As we prepare to celebrate Israel’s 60th birthday, Gary Rosenblatt writes about an effort to preserve the testimonies of those who were there at the beginning. Take a look.
From the Mouths of Babes
Stated by my cousin’s son, E. (age 4), at our family Seder Saturday evening:
“You can’t eat pasta during Passover.”
Mazel Tov to Arnost Lustig
A heartfelt “Mazel Tov” to Arnost Lustig, the latest recipient of the Franz Kafka Prize. (Learn more about Arnost and about the prize here; thanks to The Literary Saloon for posting the news.)
I had the honor of participating in one of Arnost’s fiction workshops at the 2004 Prague Summer Program. It was during my time in Prague as well that I read his extraordinary novel, Lovely Green Eyes. If you are going to read just one of his books, read that one.
Censorship?
I’ve often been chagrined by the ample discourse on the supposed suppression of anti-Israel discourse. It’s amazing how much press time–and how many book sales–critics of Israel can get while they’re complaining about how they aren’t allowed to speak or publish or express themselves. It’s infuriating.
So, as David Harris notes, it is indeed worth watching and thinking about what happens when the shoe is on the other foot. Somehow, I suspect certain voices otherwise prone to crying “censorship!” will be conspicuously silent. And anyone who speaks up in favor of disseminating a pro-Israel message will be accused of being a “rightist,” a “neocon,” or some other pejorative sobriquet.
Still More on Ms. Magazine
Now that the dust has settled from the Ms. magazine brouhaha I wrote about during the winter, Letty Cottin Pogrebin discusses the episode, and makes me think about it (somewhat) differently.
Practicing Writing RSS Feed