We have a book club at Inspiration Gallery. We call it
Inspiration After Hours. Our members meet at the store every six weeks to
discuss different books with a running Judaic theme. In the past, we have
covered such books as People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Not Me by Michael Lavigne , My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar
and As a Driven Leaf by
Milton Steinberg. (For a listing of our book selections, see our book club
list).
Our book club membership has grown and we now meet two
nights in succession to discuss the same book with different
people.
This past Tuesday and Wednesday January 5th
and 6th, 2010 we reviewed Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter by
Peter Manseau. There were two able facilitators to lead the discussion and explore shared and
differing opinions. As an added attraction, and much to our glee, the author,
Peter Manseau called us at 8:30 p.m. on both nights to discuss his book and
answer our questions.
What a treat that was! Mr. Manseau was affable and
cheerful and welcomed every query with respect.
While the book focuses on one central figure – Itsik, a
self-proclaimed last living Yiddish poet – the story is one of love which begins
in Russia and continues in
New York.
With accurate descriptions of pogroms, immigration to America, sweatshops, and
poverty, Mr. Manseau aptly sums up a the tug-of-war between a persistent
old-world Yiddishe lifestyle and an inner quest to
assimilate. Some would say that
the protagonist in the book is the Yiddish language fighting for its
life.
Aside from the author being a superb storyteller, a
point of interest is that Mr. Manseau is a Catholic who speaks Yiddish. That he
was able to capture the nuances of Jewish life and its history with integrity is
praiseworthy.
Some of Mr. Manseau’s paraphrased responses to our
questions were:
No, my parents did not think it odd
to write a book about Yiddish. My mother (a former nun) is my biggest fan.
She randomly visits bookstores and makes certain the shelves are well stocked
with my book!
Yes, there is symbolism
throughout the book. In the story amongst the hundreds of Yiddish books in the
Knobloch building, a good number were salvaged just in the nick of time; but
the wrecking of the building at the end of the story with the majority of
Yiddish books still remaining in it is symbolic of the attempt to save the
Yiddish language. Though much is lost, strong remnants of the language still
remain.
Yes, there is symbolism throughout
the book In the book, several of the hundreds of Yiddish books in the Knobloch
building were saved; but the wrecking of the building at the end of the story
with the majority of Yiddish books still remaining in it is symbolic of the
attempt to save the Yiddish language. Though much is lost, remnants of the
language still remain.
No, Mr. Manseau does not consider
himself a poet though he wrote all of the poetry attributed to the main
character, Yitsik.
Yes, there is currently another book
in the oven. It is a book about the shaping of American History through the
contributions of various world religions – all except Christianity.
No, there is no such
hideaway within the structure of the Brooklyn Bridge as described in the book where one
can sneak in a date and hide out from the rest of the
world.
No, there is no such hideaway within
the structure of the Brooklyn Bridge as described in the book where one
can sneak a date.
Peter Manseau, a brilliant yet humble young man
illuminated our evening and, for that, we thank him. So, what do you think he
said at the end of our conversation?
So, what did our charming visiting author
have to say at the conclusion of our evening together? A shaynem
dank!
Good reading!
Edna
