By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — In July we vacationed in Oceanside and visited relatives and friends living near the coast. We sat with my cousin Rob and his wife Ande in their Carlsbad living room on chairs and couches within arms-reach of a stunning coffee table acquired over 50 years ago by his […]
California Jews and their coffee tables Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and FoodBlack Diamond Fall by Joseph Olshan; Polis Books, © 2018,263 ISBN 9781947-9933410; 263 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Sam Solomon, a gay Jewish man, is accused in the disappearance and possible homicide of a lover young enough to be his son. When he awakens in a hospital in Utah, following a skiing
‘Black Diamond Fall’ a Utah and Vermont whodunnit Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California. –Some sixty or more years ago my parents facilitated my sex education by leaving Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, illustrated in 1949 by Rockwell Kent, on the coffee table. Adolescent curiosity took care of the rest. Kent introduced me to pornography or erotica before Playboy. From the late 1950s the Book
Baudy ‘Decameron’ told a story of a Jew’s conversion Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food
Bitter and Sweet by Sandra V. Feder, illustrations by Krysten Brooker, Groundwood Books, (c) 2018, ISBN 9781554-989959; 30 pages, $17.95. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Author Sandra Feder notes that Judaism acknowledges a duality in life: with the bitter often will come the sweet, and vice versa. “Sweet wine or grape juice is
Two children’s books for Jewish holidays Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
The Library Book, A coffee table book that stirs the reader’s soul Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — The Library Book, a 14½x11 3/8 coffee table book, weighs 6 lbs. I saw it in the new books section of the Richmond Public Library and “checked it out.” Then I checked it out at the circulation
‘The Library Book’: Cleverly titled tome about libraries Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food
By Goldie Morgentaler LETHBRIDGE, Alberta, Canada — My mother’s best friend when she was growing up in Poland in the 1930s was Zenia Marcinkowska. Zenia would grow up to be an acclaimed novelist in Sweden under the name Zenia Larsson. My mother would also become a writer, the Yiddish novelist Chava Rosenfarb. So this is
Zenia and Chava: Two Lodz survivors – novelists Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History
Braided, A Journey of a Thousand Challahs by Beth Ricanati, MD; She Writes Press, 2018; ISBN 9787-1-63152-441-7; $16.95, 169 pages. By Oliver B. Pollak RICHMOND, California — A physician who specializes in women’s health believes that the preparation of challah for a Shabbat meal, besides having obvious culinary benefits, can be a form of prayer
Challah: good to eat, good to meditate Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and FoodChasing Lost Time The Life of C.K.Scott Moncrieff; Soldier, Spy and Translator by Jean Findlay, published by Chatto and Windus, 2014 MEVASSERET ZION, Israel – As a former translator and great admirer of the works of Proust, both in the original French (a bit of a struggle for me) and in their delightful English version,
Moncrieff’s 40 packed years Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es, Penguin Random House © 2018; 194 pages plus acknowledgments; $28. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Author Bart Van Es knew about Lien de Jong, the Jewish girl who was provided a home and a new identity with his grandparents during the time the Nazis occupied
Tale of a Jewish girl hidden during the Shoah Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History
The Hazards of Good Fortune by Seth Greenland, Europa Editions © 2018; ISBN 9781609-434623; 614 pages, $20. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Whoever said money can’t buy you happiness would have received resounding agreement from Jay Gladstone, the fictional philanthropist, real estate developer, and professional basketball team owner who is the protagonist of
Novel probes stress between Jews and Blacks Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. HarrisonBy Oliver B. Pollak OCEANSIDE, California — What does family vacation mean? It used to be an oxymoron ranking with giant shrimp, military intelligence, and other improbables. Destination vacations, national parks, beaches, mountains, desert, camping, rv’s, condos, five-star resorts, spas, lodges, ranches with bunk houses, and time shares all compete for our wonderment. We drive,
Reading on my Jewish family vacation Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Oliver Pollak, Travel and Food
By Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO — Because three of the biggest pop culture staples, Marvel, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones, were absent this year, the recently concluded Comic-Con felt much quieter and much less abuzz with nerd-hype. This quiet is, of course, relative, as to the outside observer it was just as loud
Warner Brothers’ dominates Comic- Con 2018 Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Story and photos by Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO — Rachel Bloom (Robot Chicken, BoJack Horseman, her own comedic music videos) and Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Morning Glory, 27 Dresses), co-creators of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, told journalists at Comic-Con that the musical dramedy’s final 18 episodes on the CW will deal with “the
‘Girlfriend,’ re-imagined fables enchant Comic- Con Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, San Diego County, Shor M. MasoriWhat Was The Holocaust? by Gail Herman, Penguin Random House, New York, © 2018, ISBN 978-0451533906, 105 pages, $5.99. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California – That there are casualties and atrocities in war for both soldiers and civilians is summed up best by General U. S. Grant, “War is hell!” How about when there is
A Holocaust book for older preteens Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, International, Jewish History