You're shielded, glassy, unreadable, undetectable

[sovay]

I couldn't have gone to see it and there's no suggestion its premiere was available to watch streaming, but I can't believe I didn't hear until now about Evan Rapport and Daniel London's A Dying Person (A Goyses) (2023) because it is a chamber opera based on the Jewish Ethnographic Program conducted by An-sky in the Pale of Settlement between 1912–14. Thanks to the zeitgeist, I wondered what London had been doing with himself lately, because while I never watched Manhattan (2014–16), I did feel that as Oppenheimer he had a good face for it. Apparently the answer is writing a libretto for a language tsvishn tsvey veltn. It had better get a wider reception, or at least a recording. I keep wondering if An-sky who asked so many questions about Jewish magic knew when he was writing The Dybbuk that he was making a spell.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Wow! I only found out about An-sky's ethnography in the past couple of years (during the pandemic), and it blew me away. This seems like it could be a very cool movie.

I keep wondering if An-sky who asked so many questions about Jewish magic knew when he was writing The Dybbuk that he was making a spell. --I wonder if people can have inchoate wishes, and if that leads to the casting of spells unawares.

[sovay]

Wow! I only found out about An-sky's ethnography in the past couple of years (during the pandemic), and it blew me away.

If I have not already recommended Nathaniel Deutsch's The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement (2011), it's where I learned about An-sky and the Jewish Ethnographic Program. It contains the complete questionnaire.

--I wonder if people can have inchoate wishes, and if that leads to the casting of spells unawares.

I think so.

[asakiyume]

I think you did, and that concurrent with that, I had discovered it myself--it was through the exhibit I went to see at the Yiddish Book Center last year.

I adore the questions. They, themselves, are like spells.

[sovay]

I think you did, and that concurrent with that, I had discovered it myself--it was through the exhibit I went to see at the Yiddish Book Center last year.

I remember when you went to see that! It looked wonderful. I just couldn't remember if I had inevitably suggested following it up with Deutsch's book.

I adore the questions. They, themselves, are like spells.

They are. "What does the malakh doyme do with a deceased person who has forgotten the biblical verse associated with his name?"

[selkie]

I just finished reading the write-up you sent and SURELY they archived it some way. I will have to find out. HOW DID WE MISS IT. WHY DID THE ETHER NOT TWANG.

Also, I feel a little badly for poor An-sky. I have this strange intuition he must not have slept very well.

[sovay]

HOW DID WE MISS IT. WHY DID THE ETHER NOT TWANG.

IN OUR DEFENSE WE MIGHT JUST HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS ANOTHER PART OF OUR BODIES FALLING OFF.

(I am confident it must have been recorded because everything is nowadays, I just want to know how we persuade YIVO to give us access to it.)

Also, I feel a little badly for poor An-sky. I have this strange intuition he must not have slept very well.

I always remember he died before The Dybbuk was performed, but I never remember the Vilna Troupe staged the world premiere the day after shloshim ended. I'm pretty sure he's still in there. It's just weirdness all the way down.

[oracne]

WOW.

[sovay]

WOW.

RIGHT?

[skygiants]

I also can't believe I haven't heard about this!

[sovay]

I also can't believe I haven't heard about this!

Clearly not reaching their target audience!