#MediaMonday – Mala Blomquist
Today’s #MediaMonday comes to us from Mala Blomquist, managing editor of the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. Mala has been a journalist in the Valley for several years with stints at Raising Arizona Kids and Arizona Jewish Life, before joining the Jewish News in early 2022.
As often happens when working together on a story, you spend quite a bit of time with the reporter. And over the years, the working relationship evolves into a friendship. And that’s certainly the case with us.
Mala has recently completed Charlotte, a memoir she co-wrote with Charlotte Adelman, the true story of Charlotte’s survival during the Nazi occupation of France.
Okay, Mala, time to share…
When did you first meet Charlotte and what prompted the idea to write her memoir together?
I first met Charlotte in 2018, when I interviewed her for an article about her time as a child hidden in a cellar during the Holocaust. She was about to have a reunion in Paris with one of the children of the Catholic family that hid her during the war.
After that interview, I would see Charlotte in the community at different events and we became friends. Her daughter, Roz Goldberg, reached out to me asking if I knew anyone who could write her mother’s memoir. I knew a couple of authors, but after I hung up the phone, I had a feeling that I wanted to try and write it myself. My husband encouraged me to call her back and I did.
How does writing a book differ from the writing you do for newspapers and magazines?
I always did lifestyle writing before I joined Jewish News. With news, it’s just the facts, no embellishment. With lifestyle, there is a little bit more expression you can interject into the piece, but there are space constraints to contend with. With a book, you can be more descriptive with both settings and emotion because you want the reader to feel as if they are there. I would have to get into a different “zone” when working on the book.
Would you like to write another book? If so, what type?
My mother was an author of historical romance novels. She published one book and was working on several others when she passed. I have those manuscripts, so that has always been in the back of my mind.
Now, tell us a little more about the Jewish News.
Jewish News is 77 years old and going strong! (HMA did a #MediaMonday profile on our former publisher Flo Eckstein several years ago). It is such an honor to work at a publication that has been such an institution in the Valley. Many people don’t realize that we only have one staff writer, Shannon Levitt, and one salesperson, Jodi Lipson. They always think we have a much bigger staff than it is!
What kind of pitches, if any, do you prefer? What topics are of most interest to you?
I get all kinds of pitches, but many of them are not local and the subject is not Jewish. Since we are a community Jewish newspaper, that is our focus. Since my background is lifestyle writing, I enjoy the special sections that we do: seniors, real estate, home improvement, camp and education, finance, estate planning, business and charitable giving. I also enjoy curating recipes for our Passover and Rosh Hashanah issues.
How did you get your start in the media? What’s your story?
When I was pregnant with my second child, I started writing a column for Raising Arizona Kids magazine that centered around taking my 4-year-old places that were off the beaten path. It was called “Going Places with Generation Why?” I did that for a couple of years before I became the calendar and directories editor. I worked there for 17 years and realized I was having a challenging time relating to new moms after my children were done with high school. I had the opportunity to be the editor-in-chief of Arizona Jewish Life and then also Oregon Jewish Life magazines and worked there for years, before I moved to the Jewish News.
Where did you grow up?
In Scottsdale! I am an Arizona native, we are like unicorns, very rare.
Favorite TV shows or movies?
I am loving the current season of White Lotus! I have really enjoyed all the seasons. The scenery is breathtaking.
Favorite color?
Orange
What is something readers would be surprised to know about you?
I am obsessed with Halloween (that may be why my favorite color is orange). I start putting up decorations in September. Maybe it has something to do with being a native. Once we make it to October, we know we have survived another summer!
Contact Email: mblomquist@jewishaz.com
