Posts by David Benjamin
Satire revisited
A return to the topic of satire, this time to offer a few tips to the aspiring satirist and a little homage to two of the discipline’s most extraordinary practitioners. by David Benjamin PARIS— In my last essay here, I discussed the challenge and the spirit of writing satire. Since then, I’ve pondered the……
Read MoreThe pain and purgation of Paris guilt
by David Benjamin “… Even the pigeons are dancing, kissing, going in circles, mounting each other. Paris is the city of love, even for the birds …” ― Samantha Schutz PARIS — We were barely awake yesterday before we were plunging through Métro tunnels, beneath the Seine, resurfacing at the place de la…
Read More“… the lilt of language listening to lines …”
by David Benjamin “… The humanities are like the great old Paris Flea Market where, amidst masses of junk, people with a good eye found cast away treasures … They are like a refugee camp where all the geniuses driven out of their jobs and countries by unfriendly regimes are idling …” ― Allan…
Read MoreWhen you’re in love, there’s no way out
by David Benjamin “… The Italian novelist Federico Moccia appears to have been the catalyst for turning the custom into a romantic gesture after his popular book, I Want You, which was made into a 2012 movie, featured a scene of two love interests attaching a padlock on the Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence…”…
Read MoreSatire: Bathtubs and edible babies
One regrets writing satire because usually its topic passes too swiftly from currency. One does not regret well-crafted satire, however, because it offends the high and mighty, or confuses the literal thinker, or launches a hurricane of blowback. by David Benjamin PARIS— Whenever I complete one of my satirical pieces, I fight a pang……
Read MoreHermaphrodites in hypothesis
by David Benjamin “The very essence of romance is uncertainty.” — Oscar Wilde MADISON, Wis.—A lexicographer walks into a bar. More accurately, it’s a gay club. Glenn, the lexicographer, is uneasy—indeed, deeply troubled— not because he’s uncomfortable among the “men” milling, drinking, laughing, talking, flirting and attempting to dance what looks to him…
Read MoreVing Rhames saves democracy
by David Benjamin “… I believe God has ordained and allowed each one of us to be brought here for this specific moment…” — Rep. Mike Johnson, after election as Speaker of the House HOLLYWOOD — “I’ve got it! I’ve got it, I’ve GOT it!” Louie “The Lip” Lipset, assistant to one of…
Read MoreEmotional distance and reader empathy
by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis.—At a book festival recently, I listened to a young author named Hannah who specializes in thrillers, a genre in which also I’ve worked. During the Q&A, a reader asked whether Hannah feels troubled while describing scenes of detailed cruelty or bloodshed. Flatly, Hannah said “No.” She explained that, as a……
Read MoreIsrael, Hamas and the revolutionaries of Ed 101
by David Benjamin “… We may graduate our students, confer degrees that certify their qualifications as the best and brightest. But we have clearly failed to educate them. We have failed to give them the ethical foundation and moral compass to recognize the basics of humanity…” — Ezekiel J. Emanuel, vice provost for global…
Read MoreA portrait of the artist as a portrait of the artist
by David Benjamin “Before I start a book, I’ve usually got four hundred pages of notes. Most of them are almost incoherent. But there’s always a moment when you think you’ve got a novel started. You can more or less see how it’s going to work out. After that, it’s just a question of detail.”…
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