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prophet Song

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“One of the most powerful, beautifully written books I’ve ever read — a transformative experience. If I were a teacher, it would be at the top of my syllabus just to see how many were changed.”  I saw this message on FB, which was posted by a friend whose literary judgment I respect. She was referring to Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Even though it won the Booker Prize last year, this book by...

Our micro/macro lives revisited

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Before I wrap up the month commemorating the fifth anniversary of my blog, I wanted to share one more entry from its earliest days. It bears the date January 13, 2020, which I found hard to believe, as I think you will because it captures so much of the darkness of our current moment. Let me set some context. When I wrote this piece, Covid had already begun its attack on the world’s population...

On Heroism

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Every once in a while, you catch a glimpse of yourself in a pose that makes you cringe in shame. Picture this. I am sitting in my usual blue reading chair. It faces our TV, usually tuned to some sporting event which provides a kind of background noise for my reading. Unless it involves one of my home teams, the announcer’s running commentary rarely distracts me from my reading. What’s...

Back to the Beginning

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“Over the years I’ve developed the self-image of a shopkeeper. Mainly it’s my business to open the joint at a set time, to sit and wait. If I have customers, it’s a blessed day. If I don’t, well, I’m still doing my job.”...

Age Appropriate

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I’ve taken great pleasure in watching my grand-daughter Dalia’s many way stations between the new-born in swaddling blanket and the bat mitzvah girl jumping around with abandon with her invited friends to the instructions of the obligatory MC. I hope to be around for some more of these growing-up markers, but nothing is given. There was no guarantee that we would be around for this much of her...

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