I am become Barbie, destroyer of worlds

by David Benjamin    “I wanted to do something anarchic and wild and funny and cathartic.” —Greta Gerwig, director, Barbie MADISON, Wis.—You’ve probably heard the joke about Phil the promoter who barges into the office of a showbiz talent scout and says, “Sol, have I got a dynamite act for you! This girl, she’s not…

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The moment of narrative confidence

by David Benjamin As I blunder through the first dozen chapters of a new novel, called Cheat, I can’t help reflect on the crisis of confidence affects every novelist, no matter how experienced, at the beginning—and in the middle—of every project.   Even for a veteran author, beginning a novel is a daunting prospect. Continuing……

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Mad as hell and still taking it

by David Benjamin  ““ … Trump has energized a segment of America whose values and traditions are mocked as bigoted, backward or too religious. The world is hurtling past them at breakneck speed. Their belief that Trump is their last, best hope to avoid being left in the dust is partly disturbing, partly endearing and…

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The little girl on the scooter and the feminine aesthetic

by David Benjamin   “…  And when she passes, each one she passes, goes “Aah’… ”  —Vinícius de Moraes & Norman Gimbel. “The Girl from Ipanema”   MADISON, Wis.—She was two blocks ahead and I was busy driving. But for a moment I froze, fascinated, drawing a testy honk when the light went green.  Normally,…

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The invisible poetry of prose

by David Benjamin One of the secrets to writing fluid prose is to be educated in the meter, rhythms, discipline and wordplay of great poems. For a writer, the consequence of not appreciating the poetry of prose is to hit the sort of sour note that turns off the reader.    For three years in……

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Bienfang goes to college

by David Benjamin  “Meritocratic systems, with objective grading scales, are critical to that belief [that “blacks can achieve in every avenue of American life without the meddling of university administrators”]. Such scales have always been a great equalizer—offering a metric for achievement that bigotry could not alter.”  —Justice Clarence Thomas   MADISON, Wis.—When I dropped…

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The church-lady factor

by David Benjamin Since its beginning, literature has been hounded by bluenoses with blue pencils, trying to excise words and ideas offensive to the current legions of decency and orthodoxy. Every writer, sooner or later, has to decide a response to the relentless force of censorship.   Last year, prior to the official “launch” event……

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