Writing is Remembering
Hedgehog, painting by Hans Hoffmann, c. 1584. One night, not long after my wife and I moved to Israel, I walked Kulfi, our dog, in a public garden near our apartment. We strayed off the sidewalk. Kulfi was eagerly investigating several clumps of grass. Then, I noticed something odd and a bit scary. It appeared … Continue reading Beset by Confusion!
Recette pour la Madeleine. Photo by MairieSY, 19 September 2003. Wikimedia Commons. Aaron Berkowitz is Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Literary Journal. The Journal publishes poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, comics, art, and photography that is "Jewish in nature." Aaron leaves what is meant by "Jewish in nature" undefined. He does this purposefully to allow the broadest extent possible in … Continue reading A Decoction of Lime-Flowers
Abraham and Isaac, by Anthony van Dyck, c.1617. Shacharit, the set of prayers recited by Jews in the morning, consists of several sections. One of them, the "Preliminary Prayers," contains, among other things, the first nineteen verses of the Book of Genesis, Chapter 22. Jews refer to these nineteen verses as the Akedah or Akedat … Continue reading “Jeeves!” “Sir?”
Post Card, Redwood Tourist Court, Jackson Mississippi. "Now I want you to tell me just one thing more. Why do you hate the South?”“I dont hate it,” Quentin said, quickly, at once, immediately; “I dont hate it,” he said. I dont hate it he thought, panting in the cold air, the iron New England dark: … Continue reading I Don’t Hate It!
The Metamorphosis of Narcissus. Salvador Dali, 1937. From time to time, I ask myself why I write. I'm not obsessed with the question; at least, I don't think I am. However, I do feel that I ought to have some idea of why I spend so much time writing. I have answers for why I … Continue reading Congenitally Self-Centered
Return of the Scouts from Canaan. Rijksmuseum / Wikimedia Commons. When I was in college, my music theory teacher once told me that she and the Chair of the English Department would get together from time to time to listen to music. Their purpose was not merely pleasure. Instead, armed with pens and paper, they … Continue reading Different Emotional Directions
A Mouse With a Peanut. Painting by Albert Anker (1831-1910). My maternal grandmother, of blessed memory, used to say that if someone wants to give you something free, take it. If you can't use it, she said, pass it on to someone who can. There is a lot of wisdom in my grandmother's saying. She … Continue reading A Puny Creature Like You?
Wilensky's Light Lunch, Montreal. Photo by Shawn Goldwater. I was in my forties the first time I visited Montreal. I had a young family, not a lot of money, and only two weeks of vacation time a year, one of which was already accounted for. A holiday was a rare and cherished occasion. My former … Continue reading I Don’t Know How to Dance
The Murder of Caesar. Painting by Karl Theodor von Piloty, 1865. Have you ever betrayed someone who trusted you; alternatively, have you ever been betrayed by someone in whom you had placed your confidence? Brutus, Judas, Benedict Arnold--these names have come down to us and are remembered not for good things they did, and surely … Continue reading Wings Like a Dove
I have followed the blog of Juliet Wilson (aka Crafty Green Poet) for some time now. Juliet is multi-talented: she writes poetry, is a skilled artisan, and is a devoted environmentalist. What I enjoy most about Juliet's blog is the passion she brings to what she does, whether documenting a walk she has taken, writing … Continue reading No Insectinction! — Crafty Green Poet
