My new book “Midlife Solo” will be published by Mosaic Press later this year. Stay tuned!

Beth Kaplan logo

Welcome.

I’m the author of four nonfiction books, long-time teacher of creative writing at the University of Toronto, an editor, and former actor. Lover of Beatles, France, Jon Stewart, cheese, reading, and my garden, among much else.

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“A terrific writer, I am so impressed. And what a life!”
ABIGAIL THOMAS, New York Times best-selling author

News: Beth’s upcoming and recent events:

Mid Life Solo Cover

My latest book: Midlife Solo

My new memoir-in-essays is coming out this fall. Check here for launch, readings, and purchasing information! Go to the Books page for more details.

So True: Life stories,
well written, well told

Eight carefully chosen and well-rehearsed writers read their most important work about life-changing episodes, funny, tragic, and everything in between. At the end, I talk and read too. For more information, go to Teaching

Interview with the
Authors Book Club

Thrilled to be a member of the Authors Book Club and to have been interviewed about what book clubs mean for writers. The answer is: a lot!

Books

Loose Woman: My Odyssey from Lost to Found

To her own amazement, a mixed-up young actress finds herself in an extraordinary situation in the south of France and is changed forever.

I loved reading this hugely enjoyable book, page-turning and honest. And it’s funny!
—DAME HARRIET WALTER, one of Britain’s foremost actresses

True to Life: 50 steps to help you tell your story

A succinct, illuminating guide to writing memoir or anything else.

This book is fabulous: a user-friendly, down-to-earth accessible guide to writing.
—WENDY LITNER, Huff Post and TV writer, lawyer, former writing student.

All My Loving: Coming of age with Paul McCartney in Paris

A teenaged girl spending a lonely year in Paris in 1964 keeps herself company with hilarious fantasies about the Beatles as she struggles to understand the world.

A lively, evocative, and moving memoir of a period, a girl, and a family.
—VALERIE HAUCH, former Toronto Star staff reporter

Finding the Jewish Shakespeare: The Life and Legacy of Jacob Gordin

A biography of the author’s great-grandfather, a titanic figure in the turbulent, mesmerizing world of the Yiddish theatre on the Lower East Side of New York.

This is a witty, shrewd and elegant book which tells a story of vital importance.
—TONY KUSHNER, Pulitzer, Emmy, and Tony award winning playwright and screenwriter

Teaching and Coaching

I’ve been teaching memoir and personal essay writing for nearly thirty years at two Toronto universities. In 2012 I was given the Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of Toronto.

Born to Blog

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