“Memory, in short, is engraved not merely by the life we have led but by the life of the mind…by all the lives we so nearly led but missed by an inch, and—if we grant enough leeway to the imagination—by the lives of others, which can cut into ours every bit as sharply as our own experience.” – Anthony Lane, writing about W.G. Sebald in The New Yorker (May 29, 2000)
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Category Archives: Russia
Of secrets, silence, and despair—veteran suicides, Russian teens, the power of the novel
I’ve had my head in the sand as much as possible this month, a rather nice (and terribly necessary) place to be as a writer. But emerging for air—or simply to attend to surrounding noise—tends to create something akin to … Continue reading
Witness—the Holocaust, suicide, and memory (coincidence redux)
A few weeks ago, someone recommended the book Spectral Evidence to me, which, among other things, includes World War II photos from the Łódź Ghetto, the Nazis’ Jewish quarter in this major Polish city. I wrote the book title down … Continue reading
Tell me a story—about war
“While you were out last night, I saw a piece of paper, and it was very sad. And then it blew away,” my three-year-old reported the week before last. At first, I was not quite alarmed but certainly taken aback—how … Continue reading
War, suicide, aggression—hope
In the autumn of 1992, having just returned from a semester in Moscow, I enrolled in my senior seminar, where I had the good fortune to study with Lawrence Weschler, then a staff writer with The New Yorker. Almost twenty … Continue reading
From Russia with love—unexpected gifts and the open horizons of youth
Last week I met Cynthia Ozick, stood within (almost) spitting distance of Meryl Streep, and received a surprise package from Russia. First of all, I would never, ever spit at Meryl Streep. She is amazing. Since I first saw her … Continue reading
Posted in Memory, Motherhood, Poland, Russia, Writing & Reading
Tagged Cynthia Ozick, In My Mother's House, Kim Chernin, memory, Meryl Streep, Moscow, motherhood, russia, women writers
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“Sex in Mommyville”—oh, Russia—oh, Polish soup
A few weeks ago I saw Anna Fishbeyn’s wonderful one-woman show—yes, that’s the title, Sex in Mommyville. Anna immigrated to the States from Russia at age eleven—this is more than just background; it informs the show in the best possible … Continue reading
Posted in Memory, Motherhood, Russia, Writing & Reading
Tagged adultery, memory, motherhood, Poland, ritual, russia, Shabbat, women writers, writing
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Memory as moving target
Memory is intrusive. And I am constantly surprised by it. Even the bad memories, perhaps especially the bad ones, are interesting. Brain food. As you’ve read here before, I think of memory as a frequency (a channel), something we have … Continue reading
Posted in COUNTRIES OF LOST THINGS, Memory, Russia, Suicide, Writing & Reading
Tagged Countries of Lost Things, divorce, memory, reading, suicide, writing
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A walk through Grand Central
Back in the early Naughties (I love having an excuse to use that ridiculous term, and then I hate the fact I’ve stooped to use it), I was walking through Grand Central, with all its crazy bustle, when I caught sight … Continue reading
Posted in COUNTRIES OF LOST THINGS, Memory, Motherhood, Russia, Suicide, Writing & Reading
Tagged memory, motherhood, russia, suicide, writing
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Welcome to triple decaf ~ the memory channel
Let’s start with what you’ll find here… Thoughts on memory—a lot—many personal, some general. Mostly with a literary or psychological bent, with history, politics, current events insinuating themselves too. A channel is a tunnel, a passageway. It’s also a … Continue reading
Posted in COUNTRIES OF LOST THINGS, Memory, Motherhood, Russia, Suicide, Welcome!, Writing & Reading
Tagged bosnia, memory, motherhood, russia, suicide, writing
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Kara Krauze 