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Conversation with . . . Rita Bleiman
Northampton writer, community activist publishes first novel
The Jewish Ledger, December 5, 2005 by Judy Polan
NORTHAMPTON - Rita Bleiman - writer, community activist, breast cancer survivor, three-term member of the Northampton City Council, and 26-year member of Congregation Bnai Israel - has published her first novel, a rollicking look at duplicitous Texas politics of the 1960s, entitled “Dirty Tricks.” The book is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant look at a young woman who is alternately seduced and repelled by the high stakes of grassroots politics, and the lengths to which ordinary people will go in order to promote themselves and their causes "once they are infected with the virus called power."
Gloria Steinem has said of the book, "Anyone who has come a long way in their life, or who values the clear view that only comes from the bottom up, or who loves humor and craves compassion - all those will be happy to discover Rita Bleiman’s writing. Reading her voice will strengthen our own."
A native of the Lone Star State, Bleiman is a lifelong Democrat who has always been fascinated by politics. She says that "Texans are characters and they make great material, and they can be outrageously entertaining. Texas is certainly an interesting place, but it drives you crazy."
She left Texas in the ‘60s for Washington, D.C., where she worked for Sen. Walter F. Mondale and in the Carter White House. In 1979 she moved to Northampton, where she and her husband, Bruce, serendipitously bought The Beeches, a home formerly occupied by Calvin Coolidge.
The full text of this article can be found at The Jewish Ledger.
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