Lolita at Leonard’s of Great Neck and Other Stories from the Before Times offers an evocative and immersive collection of five stories that transport readers through an intimate, distinctly Jewish odyssey spanning from 1974 to the early 2000s. With rich authenticity and deep insight, these narratives explore themes of identity, independence, ambition, sexuality, faith, and love as they follow characters navigating the complexities of life in a bygone era.
The collection’s journey begins with 18-year-old Anna, a Jewish college student who crosses paths with a German businessman at a Greek diner on Queens Boulevard. Next, we follow Claire Seltzer from Great Neck as she endures a honeymoon disaster in Paris. Rebecca, a spirited eighth grader, grapples with her secret crush on her math teacher, Mr. Miller. Sarah Reinhardt, the wife of a celebrity doctor living on Central Park West, finds herself entangled in a perplexing love triangle. Finally, Rachel Rosensweig faces a shocking revelation as her Columbia professor husband turns into a radical revolutionary.
Set against the backdrop of the postwar, pre-pandemic golden age, these stories shed light on timeless struggles and relationships—between lovers, friends, and family. Both poignant and humorous, they reveal what it meant to be American, Jewish, and female during this transformative period. Infused with cultural references and emotional depth, each tale brims with self-awareness, longing, and sensuality.
Author Shira Dicker is an ever-curious writer, activist, and publicist deeply engaged with the pulse of contemporary culture. Her diverse portfolio spans local, national, and international outlets, from newspapers and magazines to news websites. A pioneer in the blogosphere, she also launched a podcast during the pandemic and provides real-time insights across various social media channels.
We had a chance to speak with Dicker several times since her book launch in May. Take a look at what she had to share.
CH: Tell me about your new book, Lolita at Leonard’s of Great Neck and Other Stories from the Before Times.
SD: Lolita is a short story collection. These stories are quite juicy; they’re all stories about relationships, but they are not intertwined. The stories are fiction, but they are inspired by decisions that I made in the moment of a situation, while aware that there was another option, another path. Lolita was published by Wicked Son, which is an imprint of Post Hill Press, headed by Adam Bellow and David S. Bernstein. I have been working with Bellow [son of Saul Bellow]; he is an author’s publisher and he believes in authentic detail and language. I do not think he’s in the business of writing things that are gratuitous or hurtful, but he encouraged me to go with situations in the book that are problematic and authentic to a period in time.
CH: If you had to liken Lolita to another author’s work, who would you say is going to love this book?
SD: I think the answer is broad and varied. I would list Susan Isaacs, Meg Wolitzer, and to be totally pretentious, Elena Ferrante. I would also say Judy Blume. When I came of age and was going through puberty my mother tracked down a copy of Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret. It was game changing and frankly, I love all of Judy Blume’s work. Who else? I would say Jean Hanff Korelitz; her work is intricate. I would not call my work chick lit because plenty of men are reading it. I would not say my work is for my demographic, 63, urban dweller, Jewish. It is for everybody who loves stories about relationships and conflicts. I’m a big fan of Gary Shteyngart, Laurie Colwin, Taffy Brodesser-Akner and Jonathan Lethem.
CH: Any advice to writers who aspire to publish their first great work?
SD: I’m 63 years old, and I have just published my first book. I have been writing articles, essays and short stories since I was very young. I would urge people now is the moment at every moment. Writing is portable. Writing is cheap, if not free. Be fascinated and obsessed with your characters and your plot, and stick with it. And ask your characters to reveal themselves. Who are they? Who are these characters? They will surprise you. There are things about my stories that they ended up in places that I did not intend when I started. And don’t be afraid to toss something entirely, to tear it up.
CH: Tell me about your connection to Great Neck.
SD: I have memories of Great Neck from way back, memories from the ’60s of cool, earthy, environmental overall-wearing moms, like limited edition Barbie moms. My father was the rabbi at Marathon Jewish Center; I lived in Little Neck, and then in Douglaston, but I went to school in Great Neck, at North Shore Hebrew Academy from kindergarten age in 1965. All of my best friends lived in Great Neck, Jackie Hoffman from Allenwood Road, the Gordons in Saddle Rock and the Movsas family. My mom, brother and some of my cousins now live in Great Neck. All roads lead back to Great Neck.
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