steven stern, also known as steve j. stern, is an american author born in memphis, tennessee in 1947. he is known for his fiction that draws inspiration from yiddish folklore. stern studied writing in the graduate program at the university of arkansas, where he was part of a notable group of writers that included carolyn d. wright, ellen gilchrist, lewis nordan, lee k. abbott, and jack butler. after his studies, he lived in london before returning to memphis to work at a local folklore center. it was during this time that he discovered the pinch, memphis' old jewish ghetto, and began to immer…