Singing inside me with the best parts of you

[sovay]

My poem "די ירושה" is now online at Uncanny Magazine. It was written in September for Erev Rosh Hashanah. The title in Yiddish means "The Inheritance." The stories are all my family's; they have to be.

I think about marked and unmarked categories a lot these days. I always have—there's no way not to—but this administration keeps cranking up the contrast, applauding when lines are drawn ever more thickly and more and more cartoonishly. You may have seen the Washington Post's trash fire of an interfaith dating op-ed making the rounds on social media yesterday; I said on Facebook that my official position was "Mischling married to son of a preacher man calls shenanigans." I deeply appreciate the Forward's response: "Manners are very important to me, which is why I'm writing a piece blaming my ex-boyfriends' religion for our breakup in a national newspaper. This is a polite thing to do."

Thanks to the efforts of the National Center for Jewish Film, Michał Waszyński's The Dybbuk (דער דיבוק‎, 1937) is playing at the MFA in May. I have not seen that movie since college: there is a very good chance it was my first Yiddish film. The date has family significance. I will be there. I may even attend the accompanying documentary about Waszyński, although I wish it weren't screening first. You should always see the ghost for itself before it becomes a metaphor.

Comments

[asakiyume]

Now I get the talk on twitter all of yesterday. Oh. My. God. Becky. Look at the size of her butt antisemitism. The Forward response was excellent--thanks for linking to that.

[sovay]

Now I get the talk on twitter all of yesterday. Oh. My. God. Becky. Look at the size of her butt antisemitism.

It blew up on most of my social media simultaneously, which is fair, because what the ever-loving HELL NO.

The Forward response was excellent--thanks for linking to that.

You're welcome! I also saw a lot of re-linking of Mara Wilson.

[asakiyume]

Okay, that made me laugh out loud.

I also wanted to say congratulations on the poem and was typing an edit to the effect that it's too bad we have to draft art into service in the struggle against evil--but your poems always step forward and accept the burden.

[sovay]

I also wanted to say congratulations on the poem and was typing an edit to the effect that it's too bad we have to draft art into service in the struggle against evil--but your poems always step forward and accept the burden.

Thank you. That's a very good thing for a person to hear about their art. I hope some of them just get to be poems someday.

[cmcmck]

While here, the delightful Mr Corbyn wants my one time guaranteed vote while playing at anti semitism the while.

Not a hope, given my family history..........

[sovay]

While here, the delightful Mr Corbyn wants my one time guaranteed vote while playing at anti semitism the while.

I've been following that. And the wave of Corbyn defenders who claim the charges of anti-Semitism were just purchased by his political opponents with ulterior motives, because that's not anti-Semitic or anything, either. I am sorry you are having to deal with that.

[ashlyme]

In between this and the anti-Europe BS Corbyn's spouted these last few years I'm not inclined to wish him well either.

[cmcmck]

I joined the Labour party at sixteen and always sat well to the left. I resigned from the party in Blair's day over Iraq and the 'Kelly Affair'.

Nothing the present management is doing is going to persuade me back!

Don't get me going on Brexit!

[rydra_wong]

Yes, I made the severe mistake of falling into a comments section the other day, and have not quite un-clenched my teeth yet.

[gwynnega]

Congratulations on the poetry publication!

"Manners are very important to me, which is why I'm writing a piece blaming my ex-boyfriends' religion for our breakup in a national newspaper. This is a polite thing to do."

Yes, exactly...

[sovay]

Congratulations on the poetry publication!

Thank you!

[selkie]

I want so much to be able to disseminate the letter my boss wrote SETTING THE WASHINGTON POST ON FIRE FOR BEING A WASTE OF INK AND SPACE. :(

[sovay]

I want so much to be able to disseminate the letter my boss wrote SETTING THE WASHINGTON POST ON FIRE FOR BEING A WASTE OF INK AND SPACE.

I wish it were not unethical to ask you for a copy!

[negothick]

"But, living in New York and working in theater, I frequently meet Jewish men." Well, it makes a change from the usual "I meet nothing but gay men." Unless she is buying into the stereotype that all gay men are actually Jewish. . .

[sovay]

Unless she is buying into the stereotype that all gay men are actually Jewish. . .

Then they would have left her for other Jewish men!

[dhampyresa]

Congrats on the publication!

[sovay]

Congrats on the publication!

Thank you!

[batdina]

I, unfortunately, wandered over and read the WP piece. I'm suddenly very grateful I rarely read the WP because I refuse to pay for it. This is the kind of bs that makes any desire any small desire to purchase go away entirely.

[sovay]

I'm suddenly very grateful I rarely read the WP because I refuse to pay for it.

It is definitely not worth paying for the privilege of that article.

Your icon is excellent; I used to have a T-shirt with that particular B. Kliban cat.

[brigdh]

Congratulations on the poem!

And wow, I'd missed that Washington Post editorial. The Forward's satire makes up for it a little, but not nearly enough to excuse its existence.

[sovay]

Congratulations on the poem!

Thank you!

And wow, I'd missed that Washington Post editorial. The Forward's satire makes up for it a little, but not nearly enough to excuse its existence.

This was also a good rebuttal. But, yes.

[brigdh]

Oh, that was another excellent analysis. Thank you for the link!

[skygiants]

Oh dang, I am 100% going to go see the Dybbuk!!!

[sovay]

Oh dang, I am 100% going to go see the Dybbuk!!!

See you there!

[kore]

You may have seen the Washington Post's trash fire of an interfaith dating op-ed making the rounds on social media yesterday

What really got me were the stats she quoted on interfaith marriages which DISPROVED HER OWN STUPID BIGOTED POINT, INASMUCH AS SHE HAD ONE.


(Also, honey, if your boyfriend's family is not inviting you to the seder, that's not because they're Jewish, that's because they probably don't want to hear a lot of sighing about how you have to go to church by yourself. God she sounded so passive-aggressive as well as bigoted.)

[sovay]

What really got me were the stats she quoted on interfaith marriages which DISPROVED HER OWN STUPID BIGOTED POINT, INASMUCH AS SHE HAD ONE.

I liked the line from Nylah Burton's article, linked above to brigdh: "Throwing in those statistics about the high rates of intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews was her desperate attempt to sound authoritative, but all I heard was, 'Everyone else has their very own Jew! Where's mine?'"

(Also, honey, if your boyfriend's family is not inviting you to the seder, that's not because they're Jewish, that's because they probably don't want to hear a lot of sighing about how you have to go to church by yourself. God she sounded so passive-aggressive as well as bigoted.)

The entire thing was . . . not a good look.

[thistleingrey]

So many feelings. Thank you.

[sovay]

So many feelings. Thank you.

You're welcome.

[nineweaving]

(ME! I AM BLONDE!)

Says it all. Jesus H. Goyische Christ, what a jerk!

Nine

[sovay]

Jesus H. Goyische Christ, what a jerk!

In the days since I was off the internet, she appears to have produced an apology which was a lot more like a non-apology. I have also seen some quite intelligent questions about what the hell her editor was thinking.

[jesse_the_k]

The poem is lovely. I don't quite understand it, but it still speaks to me.

Thanks for the link from Mara Wilson. Metafilter pointed me at Joe Bernstein's picture insouciantly blowing a shofar, captioned '"A Jewish Man's Rebellion" is my misunderstood LP of jazz standards played on shofar'

[sovay]

The poem is lovely. I don't quite understand it, but it still speaks to me.

Thank you. I'm glad.

Metafilter pointed me at Joe Bernstein's picture insouciantly blowing a shofar, captioned '"A Jewish Man's Rebellion" is my misunderstood LP of jazz standards played on shofar'

Oh, very fine.