A memoir, its writer, and the American dream. Author and Jewish Studies professor F.K. Clementi joins us to present her memoir, South of My Dreams, the unapologetic journey through the trials and tribulations that garner the American Dream. Simultaneously merciless and humorous, F. K. Clementi’s memoir is ultimately an inspiring account of a woman’s disillusionment and personal rebirth. Entertaining, original, and poetic, it will resonate with all who fight hard for what they want and refuse to put aside their childhood dreams. An attractive program for those also interested in the insights of a memoirist, Clementi will also explore what it is like to write a memoir, and how lessons learned in life equally translate to pen and paper,
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please visit Buxton Books here.
About the Book
Introducing a new Jewish voice from the South that tells us with humor, panache, and raw frankness her irresistible story of what it means to become an American woman today. South of My Dreams follows the adventures and misadventures of Fania, a quixotic heroine, who dreamed all her life of making it big in New York City. Growing up in 1970s Italy, Fania felt constrained by a stale environment, corrupt society, and national culture hostile to women’s independence. In pursuit of her childhood fantasy, and heavily influenced by Hollywood films, she leaves everything behind to begin her new life in New York, where she thinks her American Dream awaits. Instead, her American nightmare begins. From miraculous breakthroughs to tragic setbacks, Fania’s path is marked by an irreparable trauma while also being graced by intense love, faithful friendships, and inspiring mentors. Through dramatic twists and turns—and to her great surprise—Fania learns the true meaning of the American expression to “go south.” Simultaneously merciless and humorous, F. K. Clementi’s memoir is ultimately an inspiring account of a woman’s disillusionment and personal rebirth. Entertaining, original, and poetic, South of My Dreams will resonate with all who fight hard for what they want and refuse to put aside their childhood dreams.
About the Author
F. K. Clementi is a writer, public intellectual, and a professor of English and Jewish Studies at the University of South Carolina. (where she works and sometimes publishes under the name Schoeman). Clementi was born in Rome, Italy, she speaks several languages and lived all over Europe, in Israel and the United States. She has extensively written about women in war and genocide, women’s memoirs, Jewish humor, and American and European Jewish literature. In addition to South of My Dreams, Clementi is the author of Holocaust Mothers and Daughters: Family, History, and Trauma. Her articles and volume contributions won national and international awards. While not born a feminist, she was made one over the course of he life.When she is not writing or lecturing, she is baking bread.
