In A Fine Romance, David Lehman delves into the formation of the American songbook, highlighting timeless numbers that became jazz standards and iconic love songs. The book combines history, anecdote, memoir, poetry, and biography to tell the story of Jewish songwriters and their role in shaping American music. It features stories behind songs like 'Embraceable You,' 'White Christmas,' and 'Easter Parade,' and discusses the lives and works of composers and lyricists such as Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. Lehman's analysis is infused with his analytical skills, wit, and exuberance, making the book a major entertainment that celebrates the American musical heritage.
The novel follows Philip Roth, the narrator, on a journey to Israel where he attends the trial of John Demjanjuk and becomes embroiled in an intelligence mission. He encounters an impersonator who has taken on his identity and is promoting 'Diasporism,' a reverse-Zionist ideology advocating the return of European Jews to Europe. The story delves into themes of identity, imposture, truth, and fiction, set against the backdrop of the First Intifada and the Demjanjuk trial. The narrative is marked by its blend of comedy, philosophical speculation, and historical resonance, leaving the reader to question the boundaries between fact and fiction[1][2][5].
Merry Christmas, Honestly listeners! We hope you’ve been enjoying the parties, the spirit of charity, the lights, the tree at Rockefeller Center, the schmaltzy movies, and of course, the infectious Christmas music everywhere you turn.
But did you know that the Americans who wrote nearly all of the Christmas classics were . . . Jewish?
Indeed, many of the writers of your favorite Christmas jingles were the children of parents who had fled Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe during the great wave of immigration between 1880 and 1920. Sammy Cahn, the son of Galician Jewish immigrants, wrote the words to “Let it Snow!” and was known as Frank Sinatra’s personal lyricist. There is also Mel Torme, the singer-songwriter responsible for composing the timeless “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” His father fled Belarus for America in the early 20th century. Frank Loesser, a titan of Broadway and Hollywood musicals, wrote the slightly naughty “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” He was born into a middle-class Jewish family, his father having left Germany in the 1890s to avoid serving in the Kaiser’s military. Johnny Marks, the man who gave us “Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer,” “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”—yes, he was also one of the chosens.
Then there’s the greatest American composer of them all, Irving Berlin. His “White Christmas” is one of the biggest-selling singles in the history of American music. Berlin’s earliest memory was of watching his family’s home burn to the ground in a pogrom as his family fled Siberia for Belarus before emigrating to NYC in 1893.
Today, Free Press columnist Eli Lake explores why and how it was that American Jews helped create the sound of American Christmas. We hope you enjoy this delightful and surprising jaunt through musical history. Happy holidays!
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