The Varieties Of Jewish Experience - 9781959984054

Allen Ginsberg, while in the New York State Psychiatric Institute, met Carl Solomon. Their first exchange: Solomon: "Who are you?" Ginsberg: "I'm Myshkin." Solomon: "I'm Kirilov." From that moment their friendship started. Myshkin is the idiot in Dostoyevsky's 'The Idiot" (he ends his life in a Swiss asylum) while Kirilov is one of the possessed characters in Dostoyevsky's 'The Possessed". Sometimes diverse cultures meet. The heroic samurai Benkei, according to Japanese legend, killed a giant carp which had swallowed his mother when she fell into a waterfall. It is not recorded if Benkei lost his taste for gefilte fish or sushi. The Japanese legendary monster, the Nu, was slain by a samurai no less brave than Benkei. Benkei, disappointedly, is apparently not Japanese affectionate for Benjamin. A Yiddish version would have substituted "mother-in-law" for "mother" and worked in the Yiddish for "Adam was fortunate - he didn't have a mother-in-law." The ultimate "Nu?" Gertrude Stein, dying, asked "What is the question?"

Author: Larry Lefkowitz

Publisher: Fomite

Publication Date: Mar 03, 2023

Number of Pages: 184 pages

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

ISBN-10: 1959984055

ISBN-13: 9781959984054