Since my first book is mentioned in this discussion, I thought that I would jump in. I certainly wish that fewer readers needed explanations of words like "Tashlikh," "mama-loshn," and "daven." Wouldn't that be nice?
Niestety (as the Poles say), when one writes a poetry collection with a particular cultural, religious, and linguistic slant, some notes become necessary.
Notes are especially necessary if you are sending your manuscript to book contests where the first-tier readers are graduate students. As the former administrator of a major book contest, I can tell you that it's a good idea to underestimate a reader's knowledge (at least initially). Notes can always be removed from a manuscript once the book has been accepted for publication. At that point, "to note, or not to note" becomes a matter of personal taste.
Last edited by Jehanne Dubrow; 11-01-2010 at 10:23 PM.
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