The Schmooze lies at the intersection of high and low culture. Here, the latest developments and trends in Jewish art, books, dance, film, music, media, television and theater are all assimilated into one handy pop culture blog.
The Schmooze
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Books
Write, Pray, Swim, Bike, Run
Earlier this week, Karol Neilsen wrote about the inefficiency of writing and how not to quit. Her new memoir, “Black Elephants,” was just released. Her posts are being featured this week on The Arty Semite, courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the series, please…
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‘Ringing’ Voice of German Jewish Compassion
November 21 marks the 200th anniversary of the German dramatist and novelist Heinrich von Kleist’s death but European literati have been celebrating all year long. Reflected glory is cast on Max Ring, a German Jewish poet and playwright who has not yet even been accorded a German-language Wikipedia entry despite lasting literary achievements. Ring, a…
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Jewish Rapper Mac Miller Tops Billboard Chart
It’s not often that a Jewish rapper tops the Billboard album chart, so it seems worth noting the sudden rise of Mac Miller, a 19-year-old hip-hop star straight outta Pittsburgh. Miller, whose real name is Malcolm McCormick, debuted in the No. 1 spot with debut record “Blue Slide Park,” selling more than 144,000 copies since…
The Latest
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Natalie Portman Out and About Post-Aleph
Now that she has her Aleph, Natalie Portman is returning to an activity that’s always been a safe bet. (Groan if you must; we couldn’t resist a little spelling pun for you Hebrew readers out there.) The Oscar-winning “Black Swan” star is getting back to acting — of a sort, anyway. Portman, 30, made one…
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Books National Book Awards Look to Past and Future
“Take the time to be brief.” That’s the advice Edith Pearlman, one of five finalists for the National Book Award in fiction, wants to give to young writers. Pearlman’s book, “Binocular Vision,” did not win, perhaps because a collection of short stories has not won since Andrea Barrett’s collection, “Ship Fever,” was victorious in 1996….
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Entire Marc Jacobs Collection Stolen
The Shmooze has some advice for you if you happen to be a fashion editor waiting to get another look at Marc Jacobs’s spring/summer 2012 collection shown at New York’s Fashion Week in September: Don’t hold your breath. As it turns out, the entire collection — all 46 looks — has gone missing in transit…
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Books Q&A: Sara Y. Aharon on Jews of Afghanistan
“From Kabul to Queens: The Jews of Afghanistan and Their Move to the United States” by Sara Y. Aharon tells the story of Afghanistan’s Jewish community and its resettlement in the United States. The American Sephardi Federation held a book launch party November 3 at the Center for Jewish History. Before the event, Aharon, whose…
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Gender-Bending Baby Names Take Off in Israel
It’s hard work keeping up with my four-year-old’s social life — not only because it’s far more lively than mine, with invitations freely exchanged over the sandpit, but also because it’s so difficult to identify his friends. “Can you see Rotem?” he asks during morning drop-off at kindergarten. I look at each of the girls,…
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Mikhail Baryshnikov in Tel Aviv
Crossposted from Haaretz There are two excuses to see the play “In Paris,” which is playing this week at Tel Aviv’s Suzanne Dellal Center as part of a world tour. The first is a lovely story by Ivan Bunin about a missed opportunity. A “white” general who is living out his disappointment with life in…
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How Barbra Streisand Saved Lea Michele’s Nose
Barbra Streisand may have been slightly disappointed with Jennifer Aniston’s smooth-nosed “Funny Girl” homage, but at least she can take personal credit for Lea Michele’s distinctive schnoz. “My mother would say to me, ‘Barbra Streisand never got a nose job. You’re not getting a nose job,’ ” the “Glee” star says in the latest issue…
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Israel’s First Zombie Movie
Cinephiles who happen to be both zombie movie fans and Israeli film buffs will be glad to know that the first Israeli zombie movie is set to be released this coming June. According to AbbaNibi newswire, director Eitan Reuven has said that the end of post-production on “Another World” is finally in sight. Work started…
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