46 | NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 J
N
P
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