46 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
N

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robing Judaism 
and history enter 
into the expressed 
interests of writer and Ohio 
bookstore owner Linda 
Kass, who worked in Detroit 
from 1978-80. During 
her Michigan years, she 
represented Time magazine 
and taught at Wayne State 
University.
Kass made her interests 
known to Michigan readers 
when she returned to Metro 
Detroit Tuesday, Oct. 17, to 
introduce her third book, 
Bessie (She Writes Press), 
at Schuler Books in West 
Bloomfield. 
The recently released 
book is described by Kass 
as a novel about 10 years 
in the life of Bess Myerson, 
the only Jewish woman 
to become Miss America. 
Myerson used that win 
to advocate for the values 
communicated through the 
Anti-Defamation League 
(ADL). 
The book is titled Bessie, 
the name she was referred to 
by family and friends in her 
early years. 
“Bess Myerson is an iconic 
and consequential woman 
of the mid-20th century,” 
Kass said about the subject 
of her third book. “She was 
certainly not brought up 
to be a beauty queen even 
though that is a title that 
always followed her. 
“She used her voice and 
title to fight antisemitism 
and all forms of bigotry, 
particularly in her work with 
the ADL.”
The book covers the time 
between Myerson’s ages 
12 and 22, starting when 
she was gaining depth as a 

pianist entering the world 
beyond her Jewish-based 
housing and ending as her 
Miss America reign was 
doing the same. 
“She went to all corners 
of the country speaking 
for the ADL,” said Kass, 
who includes an epilogue 
summarizing Myerson’s 
life, noting television 
appearances after her reign. 
Tasa’s Song, the first book 
written by Kass, was based 
on the life of her mother, 
who survived difficulties 
erupting in Poland. Her 
second book, A Ritchie 
Boy, is based on the life of 

her father, who was 
from Vienna and 
trained at Camp Ritchie to 
help Americans with their 
intelligence operations.
“The focus on 
antisemitism in Bessie 
existed for Bess Myerson in 
real time,” Kass said. “She 
was asked to change her 
name for the Miss America 
Pageant because they didn’t 
want to sell Myerson. There 
were threats against judges 
and sponsors who backed 
out. 
“Myerson experienced 
that, and she held firm. She 
also was a symbol given 

the time period. She won 
the title in 1945, which was 
really what drew me to her.”
To do research for Bessie, 
Kass read biographies 
about Myerson, historical 
remembrances of the times 
and documents describing 
the Miss America Pageant. 
There were also books 
about the schools Myerson 
attended, including Hunter 
College. ADL periodicals, 
with Myerson speeches, 
also entered into the Kass 
background 

materials.
“A novel is different 
from a biography because 
you’re bringing a human 
being to life on the page,” 
Kass explained. “I needed 
to understand the world 
Myerson lived in, and my 
research helped me do that. 
Doing research helps me 
think, and I spend a lot of 
time thinking before I start 
putting things down.” 
Kass, 69, grew up in 
Ohio, graduated from the 
University of Pennsylvania 

Linda Kass’ new novel focuses on 
 
10 years in the life of Bess 
Myerson, the only Jewish woman 
to become Miss America. 

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

 Jewish 
Miss America

Linda 
Kass

ARTS&LIFE
BOOKS

