israeli politics

We spent the day mostly with children – first our own kids and grandkids, and later with nieces and their kids.  And as we were finally going home I began thinking of all the children we haven’t seen in so long and how informative it is to talk with children.  From the youngest to the oldest – there was so much to learn.  The silly world of extreme behavior on tik-tok, the stupid world of the army (where one of the grand-nieces is finishing her 2 years on the beach in the heat wave in long pants and thick t-shirts because the army ruled last year that the women have to dress conservatively), the challenging world of incurable diseases and caring for elderly, the dangerous world of the future – all the worlds that exist right next to us.  I’ve been with friends my own age for so long: it is really time to expand our little universes just a bit.

 

 

Kids – a confession – August 27, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Rafi Weichert hosted the evening, and as you can see he takes poetry really seriously, so I had to be alert.  The preparations were incredibly intense and a lot of people were involved – but there were so many others who would have been involved if we had had the time.  So one of my dreams came true – poetry went beyond language.  Now I can just relax and figure out how to expand this concept.  There are many well-beloved writers who anchor their work in the place they live – like Amichai and Mahfouz and Faulkner.  Sabena Messag writes about the places in Israel, and how to save the environment here and it is very moving – but I want poetry to save humanity, to save the planet.  

I know, I know, I’m sloppy and dyslexic and can never be a great writer, but I can still try.

5 languages – august 26, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

You should have been there.  The municipal library was more than generous in its sponsoring of this evening and the staff was amazing.  I had worked for days on a very complex powerpoint and the first thing I did was to drop the clicker I had brought and break it.   The guys there went searching through the offices for another one and at the last minute came through with a substitute.  

But I had other things to busy myself with.  For example, the hall, down in the basement, had a very large anteroom where the books and refreshments were set up.  All that needed arranging.  There was an enormous amount of food, vegetables, cakes, breads, wine, etc. but with all the recent recalls of canned and frozen goods because of parts of animals and bugs, as well as a story about a family that got high on storebought mushrooms, I demanded that the staff taste everything five minutes before the evening began.   You see how careful we were about keeping the lovers of literature happy.

 

my literary evening tonight – August 25, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

This came out today and I haven’t really looked at it yet, because I had to get the stuff ready for Thursday and it was all too much.  After all, it’s been a while since I’ve given a live reading and the fact that it is multilingual complicated things immeasurably.  I haven’t even seen my kids.

so don’t think I’m ignoring you.  I’m just bad at organizing and a bit embarrassed that this is all about me.  But most of all, I’m learning an awful lot about my own poetry and my own life.  And most of all I’m learning about who my friends are.  I don’t mean who is helping me out, or who is reading tomorrow, but who is supporting me emotionally, even though I’m got my head up my ass right now.  

I mean just think what else I am ignoring. I always take Nasrallah’s threats seriously, because he usually means what he says.  And I haven’t checked the shelter or made sure the key is on the door.  I haven’t even watched most of the news.  Clearly my head is where I said I was hiding it.

focussed – august 23, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

Our informed discussion on Hedy Lamarr last night left me totally confused about identity.  Jewish identity, public identity, private identity, identity as a quantity, etc.

who gets to define Jewish identity, for example?   The Rabbi?  Hitler? The individual?  I may be certain about my Jewish identity but completely confused about my religion when I wander around Bnai Brak or Dubai.

and I still haven’t put away the last tureen, so the last word has not been said.  I shall return soon and update.

 

Did you Miss me? -august 22, 2022 Read Post »

israeli politics

sometimes I’m very sad that our only vacation this year was marred by Covid and we never had a real change of atmosphere.  But when we go out in Tel Aviv I feel we’re on vacation anyway.  Today, for instance, we had lunch at Manta Rei on the beach.  When I came home to a zoom with poet friends in Canada I felt we’d all been on vacation.  Everyone had great things planned for the weekend. But my vacation was the most fun.  There is nothing like the beach.  

Tomorrow my book club is going to be talking about one of the many contradictory books about Hedy Lamarr, so I’m making a dinner as much in the Austro-Hungarian empire mood as possible.  Cold cherry soup, gevetch, szekeley goulash, tshipetke, and Hungarian applesauce cake.  After years of catering primarily to shnitzel-driven grandchildren, I feel like I’m getting me cooking mojo back, and I’m even considering writing a cook book.  It begins with “wear good shoes” and ends with “get someone else to clean up.”

   

tel Aviv heaven – august 20, 2022 Read Post »