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Interviews

An Interview with Steven Greenberg, author of Enfold Me
LL Book Review
By Shannon Yarbrough on July 14, 2012

Tell us a little about your book.

ll book reviewEnfold Me is a tragedy set in the ultimate Israeli dystopian setting – a Middle East after Israel has ceased to exist.

The Fall of Israel in the indeterminate near future finds Daniel Blum, a US expatriate scientist, living and working in the north of Israel. Alone and deeply scarred, he is tasked by a figure from his past to travel from Hamas-controlled Northern Liberated Palestine, through the ruins of Egyptian-controlled Tel Aviv, and to a secret governmental research complex in Nes Ziona. His mission is to attempt to right a wrong that could impact the future of the region.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have not yet met an Israeli that – told of the premise of this book – has not told me “Ugh – that is my worst nightmare.”

We in Israel live in a uniquely precarious part of the world – so precarious, in fact, that we generally choose to repress even thoughts of “what if.” It’s just too scary.

I’ve been living in this reality for half my life, have been through several wars and years of army service, and have chosen to create and raise a family within it. Frankly, I got tired of repressing this fear and chose instead to confront it, and to confront what we – as a society – are either doing, or not doing, to prevent it from coming true. Enfold Me was the result of this confrontation.

See the whole interview here.

 


 

IndieView with Steven Greenberg, author of Enfold Me
IndieView
June 14, 2012

When did you start writing the book?

indieviewI hatched the idea in 2008, and really got into the swing of writing in 2009.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me almost four years to finish Enfold Me – but not because I’m a slow writer! I also run a consulting business, and am a full-time work-at-home Dad to my three small children. I wrote religiously every Wednesday, and on nights/weekends when I could.

Where did you get the idea from?

In Israel, there is never any shortage of angst from which to draw dystopian “inspiration.” It’s enough to watch the news daily, especially in the last couple of years. Simply put, Enfold Me was born of my fear. I wanted to harness the existential fear that we all live with here daily. As someone who came to Israel alone and with nothing, and built a life for myself here, I wanted to bring the worst case scenario to life – to look it in the eyes and thus make it less scary.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Many. Enfold Me was a deeply difficult book to write, and emotionally draining. Imagine everything you know and love is taken from you. Put yourself in your worst nightmare, and then live there for four years while creating a story. More specifically, the book’s closing sequence, which was actually written first, had me wandering the house sleepless for weeks.

See the whole interview here.