On October 27, l discussed my latest novel, A Human Rights Odyssey, at the University City Public Library. Much of the novel describes my growing up years in University City, Missouri during the heyday of the Civil Rights Movement. In fact, two important characters in the novel were sitting in the audience! Hence, my book discussion at the public library and my presentations at the local high school were far more personal than in my other public appearances. The novel represents the...
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The centerpiece of A Human Rights Odyssey is the lifelong friendship of Isaac Levin and Jeremy Williams. The template came from Chaim Potok's masterpiece, The Chosen. In both novels, two young from different worlds come together and learn from one another. In The Chosen, Danny Saunders comes into contact with Freudian psychology which he uses as a clinical therapist. Reuben admires the religious fervor of the Hasidim and decided to become a rabbi rather than a mathematician. In A Human Rights...
In light of the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, I wish to share an excerpt from my recent novel, "A Human Rights Odyssey" in which I comment on violence in North American society.
Matthew 11:12 states: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent bear it away.” In the twenty-first century, the violent must never be allowed to bear it away. Violence has never provided lasting solutions to social problems. Show me a violent...
The protagonist of The Ballad of East and West, The Secret of Redemption, and A Human Rights Odyssey is Rabbi Isaac Levin. Isaac is based on the three biblical patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham and Jacob were portrayed as movers and shakers. Isaac was the weak link. Rabbi Isaac Levin, despite his involvement in human rights, saw himself not as a mover and shaker, but as a link in the chain of prophetic tradition. Levin is based on the co-protagonist of Leo Tolstoy's Anna...
The first book signing of A Human Rights Odyssey will take place on Sunday, September 28th at Word Up Bookstore. It is located on 2113 Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights area of New York City. The event will take place at 2 P.M. I will discuss the novel, answer questions, and sign copies. Word Up is the perfect location as this independent bookstore truly fosters the life of the mind. Washington Heights where I worked for eleven years inspired all of my novels!
The first book signing of A Human Rights Odyssey will take place on Sunday, September 28th at Word Up Bookstore. It is located on 2113 Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights area of New York City. The event will take place at 2 P.M. I will discuss the novel, answer questions, and sign copies. Word Up is the perfect location as this independent bookstore truly fosters the life of the mind. Washington Heights where I worked for eleven years inspired all of my novels!
