After recovering from anthropology grad school and a stint living in Israel and the UK, I penned art reviews as the New York editor for Contemporary Magazine from 2004-2007. I'm now located in San Francisco, CA, where I publish on various topics, teach at Berkeley and run a small art business. I'm currently writing and illustrating a children's book about my Graze the Roof project at Glide Church. Research for my articles appearing in the Christian Science Monitor, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Jewish Daily Forward, Grist Magazine and other magazines has involved taking the LEED AP exam (and passing!), running through Central Park with ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes, sneaking into the Alhambra, eating acorns, getting escorted out of the American embassy in Tunisia and receiving an unexpected compliment from Tim Gunn: "Nice gauchos!" Selected articles below. Email: kraftjessica - at - berkeley dot edu
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Judaism and GMOs 91% of Americans said they want the FDA to label genetically engineered foods. And a recent consumer-led petition drive is forcing the agency to review its position. So do these campaigns mean anything for kashrut and kosher food? |
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Can the University of California Green Campus Food? Grist Magazine, March 27, 2012 The UC presents a real food challenge to campus fast food joints. |
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Around the World in 88 Keys Kimball Gallagher is a globe-trotting pianist attempting to revive the Chopin-era tradition of home salon concerts. |
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After the Revolution, Arts Bloom in Tunisia As Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution turns one, musicians find new venues, support, teachers -- along with official support. |
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Jolie Acornseed: Educator Plants Kernels of Jewish Wisdom jWeekly, February 2, 2012 Jolie Egert is a plant whisperer. A Jewish plant whisperer. |
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The Rapid Growth of GMOs Much of our life is now infected with genetically modified organisms, from our clothes to our food. |
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Jewnion, yes! Playful union labels poke loving fun at Jewish culture. |
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Acorns: not just for squirrels anymore It's acorn season. And if you're not a squirrel, why is this anything but a nuisance? |
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Kinko's and Kerouac for today's ketubah In an era of massive changes in how we marry — we now have same-sex unions, destination weddings and celebrant-led ceremonies — Jews are still observing the 2,000-year-old tradition of signing a ketubah. |
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Toxic Incense Think your yoga studio's a healthy place? Not if they burn incense! It's touted for its spiritual properties, but it's not good for you. |
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Art Review: Surendran Nair's Neti Neti at Frey Norris Gallery in San Francisco Decoding the accoutrements in the painting would provide enough material for a graduate thesis, but the title urges us to stop searching for meaning through identification and naming. |
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Cover Story: Toxic Art On shelves, in studios and in schools, art supplies containing toxic ingredients pose risks to human health and the environment. |
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Art Review: Koki Tanaka's Everyday Statement Why make art out of your breakfast? Tanaka’s Everyday Statement seems to be “why not?” |
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Creating A Jewish Pregnancy |
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Growing Up With God |
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Q & A with Tim Gunn of Project Runway The Creative Director at Liz Claiborne, host of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style, and everyone’s favorite personality on Project Runway talks about positive style. |
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Project Reality CITY Magazine, March 2007 Parsons may play host to the best fashion show on television, but for the aspiring student designers who truly call the school home, there's more to fashion than a show at Bryant Park. |
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Paint by Numbers: Can you really predict an artist's career using econometrical methods? |
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Sibling Revelry ... creativity is enhanced by brothers and sisters making art together--even if the results are not the same quality. |
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Tamy Ben Tor at Zach Feuer LFL Tamy Ben-Tor shows (and mocks) the quotidien conflicts of Israeli cultural life-—issues usually overshadowed for the rest of the world by coverage of the intifada... |
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The Road to Damascus: In February, former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri was assassinated... Landis rapidly became one of the most authoritative English-speaking resources on Syrian affairs. |
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The Rise of Spaceship Columbia
Signing on with Chelsea galleries even before their final thesis shows, these artists might sell out their entire portfolios in one night to ambitious, Saatchi-esque collectors aiming to get in early on the next big thing. |
