Book-blogging, book-banning....

I don't have a great deal to write as we launch this new enterprise -- since my current literary companion is Orhan Pamuk's Snow -- except to note the irony of starting a J-book blog the week of the Slifkin ban, which appears to be as much about boundary maintenance as anything else.

So, in that spirit, let me begin with four questions:
1. What makes a "Jewish book" Jewish?
2. Can a Jewish author write a "non-Jewish" book?
3. Can a non-Jewish author write a "Jewish" book?
4. Why wasn't Jewish Lights among the exhibitors at the most recent meeting of the Association for Jewish Studies?

[UPDATE, January 23: I saw Jewish Lights's Stuart Matlins tonight at a Kalsman Institute event honoring Debbie Friedman. All is well -- and it was a great evening.]

And one more for good measure: now that we're all officially Jewish book bloggers, does this mean publishers will start sending us free review copies?