Golems of Gotham
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October 7, 2012: Sunday 2-3:30pm
Golems of Gotham by Thane Rosenbaum
At the beginning of Thane Rosenbaum's imaginative comedy The Golems of Gotham, an elderly pair of Holocaust survivors, Lothar and Rose Levin, commit suicide. Their son, Oliver, a successful New York mystery writer already suffering from his wife's desertion and a crippling case of writer's block, is devastated by the news. Oliver's 14-year-old daughter, Ariel, comes to the rescue, conjuring not only her grandparents from the grave but also a remarkable group of Jewish literary golems (ghosts, in this case) who also killed themselves after a lifetime of Holocaust memories. Among the visitors here to inspire Oliver toward writing a serious second novel are Primo Levi, Jerzy Kosinski, and Paul Celan. While Oliver writes feverishly, the ghosts cleanse New York City of any reminders of oppression toward Jews: tattoos, crew cuts, overcrowded trains, striped uniforms, and smoke belching from tall stacks.
Facilitated by Dr. Holli Levitsky, Director, Jewish Studies Program and Associate Professor of English
ISBN
9780060959456
Publication Date
Fall 10-7-2012
Keywords
Jewish, Holocaust, ghosts
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Jewish Studies
Recommended Citation
Rosenbaum, Thane, "Golems of Gotham" (2012). Jewish Studies Sunday Book & Discussion Group. 36.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/jewishbookgroup/36
