Canada’s foremost editorial cartoonist is finally opening up about his long-term relationship with Mordecai Richler, the larger-than-life Montreal-born writer. “I was his official cartoonagrapher,” laughs Terry Mosher, whose acid-dipped cartoons have lampooned blowhards of all stripes in the Montreal Gazette for more than a half-century. “I drew him more than 40 times, including a Time…
Mordecai Richler has always been a larger-than-life presence in Montreal. Now, that’s literally the case. The City of Montreal has unveiled an official mural dedicated to the late author, who captured the city’s singular Jewish character — and skewered its often surreal language politics — in potent essays and canonical novels like “The Apprenticeship of…
In Canada, the Richler name looms large. ’s work as a writer continues to captivate his country nearly 15 years after his death. So when Noah Richler, the writer’s second-oldest child, announced he’s running for Parliament last week in Toronto, his brand-name advantage built buzz. But Richler’s making it clear that he’s his own man….
Duddy Kravitz is back. Mordecai Richler’s iconic Montreal shvitzer will return to life this month in a hometown musical with all-star bona fides: Score by showbiz giant Alan Menken, book by dramatist/author David Spencer, and theater mainstay Austin Pendleton in the director’s chair. But “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” which premiered June 7 at Montreal’s…
Paul Giamatti has played a broad range of characters, from a station manager in Howard Stern’s “Private Parts” to John Adams in the award-winning HBO series of the same name. In his latest role (for which he earned a Golden Globe at last night’s award show), he plays the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed Barney Panofsky in “Barney’s…
Earlier this week, Michael Wex, author of “The Frumkiss Family Business,” wrote about writing about intermarriage and being the kvetch guy. His blog 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 visit: I…
A Holocaust-themed video game called “Sonderkommando Revolt,” based on a 1944 uprising at Auschwitz, has been withdrawn. Chibi Vision, “your new favorite science fiction hip-hop boy band” talks about the Jewish love-hate for Christmas. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, but what does its future hold? LABA, a Jewish house…
He won a slew of awards, had his books translated into multiple languages, and captured the soul of Jewish Montreal in novels like “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” and “Barney’s Version” — both adapted into big-budget Hollywood productions. But Mordecai Richler doesn’t merit the renaming of a street or other public place in the Plateau…
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