Latest Burning Books - A Tale of Love and Darkness – Amos Oz

[Litopian]

Pleased to give fellow Litopians the first glimpse of a brand new Burning Books show by Litopia Literatus Eric Beck Rubin. A brief description follows... Here is a link to the show page & player. Please feel free to discuss the show below.

One of the world’s great authors goes back in time and space – from the Jerusalem of the 1940s to the Eastern Europe of the 19th Century, from a boy's heart to a mother’s face to a father’s brain – and brings back everything, but not enough. Cuts close and hurts so good. Wizardly? Masterful.


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From recent débuts to classics, fiction to non-fiction, memoirs, philosophy, science, history and journalism, Burning Books separates the smoking from the singeworthy, looking at the pleasures (and pains) of reading, the craft of writing, the ideas that are at the heart of great novels as well as novels that try to be great, but don’t quite make it.

http://litopia.com/shows/burn/

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Interesting to say the least. Or it could also be a matter of timing, given I've included scenes of Jerusalem in my latest novel, although set in the 16th century after the Ottoman Empire had taking control.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Another good show. This is a great show in general not to mention this book dandles a massive hot potato.

I remember a very dear family friend, Hussein, in front of the television at his house in Durham City, his head leaning on one hand, nursing his tinnitus and his rage and despair. 'Sadat is a traitor! Menachem Begin is a criminal. How could Sadat shake that man's hand?' It was 1977.

Our friends Hussein and Hanan were Palestinians who had come to Britain in the 50's as part of the Palestinian diaspora. They worked in the Arabic department in Durham Univesity. Hussein's home in Jaffa, a home of many generations had been confiscated and given to an incoming Jewish family. Hannan's parents had already left Palestine for Damascus. Of their two children, the elder, my lifelong friend (we gestated at the same time, heh) married an Englishman and has stayed here; the younger lives in Dubai and is married to a beautiful Palestinian lady and he vaccuums, shops, does whatever and is an uxoriously democratic as the best of western husbands.
My mother forgot once not to serve pork and cooked a joint of roast pork, she realized her mistake rather late, took Hussein in to the kitchen to confess.

He gulped. Considered. 'I will say nothing,' he said. 'Do not worry about it. But please don't tell Hanan.'
Hanan: Mmmm, Ma-r-gar-et. This is really delicious! What is it?
Margaret: It's veal, Hanan-y. Veal.
Hanan: Oh, veal? (making mental note)

Some weeks later.

Hanan: Mar-ga-ret! I tried to get some of this veal. Very hard to get, so expensive. You spoiled us, my dear!