By Jacob B. and Brady B., 7th grade students, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
Stephen Gordon has taught social studies at Krieger Schechter Day School for 22 years; however, Gordon has been a passionate writer since he was in the seventh grade. The published author of two books — “In the Name of God” (2011) and “Confluence” (2013) — aims to entertain his readers with dramatic storylines, exciting action, and intriguing characters.
Gordon was inspired to write by his favorite genres of books and movies. “I always liked the James Bond movies and books, and I always liked mysteries. I like action movies too. I also like to write, so I put that all together,” Gordon states.
Ellen Friedman, a KSDS middle school Judaic studies teacher, enjoyed reading Gordon’s mysteries. “I like mysteries, and [Gordon] also has a Jewish angle in his novels. He involves a Jewish protagonist, which I like,” Friedman says.
Israel plays a significant role in Gordon’s two novels. Because he loves Israel, Gordon chooses to express his opinion in his stories. “I wanted to write books that have a positive view on Israel because Israel gets a lot of bad press,” Gordon says.
Friedman shares a similar sentiment. “I’ve been to Israel a lot of times. I can picture some of the places he writes about, including Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. He makes the novels seem very real to me. It is just very interesting.”
Teaching social studies at KSDS does not leave much time for Gordon to write. He, therefore, devotes his spare moments to the writing process. “I write in my free time, either in the evening, during winter break, or in the summer,” Gordon explains.
The writing routine is a challenging and grueling process, but Gordon manages to overcome its difficulty. “My first pass is to do multiple drafts. I’m an editor after the first draft is complete, but you don’t always see your own mistakes. My wife is next in line. Then I hire different people to read the books. So, editing is really important,” Gordon adds.
Writing and reading novels have a powerful impact on the author and his readership. Readers often learn something new upon finishing a book. “I really like when he puts something in the book that I’m unfamiliar with, like martial arts, because I find that topic very interesting,” Friedman notes.
Gordon has a blast writing his books. “I have a fun time creating the characters and constructing a story. I really enjoy putting it all together,” he says.
Without a doubt, Gordon takes writing very seriously, but he also has fun. He hopes to finish the first draft of his third novel by early January, and aims to have it published by summer. His goal in writing is to inform readers while giving them an entertaining and meaningful reading experience.
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