I. Boyhood dreams blaze through an old man’s gaze. Pure. A smile signalling what awaits. With urgent tears and a frantic heart I stare over the mechitza at my brothers. He’s going to kill himself. My father is going to kill himself on Rosh HaShana. He has one collapsed lung. The other is laced … More Holy One
“In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.” – Pirkei Avoth 2:6 Rashi’s Daughters: Book 1: Jocheved is a beacon of light in a time of darkness. The story unfurls the magical beauty of marriage as it’s preserved through Judaic law and extols the value of appreciation between the sexes. … More Be A Man
This month has been on FIRE! Books: Vincent and Theo was a revealing look at the younger years of the esteemed artist. I learned so much about the role religion played, the extent of his mental distress, and the unfailing support of his younger brother, Theo. Deborah Heiligman did her due diligence while researching this fabulous … More Get Lit with Kit – July 2019
I read a great article on Negotiation Styles. What particularly struck me was the idea of purpose – contract or relationship. Identifying the intent can help us move forward, especially if it allows us to reframe the situation and understand that taking a step back, can actually be progress. With that in mind, I loved (and … More Get Lit With Kit – April 2019
I read a great collection of short stories, Homesick for Another World by Ottessa Moshfegh. If you’re a fan of Joyce Carol Oates, you’ll enjoy this American author as she explores the dark side of human nature. Also consumed was Robert Green’s Laws of Human Nature, a fascinating dissection of psychology and power dynamics. I particularly relished Green’s … More Get Lit with Kit – Best of January 2019
This month’s fiction is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. It was one of those rare novels that actually made me pause before turning pages for fear of what I might find on the next one. If you are a fan of Pearl S. Buck’s The Good Earth, then I highly recommend reading Pachinko, set in Korea and Japan in … More Get Lit with Kit – Best of December
I’m torn. I don’t believe men are inherently bad. I think some of them are misinformed. I think some of them have been misguided. I think many of them would do well to read 12 Rules for Life, reclaim their strength, and redefine their manhood. I don’t believe women are naturally helpless. I think some … More Bad Boy, Good Girl
Beginning with books…it was a powerful few weeks. Primo Levi’s The Drowned and the Saved topped my list as it chronicled experiences in the Auschwitz Concentration Camp and the subsequent psychology of World War Two survivors. Also significant, and saturated with humor, is Eddie Huang’s Fresh off the Boat. It’s a tongue in cheek memoir of his early … More Get Lit with Kit – Best of September 2018
“Why do you not commit suicide?” – Viktor Frankl How can one escape the depths of despair and not rejoice? In exploring the horrors of Auschwitz in his book The Drowned and the Saved, Primo Levi ruminates, “I might be alive in the place of another, at the expense of another; I might have usurped, … More Release Me: How Past Pain Subdues Man
I read Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education by Michael Pollan (name pun!!). It fascinated and inspired me to comment in my blog. Check out my piece Earthly Entitlements, then delve into Pollan’s work. I also enjoyed The Collected Stories by Alexandr Pushkin. There’s something about those Russians…It was a good way to cool down during this hot summer. 😉 A final … More Get Lit with Kit – Best of August 2018
Find the balance. 