Arts & Letters
Inside Yoav Liberman's Studio: Etrog Boxes and American Beauty
June 30, 2008
Etrog American Beauty
Artist Statement
Found objects and discarded wood serve as both the literal and the metaphorical “raw material” for all my work: they provide the actual physical basis out of which a new piece will be formed; but just as crucially, they provide the conceptual inspiration for that new piece.
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Brandeis Hosts Exhibition of “Post-Jewish” Art
June 26, 2008
by Daniel E. Levenson
Jewish artists have always found different ways to express not only Jewish ideas, but their own personal relationship to those ideas. In songs, poems, paintings and other art forms, each generation must wrestle anew with the rich and complex cultural and theological traditions of Judaism, and the one which was born in the 1960’s and 1970’s is no exception. This is clearly evident in “The New Authentics: Artists of the Post-Jewish Generation,” an exhibit currently at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. The exhibit is on loan from the Spertus Museum in Chicago, where it was created by Senior Curator Staci Boris.
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Tales From the Jewish South
Book Review by Nina R. Schneider
In the Mouth: stories & novellas by Eileen Pollack Four Way Books, 2008.
In her fiction, writer Eileen Pollack treats American-Jewish characters with honesty, affection and humor—yet adds a satiric edge that is both recognizable and disconcerting. The author of the novel Paradise, New York and the story collection The Rabbi in the Attic returns with tales set in the Jewish uber retirement community of Boca Raton, Florida, aka “Boca,” which means “mouth” in Spanish. In her latest collection, In the Mouth, I was struck by the authenticity of both the characters and settings. Dramatic conflicts between adult children and their aging parents in distress reveal surprise role reversals. Pollack’s themes include deception, loss, guilt, illness, as well as human yearnings for love and meaning at all stages of life.
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An Interview With Novelist Jon Papernick
June 12, 2008
Boston-based Novelist Jon Papernick recently took some time to answer a few questions via email for the New Vilna Review. He is the author of The Ascent of Eli Israel and the novel Who by Fire, Who by Blood. and recently completed his second collection of short stories. He also working on adapting Who by Fire into a graphic novel with artist Sandy Jimenez. His website may be viewed at www.jonpapernick.com.
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Nancy Schön Exhibition 
May 27, 2008
On April 13, Mayyim Hayyim, Community Mikveh and Education Center in Newton, Massachusetts held an opening reception for a unique and exciting show by internationally renowned scultpor Nancy Schön. The pieces on display represent nine months of intensive work done in a shared studio in the Old City of Jersualem in 1979. In her artist's statement, part of which is reprinted here, Ms. Schön reflects on the many ways in which the sights and sounds she encountered during this period influenced her work. This show will be on display in the Mayyim Hayyim Gallery until July 11, 2008.
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Jewish Punks Embrace Nazi Rhetoric and Imagery
May 14, 2008
by Michael Croland
A half-heeb from Holland, Guy Tavares hoped to use his musical—Cohen, Blood, Speed, and Sperm—to talk about multiracial, swastika-worshipping, drugged-out punks.2 When the film failed to materialize, Tavares salvaged the score for the most logical venue for a Jewish punk using Nazi symbolism: a punk rock band.
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DANIEL E. LEVENSON Editor in Chief |
At the root of faith is a question or many questions perhaps, about the nature of the universe and the meaning of life. Read More |
