PJ Grisar is a Forward culture reporter. He can be reached at [email protected] and @pjgrisar on Twitter.
PJ Grisar
By PJ Grisar
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Culture The 6 worst things people have done to hummus
The beauty of hummus lies in its simplicity. This cool, smooth dish of chickpeas and tahini has been a staple food of the Levant since at least the 13th century. But, as with all things time-tested and unbroken, many have attempted to “fix” it. Most egregiously in recent years, some chefs have been pushing a…
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Culture What to watch before ‘Hamilton’ drops on Disney+
Alexander Hamilton, for all his contributions to the American experiment, was not exactly a man of the people. Seeing as he was a grasping social climber and quintessential capitalist, it makes sense that being able to see his namesake musical was, for so long, a mark of status. But no more! Thanks to Disney’s beneficence,…
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Culture Why does Billy Joel always play the same tone-deaf song at New York benefit concerts?
The Piano Man has a song for every occasion, including the apocalypse. On May 11, as part of the Rise Up New York benefit telethon for COVID-19 relief, Billy Joel played his 1976 tune “Miami 2017” accompanied by a light show on the Empire State Building and a King Kong-sized feed of his face over…
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Culture The Sami Rohr Prize goes to book on the fate of Kafka’s papers
A chronicle of the ultimate Kafkaesque court case. A history of Jewish children who found safe harbor in Iran. A personal journey back to Judaism, and a deep dive into Israel’s plan to stop Syrian nuclear proliferation. These are the books being honored by the 2020 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. Benjamin Balint, author…
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Culture A mean-spirited, cynical Jerry Seinfeld is not what we need right now
Jerry Seinfeld’s new Netflix special, “23 Hours to Kill,” is an out-of-touch and at times mean-spirited affair that, by simply existing, promises to show a certain amount of growth and personal development from the standup. After all, the comic’s last special of original material came in 1998 — before his marriage, before becoming a father,…
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Culture Jerry Stiller remembered in 10 clips
Jerry Stiller, the puckish performer whose explosive energy sustained a six-decade career in television, has died at 92. Short in stature but with a giant screen presence, Stiller had some of the best shouting lungs in the business, giving full-throated voice to Frank Costanza, George’s father on “Seinfeld,” and the obstreperously boyish senior, Arthur Spooner,…
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Culture She drew Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande’s new single — and ‘A Bintel Brief’
Cartoonist Liana Finck is a prolific author, contributor to the Forward and The New Yorker and, now, a collaborator with two of the most famous musical artists on the planet. Late last night, in the Bob Dylan surprise content hour, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande dropped their latest single, “Stuck With U,” a duet that…
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Culture For Saul Bass on his 100th birthday
To say that Saul Bass designed the 1950s and ‘60s might be an understatement. In truth, you could say that he designed about three or four decades more. The Bronx-born artist, known for his cubist silhouettes and part-for-the-whole approach, would have turned 100 on May 8. The highlights of his career in film lasted almost…
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