We're too young to be losing so many.

Someone I went to high school with died last week in a car accident. I found out on Twitter, and got a little more information on Facebook, and since we were never really friends, I pieced together the rest of the news online, too. Death in the age of social networking is still in its unprecedented phase. No one really knows what to do. I'm reminded of the article my professor and advisor, Dr. Elizabeth Stone, wrote for the Chronicle of Higher Education not long after the death of my friend and editor, Casey Feldman. I remember vividly the conversation many of the other editors had, where I pondered at what point it would be appropriate to take down my profile picture of Casey and me at our end-of-the-year party. Does taking it down mean I'm over it? Is it callous to go back to "normal," even if it's only on Facebook?

Now, with the death of a high school classmate, I'm again reminded of our makeshift memorials. Three students in my high school class alone died before graduation. My senior year, the large rock outside our school became a memorial rock, painted over each time another student's life was taken. We never knew when it was okay to paint over the rock again unless someone else passed away. In a generation of "kids with stuff," making tangible (or techno-tangible) memorials in the only way we know how, it can be even tougher to let go.

In the age of social networking, bad news travels even more quickly--I may never have known about the death of someone whose locker was always just two away from mine were it not for the superficial Facebook friendships I've maintained with people I haven't actually spoken to in years. I was never really friends with Elliot, but the proximity of our last names in the alphabet often put us in the same place when homeroom rolled around. When I heard he had passed away, I took a quick look at my cell phone. Sure enough, Elliot became the third person whose number remains in my contact list even after death. I never deleted my grandmother's home number from my cell phone after she passed away in 2007, nor could I bring myself to delete Casey's number, email address, and speed dial information when she died last summer. Now, it's as though a precedent has been set: even though the only reason Elliot's number was saved in my phone was because he sometimes prank called me, it feels more like a rejection of someone's memory than practicality to delete the deceased from an address book.

When I Googled his name, I came up with prayer requests from the church I once attended, asking members of the parish to keep deployed members of the military in their prayers as they fought for our freedom. I can't even wrap my head around how awful it is to survive two tours of duty and come home, only to die in a car accident. I was further devastated to hear that he is survived by a young wife and son. My thoughts are with his family and friends in this difficult time. Rest in peace, Elliot Teisler.

Need an Internship?

My "alma mater" of magazines is looking for my replacement! :) Looking for an internship, or know someone who is? Check out Jewcy, you definitely will not regret it! Below is the job description:

Jewcy seeks editorial interns for spring semester 2010 for 10-20 hours a week depending on schedule and course load. The position is unpaid but can count as class credit depending on the specifications of your school. Duties include:

• Editing posts
• Writing posts
• Deleting spam accounts
• Moderating comments
• Recruiting new writers
• Helping to select which site content will be featured as a lead story, in weekly email newsletter, etc
• Cropping and resizing photos
• Maintaining Jewcy’s Twitter feed and other social media accounts

Interested applicants should email Jewcy Editor Lilit Marcus at lmarcus@jewcy.com. Please send a resume attached in MS Word format and in the body of an email explain why you think you’d be a great fit for the position. The subject line should be “Jewcy Intern Spring 2010.”

Dear Maine: Really?

I guess it's always surprising to see who ends up being the bigot among us, right? Today, many gays, gay allies and supporters of equal rights awoke to some bad news: Maine voted "yes" on Question 1. What does that mean? Homosexual couples are not permitted to wed.

Wasn't it just a few months ago that Maine was celebrated for allowing same-sex unions? And now, Maine voters have voted to repeal the law their governor signed off on this spring. Not only is it a slap in the face, it's also reminiscent of life on the the elementary school playground. The kid who always gets picked on is suddenly accepted by the popular kids to play dodgeball, only to find out he's about to be pelted with the ball by the people who he thought supported him. Right now, Maine is sticking out its tongue at its gay citizens and saying, "JUST KIDDING, WE DON'T LIKE YOU! NA NA NA NA!"

I'm not a New Englander, but I anticipate being one someday, and I'm more than a little disappointed that such backwardness is coming from a region celebrated for its breadth of education and enlightenment. I can't even blame the government for making the poll question ambiguous and hard to understand. It was pretty simple: "Do you want to reject the new law that lets same-sex couples marry and allows individuals and religious groups to refuse to perform these marriages?" It doesn't get much more straightforward than that, Mainers. And yet 57 percent of Maine voters thought it was okay to take away a basic human right. Can I vote against your marriage, there, sir? Ma'am?

it's always the ones you least expect, isn't it?

A friend of mine from south of the Mason-Dixon took this opportunity to ask Northerners to stop bashing the South and "maybe let gay people get married, thanks." Aren't we supposed to be setting an example? Aren't places like the Northeast (and California) supposed to be the places where progess begins, not ends?

Eventually, we'll all be treated as equals. I have every faith in this. I just hope it happens in our lifetime, and sooner, rather than later.

Here's hoping @je_suis_le_chef is right when he says, "give it a year for it to change and then 20 years for people to forget that gay marriage was ever an issue."

Young? Jewish? Share Your Story!

I'm in the process of working on a book about modern Jewish youth culture in America and I need your help!

I'm seeking submissions of interesting stories from young Jews (aged 15-30) who have something to say about their personal experiences with any of the following topics (or another topic that isn't listed):

• Emerging from Interfaith Homes

• Birthright Israel

• Making Aliyah

• Hillel, AEPi, AEPhi

• JDate

• Hip Jewish Media

• New Jewish Music

• Jewish Counterculture

• Exodus from Denominational Identification

• Young Rabbinate

• Reclaiming Ritual Observance

• Hebrew, Yiddish Usage

This isn't your Bubbe's Judaism! You know it, now tell me why. Email jewishyouthstories@gmail.com for more information or to share your story, and get the conversation going on the Kibbitz Network at kibbitznetwork.ning.com.

First deadline for submission: Sunday, November 15, 2009.

Need more time? There will be plenty more opportunities to submit in the future. Get in early to help me get the ball rolling!

Note: Not all submissions are guaranteed inclusion, but all are appreciated. Submit stories in first person, 200-1000 words. If you want to share your story but don't feel comfortable writing it yourself, we can arrange a phone or email interview. Spread the word to your friends and family--this is going to be big!

Accepted File Types: .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt

"Casey"

The Age of the ISBN

Well, we already know that my mom wrote a book. (Quit Telling Me What to Do! was released in May 2009 by the Advantage Media Group.)

But now, I'm super-pleased to say that I have two friends whose books will be published in the spring of 2010. They're already up on Amazon (and I've already pre-ordered).

Never Tell Our Business to Strangers: a Memoir, by Jennifer Mascia, is expected by Villard on March 2, 2010

Save the Assistants: a Book for the Beleaguered, by Lilit Marcus, is due out from Hyperion on April 13, 2010. The book is just the next step for Save the Assistants, which already hosts a blog for the beleaguered. As Lilit's intern, I'm happy to report that she is a fantastic boss - no beleaguerment here!

In October, I'm heading back to the lovely Charleston, South Carolina to attend Advantage Media's Annual Author Marketing Summit (with mother in tow) for what I'm sure will be another wonderful experience with Alison, George, and the rest of the Advantage family. All this book business has really got me thinking - could I be the next one with an ISBN? I've got the idea, the outline, and a couple of connections in the industry, so keep your eyes peeled. It may not be long before I add "author" to my résumé.

For now, however, reporter, writer, journalist, editor and occasional poet will have to do.

Quirky Art Jewelry For the Win

This pendant from the MoMA store is absolutely fabulous. A unique piece of art like this is always worth the bigger price tag.

Thanks to @meganbe for the heads up! (Add it to her wish list, too!)