We HAVE To Talk About Syria

Dear world,

We HAVE to talk about Syria and specifically what is going in Aleppo. We cannot no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend like everything is hunky dory. Everything is not hunky dory. Aleppo is one of the oldest cities in the world, humans have lived there for thousands of years.

What was once a thriving metropolis has been reduced to a metropolis of ash and rubble. Innocent lives have been lost. Whatever the futures held for those murdered, we will never know. Those lucky enough to still be alive have either left with only the clothes on their back and not much else, or if they have not left yet, are hoping and praying that they will be allowed to leave alive.

Where is the UN? Why have they allowed this war to go on for nearly five years, knowing that lives were lost and those lucky enough to get out are now refugees?

We should all be ashamed of ourselves. Our fellow humans are suffering and we have done nothing to help them. We let them suffer and die because we refused to take a stand.

At the end of World War II, the citizens of Europe who were not subject to the Nazi atrocities were forced to admit their complicity in the mass slaughter of their fellow citizens. They were marched into the concentration camps and see the destruction that they were part of. We are those citizens.

One of Albert Einstein’s most famous quotes as follows:

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.

May G-d have mercy on those who have suffered. They deserve that much.

Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits Book Review

Pride and Prejudice is a beloved and well read classic for a reason. Since it arrived in bookstores and libraries in 1813, many writers have tried to replicate the magic that gives Pride and Prejudice it’s standing. While many have tried, only a few have hit the mark.

In 2014, writer Mary Jane Hathaway threw her hat in the Austen-reboot sub-genre. One of the results is Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits, a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice set in the modern-day American South. Shelby Roswell is a history professor teaching at a small Southern college, her expertise is The Civil War. Recently publishing a book on the subject, she hopes that this book will lead to being tenured. That tenure is quickly derailed by Ransom Fielding, a historian whose review of Shelby’s book is far from complementary. Adding insult to injury, Ransom has agreed to take on the role of a visiting professor at the same college. After loosing his wife 6 years ago, he has buried his head in the sand when it comes to life and love. Then he meets Shelby and the sparks begin to fly.

Anyone who knows me or follows this blog knows that Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite books. Jane Austen was a master in the art of writing. Some writers are fortunate enough to be able to reproduce her works successfully. While I enjoyed Ms. Hathaway’s modern take on Persuasion, I can’t say the same about her take on Pride and Prejudice. For a reader or an audience to be invested in a romance, they have to see the potential in the coupling of the lead characters, even if at some point in the narrative, the lead characters are not sure themselves. While the romance between Shelby and Ransom was on the page, as a reader I did not feel it.

Do I recommend it? Not really.

Flashback Friday-The Jazz Singer (1980)

We all have dreams. But what happens when our dreams clash with the ideals of our loved ones?

In the 1980 film, The Jazz Singer, Yussel Rabinovitch (Neil Diamond) is the son of a cantor from New York City. His father, Cantor Rabinovitch (Laurence Olivier) has his heart set on seeing his son follow in his footsteps. But Yussel has other plans. He wants to sing pop music. Leaving his father, his wife, Rivka (Catlin Adams) and his whole world behind, Yussel changes his name to Jess Robin. His career takes off with the help of manager Molly Bell (Lucie Arnaz). But as he begins to see his dreams become reality, Yussel/Jess must also face his past and make some decisions about his life.

A reboot of the Al Jolson film from 1927, this film is to my mind the perfect portrait of what happens when dreams actually come true and the questions we must ask to live as our most authentic selves.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Poldark Character Review: Francis Poldark

*Warning: This post contains spoilers about Poldark, both the books and the television series. Read at your own risk.

There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.

In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using Winston Graham’s series of novels, Poldark and the subsequent television series to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.

In the previous two posts, I wrote about the title character, Ross Poldark and his wife, Demelza. This post will be focusing on Francis Poldark, Ross’s cousin.

Francis and Ross grew up as brothers. In England at that time, the law of primogeniture ruled. Primogeniture basically means that the first-born son inherits the lion-share of the family assets. Francis is the first-born son of the first born son. He is born into a life of privilege and wealth. But money does not always buy happiness.

At the beginning of the series, we meet Francis when both the audience and Ross learn that he is engaged to Ross’s first love, Elizabeth (to be discussed next week). With Ross home, Francis begins to question if Elizabeth still wants to go on with marriage.  Even after they Francis and Elizabeth marry and bring their son into the world, he is still consumed by jealousy and low self-esteem. He becomes good friends with George Warleggan even though he is aware of the bad blood between George and Ross.

By the time we reach book 4 and series 2, Francis has become a new man. His relationship with Ross has mended, his marriage is flourishing, he has broken with George and he has developed a healthy self-esteem.

Then he is killed in mining accident.

Some people are not meant to live to see old age. Some people unfortunately, find themselves and then die before they can truly live. These are the characters that truly break the reader’s heart and remind them of the fragility of life.

To sum it up: Francis is the type of character that unfortunately meets a tragic and unexpected ending. He grapples with so many issues for so long and when he finally decides to be happy and grab life by the balls, he is gone.  Francis’s death not only breaks the heart of the characters and the readers, but also forces the fate of those around him into unforeseen territory.

When a writer creates a character like Francis, they are challenging the audience. They are challenging the audience to not only appreciate life, but to also look at the character as a whole, not just his or her problems.

 

 

RIP John Glenn

Today, we lost one of the greats of American history, John Glenn.

On February 20th 1962, he made history when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. His trip into space became legendary overnight, his name became synonymous with not only the space race of the 1960’s, but of the hope of America at that time. After leaving NASA, John Glenn served became a senator for his home state of Ohio. Known for his humility, he married his high school sweetheart in 1943 and raised two children.

For many, John Glenn was a hero. Not just because he was the first American to leave Earth, but also for representing dreams and how powerful they can be. Before 1962, leaving the boundaries of Earth was a dream. John Glenn proved that dreams do come true and barriers can be overcome.

John Glenn was 95.

RIP.

Hairspray Live Review

In 1988, filmmaker John Waters introduced audiences to a new film and a new heroine. Hairspray is the story of far from modelesque 1960’s teenager Tracy Turnblad (Ricki Lake) whose dream is to dance on the local teenage dance show. What starts out as one girl’s innocuous dream represents a larger goal of diversity, respect for others who are different and self-love.

From there, the movie became a hit Broadway musical with Marissa Jaret Winokur, and a movie musical starring Nikky Blonsky. Last night, Hairspray evolved again to become Hairspray Live on NBC. Stepping into Tracy’s buffont hair was newcomer Maddie Baillio.

I have mixed feelings on this production. What keeps this piece relevant and will continue to keep this piece relevant are the issues that lie just below the surface of the narrative. The problem was that it felt like a high production or a community theater production with a much larger budget and a cast of actors that many of us know and love. While the casting was perfect, especially with Harvey Fierstein once again stepping into the shoes of Edna Turnblad after doing it on Broadway, something was just off for me. There was something missing that I get from live theater that I did not get from this production.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Throwback Thursday-Chaplin (1992)

Charlie Chaplin is one of the icons of the silver screens and one of the original movie stars.

In 1992, his life was made into a film, Chaplin.

Directed by legendary director Richard Attenborough, Robert Downey Jr. stars in the title role. The film follows the life of Charlie Chaplin, from his early years in East London, to his film career, through the scandals the plagued him and finally, late in his life, when his contributions were finally recognized.

If there was blueprint for filmmakers to follow when it comes to biopics, this film is it. A good biopic fully represents its lead character and the person who the film is based on, warts and all. While Charlie Chaplin was not perfect (but who is), he was fully developed human being whose received a proper biopic.

I recommend it.

December 7,1941-75 Years Later

Today we remember and mourn the lives lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

It was the day that pushed America into World War II. It was the day that not only forever changed that generation, but also changed America as we know it to be today.

My grandfathers were young men in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Members of the greatest generation, they fought for liberty and their country. They were the lucky ones, they came home in one piece. 2,403 young men died at Pearl Harbor and 1,178 came home with battle scars.

Pearl Harbor was a turning point in American history. It forced Americans to come together as one nation and take a stand against tyranny and oppression. Just as Americans came together after 9/11 60 years later, we were forced to see our sameness instead our differences.

In Judaism, when someone dies, we say “may their memory be a blessing”. May the memories of those who died at Pearl Harbor be a blessing to those who knew and loved them.

Happy Birthday Kirk Douglas

May you live to be 120.

It is a blessing in Judaism that all of us should live to see old age.

Kirk Douglas will reach an age on Friday that few of us will ever see. He will be 100.

He was given the name of  Issur Danielovitch at birth. The son of poor Jewish immigrants,  he fought for his country in World War II. After the war, the changed his name to Kirk Douglas and become one of the icons of the golden age of Hollywood.

Known as a man’s man, Kirk Douglas is remembered for playing masculine characters who the epitome of strength and courage.

His most famous role is the Roman sword and sandal epic Spartacus.

Though he moved away from Judaism decades ago, Kirk Douglas re-embraced his faith and was re-barmitzvahed in 1999 at the age of 83.

For any number reasons, some people are destined to die young. Kirk Douglas is not one of those people. We should all be so lucky to see our 100th birthday.

Happy Birthday Kirk Douglas. May you actually live to see your 120th birthday.

Christmas, As Only Dyker Heights Can

For 11 months out of the year, Dyker Heights is a quiet, unassuming, almost suburban neighborhood in South Brooklyn. The residents go to school, work and go about their daily life as anyone normally would.

Then comes December and Christmas.

This normally unassuming neighborhood becomes a destination for both locals and tourists. A living testament to the color and creativity that is decorating for Christmas, the homeowners go way beyond a tree with simple lights and a few ornaments. The entire neighborhood lights up in a way that one would not expect a neighborhood in Brooklyn to light up for Christmas.

A must see for both tourists and locals alike, it is a reminder of the joys of the season.