In Nina Lichtenstein's new memoir, where each chapter is named after a body part, the author discovers how experiences and memories are deeply embedded in the body. She uses each body part as a portal and treasure trove for stories from her childhood and adolescence in Oslo, to her adult life in the United States as a convert to Judaism, and through friendships, studies, marriage, motherhood, and divorce.
Now in conversation with author and film director Nina Grünfeld about how "the body keeps score" of our experiences, the good as well as the small and big traumas, and about how choosing this type of narrative structure opened up a unique perspective and understanding of life events.
Nina Lichtenstein was born and raised in Oslo and lives in Maine, USA. She has a PhD in French literature and a master's in creative non-fiction. She has blogged as The Viking Jewess since 2014, and her writing has appeared in Tablet Magazine, Brevity Blog, Lilith Magazine, The Washington Post, HuffPost, among other publications. Her essays have appeared in several anthologies, and her book Sephardic Women's Voices: Out of North Africa was published in 2017. Body: My Life in Parts was published by Vine Leaves Press in May, 2025.
