Thoughtful reflections on the meanings of the Torah.
Solovy, an American Israeli liturgist and poet, offers a collection of poetic midrashim.
Whatever may bring a reader to this compendium of reflections on the Torah, the overwhelming sense they will depart with is that of a deep care for words and their textures. As the author writes in the introduction, “we are a people of stories. We tell them. Then we tell stories about them. Then we tell stories about the stories of the stories. We call that midrash.” The cyclical return to language and its multiple meanings is at the core of midrash, making poetry a particularly apt vehicle for its scriptural interpretations and reinterpretations. In this collection, 70 Hebrew words of Torah are grouped into 10 sections, with categories ranging from “God” and “Mitzvot” to “Journeys” and “Love.” The entry for each word includes a prose reflection, or d’var Torah, followed by a short poem; chapter introductions offer connections between the chosen terms. These prose exegeses are concise and accessible, prompting scholarly inquiry into the origins of words and rabbinic arguments about their meanings while also offering context for those unfamiliar with the terms and their significance. The poems themselves are simple, often reading as prose sentences broken into shorter lines. Their spare rhythms can be soothing, if repetitive at times—further explorations into formal and syntactical variation (or even experiments with greater abstraction) would offer welcome nuance. Still, each of the poems is compellingly sincere. Reflecting on T’ruah (“Loud Blast”) the author writes, “Holiness has a sound. / Part swoosh of blood in the veins, / Part hum from the edge of the universe, / Part stillness, part vibration, / …A sound that can only be heard / With the heart.” Whether reflecting on Afar (“Dust”) or Tzedek (“Justice”), these are indeed offerings from the heart.
Thoughtful reflections on the meanings of the Torah.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780881236156
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Central Conference of American Rabbis Press
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.
All right, all right, all right: The affable, laconic actor delivers a combination of memoir and self-help book.
“This is an approach book,” writes McConaughey, adding that it contains “philosophies that can be objectively understood, and if you choose, subjectively adopted, by either changing your reality, or changing how you see it. This is a playbook, based on adventures in my life.” Some of those philosophies come in the form of apothegms: “When you can design your own weather, blow in the breeze”; “Simplify, focus, conserve to liberate.” Others come in the form of sometimes rambling stories that never take the shortest route from point A to point B, as when he recounts a dream-spurred, challenging visit to the Malian musician Ali Farka Touré, who offered a significant lesson in how disagreement can be expressed politely and without rancor. Fans of McConaughey will enjoy his memories—which line up squarely with other accounts in Melissa Maerz’s recent oral history, Alright, Alright, Alright—of his debut in Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, to which he contributed not just that signature phrase, but also a kind of too-cool-for-school hipness that dissolves a bit upon realizing that he’s an older guy on the prowl for teenage girls. McConaughey’s prep to settle into the role of Wooderson involved inhabiting the mind of a dude who digs cars, rock ’n’ roll, and “chicks,” and he ran with it, reminding readers that the film originally had only three scripted scenes for his character. The lesson: “Do one thing well, then another. Once, then once more.” It’s clear that the author is a thoughtful man, even an intellectual of sorts, though without the earnestness of Ethan Hawke or James Franco. Though some of the sentiments are greeting card–ish, this book is entertaining and full of good lessons.
A conversational, pleasurable look into McConaughey’s life and thought.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-13913-4
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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