Ghosts, Goblins, Gods, Geodes

World Audience, Inc.

In this subtly complex collection of poems, Pam Laskin takes the image of bonsai-stunted and scarred into beauty through deliberate human artifice-and makes it a metaphor of being mothered, smothered and "wretchedly loved." Then with great deftness, she uproots the image and offers us a fresh and expansive vision of a tree, one that summons us to the sprawling beauty of parenting-and of poetry-that is nurtured in respect and love. -David Groff, Author of CLAY

The Bonsai Curator

Cervena Barva Press

[Young Adult Fiction (Ages 12-17)] [Read by Assaf Cohen, Youssif Kamal, Nira Amiel, Aylam Orian] Pamela L. Laskin's beautiful and lyrical novel in verse delivers a fresh and captivating retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that transports the star-crossed lovers to the modern-day Israel-Palestine conflict. Ronit, an Israeli girl, lives on one side of the fence. Jamil, a Palestinian boy, lives on the other side. Only miles apart but separated by generations of conflict -- much more than just the concrete blockade between them. Their fathers, however, work in a distrusting but mutually beneficial business arrangement, a relationship that brings Ronit and Jamil together. And lightning strikes. The kind of lightning that transcends barrier fences, war, and hatred. The teenage lovers fall desperately into the throes of forbidden love, one that would create an irreparable rift between their families if it were discovered. But a love this big can only be kept secret for so long. Ronit and Jamil must face the fateful choice to save their lives or their loves, as it may not be possible to save both.

"Pam Laskin's stories navigate the inner and outer landscapes of her characters with a poet's eye for the telling detail and the moments of humanity, both humorous and heartbreaking, that make this an unforgettable collection." --Rebecca Chace, author of CHAUTAUQUA SUMMER, CAPTURE THE FLAG and LEAVING ROCK HARBOR. "Pam Laskin's stories exhibit a deeply moving vision and insight into the contemporary human condition; she has a keen eye for the nuances of language and a command of the intricacies of the human heart and mind." --Hasanthika Sirisena, winner of the 2008 Rona Jaffe Award

Why I Love Nathan's and Other Stories

Short Stories & Anthologies

What happens to the child left behind? Jubair's family is stuck in Myanmar, until his mother escapes—with three out of four children. On the cusp of adolescence, the young boy—interned to a farmer—is filled with rage. Jubair is left to sleep in the woods and fend for himself. He does not know how to read and write, so why does his mother even bother smuggling in these letters? Jubair begins to express this anger in his own letters, as he develops a level of literacy, eventually becoming a reader and writer. An epistolary novel, Why No Goodbye? explores loss, grief and transcendence. Blurbs At times heartbreaking, at times shatteringly beautiful…. The rawness of Jabair's anger is all-encompassing and powerful…. Amid this pain are startling moments of joy and empathy. A beautiful meditation on forgiveness after great loss, and the unbearable pain of separation.”—Marie-Helene Bertino, author of 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas Based on true events, Pamela L. Laskin captures the anguished survival of a 13-year-old boy after he is abandoned by his refugee family in war-torn Myanmar…. In breathtaking free verse, Laskin explores the heart of this uneducated, desperate man-child as he struggles with feelings of betrayal and rage, all while experiencing the aching confusion of new love. Informed by her own daughter's on-location aid work with refugees from Myanmar, Laskin goes beyond the headlines to create a stunningly poignant tale of grief, struggle, and emotional redemption.—Suzanne Weyn, author of The Bar Code Tattoo trilogy Laskin bravely and movingly tackles one of our decade's saddest and direst human rights crises. The protagonist of Why No Goodbye? must contend with a double loss: his family and his land. Laskin's use of letters written in verse convincingly portrays Jubair's dislocation and loneliness, while also ensuring that he and other characters remain flesh and blood, vital and very human. This is an extraordinary accomplishment.—Hasanthika Sirisena, author of The Other One, winner of The Juniper Prize for Fiction There has been a lot written about the Rohingya crisis in recent years, but nothing quite like this. Why No Goodbye? is unique in form and heart-wrenching in content. Through verse, the author helps expose the painful wake of the world's newest genocide.—Matthew Smith, co-founder and CEO, Fortify Rights The Author Pamela L. Laskin is a lecturer in the English Department at The City College, where she directs The Poetry Outreach Center and teaches children's writing in the MFA Division. She is the author of five books of poetry and several picture books, most recently Homer the Little Stray Cat (2017). Harper Collins published Ronit &amp; Jamil, a Palestinian/Israeli Romeo and Juliet in verse for teens, in 2017. She is a member of PSA, American Academy of Poets &amp; SCBWI.

Why No Goodbye?

Leapfrog Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Laskin, Pamela L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Laskin, Pamela L.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Laskin, Pamela L.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Ronit & Jamil

The Secrets of Sheets

Wish upon a Star: A Story for Children With a Parent Who Is Mentally Ill

Wish upon a Star: A Story for Children With a Parent Who Is Mentally Ill

Ghosts, Goblins, Gods, Geodes

The Bonsai Curator

Ronit & Jamil

Why I Love Nathan's and Other Stories

Why No Goodbye?