Gene Lichtenstein

Books: Mailer scrutinizes evil in form of young Hitler

Published on March 8, 2007

Power, politics and sex. War and violence. What more could he write about, you might well ask. Now, just turned 84, he has published "The Castle in the Forest," which attempts to engage and scrutinize the nature of evil personified in the life of the young Adolf Hitler. He -- Hitler as a youth -- ostensibly is the subject of the novel.

Believe It or Not

Published on August 5, 2004

"It's All True" (Simon & Schuster, 2004) by David Freeman offers us a portrait of an outsized Hollywood, so unbelievable that it must be dead on. It is, more precisely, a novel, lovingly unfolded about the movie business: How it works and how its players -- adults spoiled by too much money and power -- act out their lives. "Oh me-oh, my-oh," as Henry Wearie would say.

Wearie is the novel's hero. He is actually a fictitious character, a screenwriter trying to hustle a script idea into a movie deal, but in a voice that sounds eerily like that of Freeman, who himself is a screenwriter. In its way, this book serves as a more knowing successor to Freeman's earlier work, "A Hollywood Education," published 18 years ago, after the author had moved to Los Angeles from New York.

The Silent Minority

Published on April 29, 2004

If there had been any doubts that I was in another country, they were erased when the first reviews of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" began to appear in the London press.

Tikkun Alone

Published on February 26, 2004

Tikkun has, of course, changed since its early magazine years. Its statement of purpose today describes Tikkun as a center for those of all religious and spiritual traditions who seek to integrate spiritual depth with social change. It is no longer in its ambition a voice solely of and for Jews.

When Marriage Sinks Into Madness

Published on August 21, 2003

Over the past 40 years, Ted Solotaroff has developed a reputation as a distinguished literary critic and editor. Then, in 1998, at 70, he suddenly appeared, full-blown, on the literary stage as a writer, winning the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for First Nonfiction for the first volume of his memoirs, "Truth Comes in Blows."

Hollywood, History and the Holocaust

Published on December 26, 2002

The process of changing Nazi history in films and television actually began some time ago in films and television. From Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" to "Hogan's Heroes," from Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be or Not to Be" to "The Grey Zone," World War II and the Holocaust have been told almost solely from the point of view of the victors and the victims.

Secession Question

Published on October 10, 2002

USC recently hosted a panel discussion around this topic: Is secession good for the Jews?

Land of the ‘Lost’

Published on September 19, 2002

In 1936, there were 130 million Americans, roughly 3 percent were Jewish, and many existed on the margins of an anti-Semitic society. FDR was re-elected president of the United States in 1936 -- a landslide victory.

Gathering for Peace

Published on August 29, 2002

Last Sunday afternoon, I and about 30 other Angelenos accepted an invitation to gather at the Brentwood home of Joan and Rabbi Leonard Beerman to meet with Nafez and Laila Nazzal, two Palestinian professors who were visiting Los Angeles.

L.A. Museums: Saved by the Jews

Published on August 15, 2002

A small museum opened its doors in Pasadena last month and naturally enough made local headlines.

Criticism Remains

Published on August 8, 2002

Shortly after the bomb went off at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, killing seven and wounding more than 80, David Ward, president of the American Council on Education, sent off a strongly worded statement of sympathy.

Hollywood Dreams

Published on June 27, 2002

They told this story at the recent Film and Television Writer's Conference and swore that it was true.

Dissent in Los Angeles

Published on June 13, 2002

A few weeks ago, two Israeli army reservists came to Los Angeles to explain why they (members of an organization called Yesh Gvul), and perhaps 450 of their fellow reservists, refused to serve their time of duty in the Occupied Territories.

Second Take

Published on May 30, 2002

This is a Los Angeles story, moreover one with a Hollywood ending. But it is also partly a Jewish American tale.

It is the story of 20 months in the early adult life of Frances Kroll Ring, written in the form of a memoir, "Against The Current." "Last Call," on Showtime last Saturday evening, starred Jeremy Irons as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sissy Spacek as his wife, Zelda, and Neve Campbell in the role of the young Ring. It recounts how Ring, then 22, not long departed from the Bronx for Los Angeles, took a job (her first) in 1939 as secretary, typist and general all-around life manager for Fitzgerald. He was trying, not very successfully, to embark on a novel about Hollywood, "The Last Tycoon," when she began working for him.

Differing Views on European Anti-Semitism

Published on May 16, 2002

The talk here in Los Angeles -- about anti-Semitism and Europe -- is by turns angry and cynical. And not just from the proverbial "Jewish man on the street," so quick to respond both to real and imagined slights. It is almost as though the suspicion that Europeans could not be trusted, that they were fundamentally bred to the bone as anti-Semites, had finally been confirmed. A Jewish leader here, with considerable professional experience working with European organizations, is bitter: The Europeans need oil, he tells me, and the Arabs have it. The rest is conversation.

The Mideast Comes to L.A.

Published on April 18, 2002

I suppose there has always been a division between Jews who are affiliated and those who are not. Two separate worlds. The first wears the definition with pride: The Jewish Community. The second by default or distrust or indifference, or maybe choice, seems to be cast adrift, at least from fellow Jews who make up the "community." Now, with the crisis in the Middle East heating up, with American foreign policy suddenly thrust into the very center of the action, with Europe turning against Israel and European crowds singling out Jews, the question arises: Will the two groups come together, accept a common Jewish identity? On the basis of partial evidence, I would say, not in Los Angeles. Or, at least, not yet.

An Affair to Remember: Hollywood and the Jews

Published on March 21, 2002

Oscar night is almost upon us, and there is considerable talk (and pride) about three of the chief contenders -- Halle Berry, Will Smith and Denzel Washington -- all of whom are black. But don't be fooled: Hollywood and the film industry is still primarily a Jewish story, no matter who deserves and carts off the evening's prizes.

Well Versed

Published on November 9, 2000

The trouble with reading Judith Viorst's delightful new book of verse, "Suddenly Sixty, And Other Shocks of Later Life," is that you recognize another decade has gone by in her life and so, presumably, in yours as well. "Suddenly Sixty "follows on the high heels of those earlier guideposts - "It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty," "How Did I Get to Be Forty," and "Forever Fifty" - and like them charts the changes and new quirks in her life as another 10 years flit by.

Beginnings and Endings

Published on September 21, 2000

Every newspaper editor knows that one day he will have to step down. He may put the idea out of mind or revel in denial. But the thought is always there, loitering out of sight. Departure may come suddenly by way of death, illness or age. Or it may spring up with the changes that appear everywhere, while the editor persists in remaining unchanged and, therefore, out of step. Or there may simply, and unexpectedly, be an offer he can't refuse.

The State of Play

Published on September 14, 2000

Almost from the day that negotiations at Camp David broke off this past summer, foundering over Jerusalem, Arafat has been traveling the world meeting with heads of state - in Europe, the Arab countries, the U.S. - and trying to rally support.

Jewish Angst

Published on September 7, 2000

Recently, a Chinese-American doctor was monitoring my heart as the speed and incline were increased on the treadmill during a stress test. Perhaps he wanted me to relax; perhaps he was bored and was trying to make conversation. Apropos of nothing but my presence on the treadmill, he casually tossed the question at me: "What do you think of Lieberman as the vice presidential candidate? Were you surprised?"I gave a perfunctory answer, yes and no, and then heard myself say, "When I was a boy, his nomination would have been astonishing. Jews were outsiders then. But now we're part of the U.S., just like any other white American."

The Great Divide

Published on August 24, 2000

Who are your readers, a friend asked me recently. He is not Jewish, which perhaps explains the question.I gave a pat answer: Young and old; men and women; observant and secular; liberal and conservative; survivors and their offspring; families that often trace their history through three generations. The usual; you've met them all. I waved away the question.

With Power Comes Responsibility

Published on August 17, 2000

From a Jewish perspective, this past week in Los Angeles was a tremendous success. Among other things, it tended to confirm the influential role of the Jewish community in L.A. From the parties that President Clinton attended to the panelists at the Shadow Convention who derided and dogged the very proceedings at Staples Center, Jewish organizations and activists were dominant figures.

Lieberman and the Jews

Published on August 10, 2000

The selection of Sen. Joseph Lieberman as the Democratic vice presidential candidate, while clearly a political tactic, has nevertheless managed to thrill most of us, Jewish Republicans as well as Democrats. Even those most at ease with their access to, and success within, mainstream non-Jewish America were affected ... and surprised by being so moved. Albert Gore's inspired choice, regardless of political motive(s), crossed a line that touched every one of us.

Political Realities

Published on August 3, 2000

Political opinion from Rob Eshman

Camp David Fallout

Published on July 27, 2000

We now can see that the talks were probably doomed from the beginning. A dream, worth the effort for some, to be denounced by others, is now behind us.

Barak at Camp David

Published on July 20, 2000

There is a sense at this moment that "time has stopped." That all political voices have become silent, in Israel no less than in the United States, while Messrs. Arafat, Barak and Clinton struggle over language, issues and principles in an effort to reach a peace agreement.

Barak at Camp David

Published on July 13, 2000

There is a sense at this moment that "time has stopped." That all political voices have become silent, in Israel no less than in the United States, while Messrs. Arafat, Barak and Clinton struggle over language, issues and principles in an effort to reach a peace agreement.

Iran: Politics Gone Wrong

Published on July 6, 2000

The charge of spying on its face appeared so preposterous that it has drawn widespread condemnation - from an international community that has not often sided with Israel.

Jewish Journalism

Published on June 29, 2000

Jewish Journalism

Surprised by Assad

Published on June 15, 2000

The first report on Assad's death caught me by surprise. It was from Eric Silver, our Jerusalem correspondent (see page 20), and it recounted his interview with the former chief rabbi of Syria, Avraham Hamra, who now lives in Israel.

Memories of Summer Camp

Published on June 1, 2000

Deep down I knew that I had begun, quite consciously, the difficult task of becoming my own person, and wanted time and space in which to sort things out. At camp, without much effort, I had that chance.

Memories of Summer Camp

Published on May 25, 2000

My first and only experience at summer camp was magical, or so it seemed to me. I entered a world I had never known before, and by summer's end had gained some recognition into who I was and who I was not. No mean feat at 13.

The New Jewish State

Published on May 18, 2000

I have been reading a fascinating book, "The Jewish State: The Struggle for Israel's Soul,""that has set me to thinking about Jewish identity -- both in Israel and in the United States.

Inventing Oneself

Published on May 11, 2000

In Philip Roth's new novel, "The Human Stain," a classics professor at a small New England college creates a fictional identity for himself.

New Sculptures Debuted

Published on February 17, 2000

Sculptures by two prominent local artists are now on permanent display.

A Weekend in San Francisco

Published on February 17, 2000

Lisa Schiffman's book, "Generation J" (Harper San Francisco) is a personal memoir, a travelogue of her adventures exploring Judaism.

An Evening with August Wilson

Published on February 10, 2000

August Wilson's "Jitney," currently playing at the Mark Taper Forum, focuses on Pittsburgh's black Federal Hill District in 1977; the setting: a run down car hire office where half a dozen black men hang out, answer the telephone and take their turn picking up passengers.

Culture, High & Low

Published on January 13, 2000

Billy Wilder made movies -- not auteur films in the manner of Truffaut, not carefully composed scenes like Hitchcock, not "cinema." But movies that were mostly witty and almost always entertaining.

Jewish Croatia: Through the Looking Glass

Published on December 2, 1999

The Croatian Tourist Office in conjunction with Lufthansa had generously put together a 12 day guest package, hoping we would like what we saw (after all, parts of Croatia, especially the Dalmatian coast on the Adriatic Sea, are quite beautiful). The thought was we would combine descriptions of the famous tourist sights with a report to our readers on the life and times of Jewish Croatia.

Uncle Vanya’ Hits Sour Note; ‘Amadeus’ in Perfect Harmony

Published on October 14, 1999

Tweaking David Ives ‘Ancient History’

Published on September 16, 1999

Dear David Ives:

I attended a preview performance of your play "Ancient History" last Saturday (Sept. 11) at the Fountain Theatre, where a member of the production company announced that the play still needed "tweaking," and so we should feel free to pass along our comments and suggestions.

The Artistry of ‘Art’

Published on January 21, 1999

The internationally acclaimed play, "Art," arrived at the UCLA/Doolittle Theatre in Hollywood this past week with tremendous advance billing. Hosannahs for the original Paris production; a grand salute for the London staging; the Tony Award plus the 1998 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for best play.

Russian Artists on Display

Published on January 21, 1999

It's common knowledge that the Jewish exodus from Russia in the late 1980s brought to Israel a flood of talented artists and musicians.

The Artistry of ‘Art’

Published on January 21, 1999

When it debuted in the summer of 1994, Saveur reinvented the food magazine genre by focusing, like any good chef, as much on ingredients as on finished dishes.

The Artistry of ‘Art’

Published on January 21, 1999

Tongue of a Bird," now playing at the Mark Taper Forum, is a confoundedly difficult play.

UJ Stages ‘The Quarrel’

Published on January 7, 1999

About 10 years ago, give or take a year, I was invited to director Arthur Hiller's home to attend a reading of a work in progress. About 80 to 100 people turned out and listened raptly as two wonderful actors, script in hand, read the work in progress. It was a play called "The Quarrel," written by two friends, David Brandes and Rabbi Joseph Telushkin and based on a short story by Yiddish writer Chaim Grade. I mean no exaggeration when I say that everyone seated in Hiller's spacious living area knew they were listening to a play that was special.

The Editor’s Corner

Published on April 9, 1998

The good news about Passover in America circa 1998is that more Jews than ever are embracing the holiday. It has become,as Dr. Ron Wolfson tells us (in the Passover section), our mostpopular Jewish holiday. Even non-Jews seek an invitation to a sederat the home of Jewish friends.

The Editor’s Corner

Published on April 2, 1998

My problem with Dennis Prager, author, radio host,newsletter writer, is simple: I like the man, but I just can't readhis writing. In person, I find him open, engaging, serious. In print,he comes across to me as narrow-minded, ponderous and self-involved.I usually settle my conflict by shying away from the publicpersona.
But with his new book, "Happiness Is a SeriousProblem," and its appearance on the best-seller list, I thought Imight try again.

The People vs. The Executive Committee

Published on March 5, 1998

This story should be called The People vs. The Executive Committee. The People in this instance are the families and individuals who make up the approximately 5,000-strong membership of the Westside Jewish Community Center on Olympic Boulevard near Fairfax Avenue.