If men could breast feed. Can we laugh at the Holocaust? 140 movie houses show "1984. " Israeli comic uses the A-word. Eliz Warren in NYC
LETTY COTTIN POGREBIN NEWSLETTER #38 MARCH 8, 2017
This cartoon sums up Trump's recent outbursts. All the rest is commentary.
POLITICS
Michael Moore hopes it's true that Obama tapped Trump. Count on Moore for a contrarian view and a strong argument to back it up.
ACTIVISM
A call a day could keep disaster away. Sign up with DailyAction.org and resist creeping Trumpism one phone call at a time. It couldn't be easier: Dial 844-241-1141. Listen to the day's action suggestion. Stay on the line until they ask you to enter your zip code. Enter it and you'll instantly be connected to your own Congressperson. Speak your mind on that day's issue or any other. And keep those calls coming.
Independent movie theaters join the resistance! More than 140 theaters in 124 cities will screen the same film on one night to protest Trump's slide to authoritarian rule. The film version of "George Orwell's classic novel, "1984," starring John Hurt, will be shown in movie houses all over the country on April 4th because that's the day that Winston Smith, Hurt's character, begins writing his diary. Smith works for "the Ministry of Truth, a government body tasked with altering the historical record to suit the Party’s current agenda. There is no sense of truth or falsity; the ‘facts’ shift daily. The Party uses its total control of society’s narrative to manipulate the citizens it rules over." All April 4th screenings listed here.
A journal for sale at Powell's Books, Portland, OR
Powell's Books in Portland, OR, is the world's largest independent bookstores and one of the best on the planet. I spent a magical hour meandering among their color-coded miles of jam-packed shelves (before giving my talk at the Portland JCC to the Pacific Region of Hadassah) and marveled at the vast selection of books and related merchandise. Above and below are some of the displays that caught my eye.
Tote bags for sale at Powell's Books
Powell's Books in-store display of dystopian fiction: The Handmaid's Tale; 1984;The Passage; and It Can't Happen Here. And the booksellers' home-made sign, "It's never so bad that it can't get worse."
VIDEOS
Hilarious! And radical. "If men could breast feed" is a riotous, brilliantly conceived satire & artful consciousness-raiser about how nursing fathers are treated in the workplace.
What one word controls the lives of women everywhere? As you watch ask yourself how many times that word has stopped you -- your mom, sister, daughter, wife, or partner -- from moving forward.
FILM
Is it kosher to laugh at the Holocaust? Comedians and survivors offer surprising answers in the new documentary, "The Last Laugh." Disturbing, bracing, funny. Thru 3/12 at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas NYC
Just released in the U.S. The Settlers is a sobering documentary about Jews who've settled in the West Bank, and their allies in Israel, America and Europe. "The origins of the settler phenomenon, which reach back almost half a century, are explored along with a look at who the settlers are today and how they impact the Middle East ." Now playing in NYC @Film Forum.
"The Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened" tells the story behind Stephen Sondheim's 1981 flop-turned-cult favorite, "Merrily We Roll Along."
"Merrily" leading cast members then....and now.
With music & lyrics by Sondheim, book by George Furth, and Hal Prince directing, you'd think the Broadway production would have been a sure-fire hit. Yet "Merrily" bombed with critics and audiences and closed after 16 performances. The new documentary (watch clip) offers reminiscences by the show's creators and (formerly young) cast members, among them my daughter Abigail, cast in the show when she was 16. Available now on iTunes.
BOOKS
Abigail Pogrebin, that same daughter, gave up the theater years ago and ultimately became a writer. Her latest book, MY JEWISH YEAR: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew, will be published next week. Amazon already has it listed it as the "#1 new release in Jewish theology." Though flattering, "theology" doesn't capture the territory covered by this wise and funny book. It's not about God, it's about enriching Jewish life, finding meaning in traditions that never quite made sense, and gaining a deeper understanding of one's heritage. And did I mention it's full of laughs? Preorder here.
Speaking of constrictive categories, Michael Graubart's new book, SOBER DAD, reached #1 on Amazon's "alcoholism and recovery" list. But, says the author (whose real name is Michael Levin), "The book is for any father who wants to be a better dad, not just those men who are in a 12 step program."
ISRAEL/PALESTINE
Assaf Harel's farewell monologue goes viral. On his last show, Israel's late-night comedy star blasts his nation's treatment of Palestinians -- and uses the "A-word." Hard to hear truths but well-documented. If you care about the future of "the Jewish State," you need to watch this.
My column in Moment magazine begins,"American Jews and American Muslims have had a lot of reasons lately to come together. But often when these two communities join forces, whether for joint action or for dialogue, there’s an elephant in the room—a pachyderm with a Palestinian on it." Read more.
EVENTS IN NYC
In response to recent swastika vandalism at the Fourth Universalist Church, an interfaith solidarity rally will take place there Fri, Mar 10, at 160 Central Park W (@ 76 St), 5:30-6:30. Info here.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren in NYC. Another big ticket event but Warren is well worth supporting if you can afford it. Fundraiser at Manhattan home of Abigail Disney and Pierre Hauser, Fri, 3/10, 5:30-7:30.
Tomorrow, March 8th, is International Women's Day. The organizers of the January Women's March recommend the following actions to bring attention to the often-unrecognized work of women in this country and around the world: "Women are urged to take the day off from 'paid and unpaid labor.' People are also asked to avoid shopping on that day with exceptions made for small, women- and minority-owned businesses. People are also asked to wear red in solidarity with A Day Without a Woman."
Have a good week.