Tel Aviv Diary - July 7-11, 2010 Karen Alkalay-Gut
July 7, 2010
Here it is again - the video of the Israeli Soldiers dancing...
They've been showing it endlessly on tv here, wondering what will happen to the soldiers. All I can think of is they should thrive and be well.
July 7, 2010 My book in Hebrew - Shomrei Neurei - is in galleys - pretty exciting. The only thing is I'm putting off the launch until after the enormous heat. So put off buying your presents for the holidays until then.
And while we're on the subject of publications, Ronen Shapira is finally putting out the classic and crazy disk of his compositions of my poems. Very different than anything of mine you've heard. And he just gives the disks away. Anyone want one? July 8, 2010 I was reading a copy of "Epirion," a mag of Sephardic writing, and came across a little piece about someone's Jewish ancestor. His name was Dr. Calihari, a very respected Sephardic healer and apothecary, and he lived in Krakow in the 18th century, but was tortured and murdered by the locals for blasphemy. Apparently totally innocent of the crime, he's remembered in Sephardic prayers as a martyr. This in itself is fascinating and deserves more research, but since I've been delving into German films, and "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is the center of German filmaking I'm a little worried that there might well be a connection between this martyr and the crazy doctor who hypnotizes people and makes them commit crimes. There are numerous connections I'm too tired to go into tonight but perhaps someone out there will do it for me. July 9, 2010 Tel Aviv Museum has a few really interesting exhibits - the one that hit me today were the photographs of the Moscow Metro. Fascinating. I have long known the metro was gorgeous, because Ezi's visits there were always reported in glowing terms, but the humanity of these photographs, and the contrast between the cathedral-like communist ideology and the busy, sometimes frightened, sometimes exhausted, sometimes bored individuals, was remarkable. Worth seeing. July 10, 2010 This is the time to write as much as possible, to explain quickly before a war begins. But I'm not up to it tonight, and anyway, maybe I'm wrong. July 11, 2010 Half time. Who cares that with the naked eye you can see for yourself how the Hizballah are setting themselves up? Who cares that they've taken over 130 towns and put their weapons in schools and hospitals? We've got better dancers (See the video here: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-dance-to-lady-gaga-in-hebron-to-counter-video-made-by-idf-troops-1.301281)and we're watching the game. The streets are empty, the phone does not ring. Pity the poor woman who has to go to the hospital to have a baby tonight. Sorry. Mondial.
