Books

The Tragic Tale of Superman’s Jewish Creators, Told in Graphic Novel Form

by Gabe Friedman, JTA | Oct 4, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

(JTA) — When Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel created the Superman character in the early 1930s, they were still living at their parents’ homes. Of course, the character and his story — the arrival from another planet, his dual identities as mild-mannered reporter and...

In J.K. Rowling’s New Novel, a Villain is an Israel-Hating Anti-Semite

by Yvette Alt Miller | Sep 22, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

(JTA) — For months author J.K. Rowling has been warning about the dangers of anti-Semitism in England, sparring on Twitter with critics who either downplay the phenomenon or say its proponents are confusing criticism of Israel with Jew hatred. Now, in her newest...

Fall Arts Guide 2018

by Elizabeth Heubeck | Aug 30, 2018 | Art, Arts & Life, Books, Film & TV, Museum, Music, Performing Arts, The Arts, Visual Arts

Charm City’s autumn arts lineup offers something for everyone. There’s a lot to love about the fall. The oppressive heat and the you-can-cut-it-with-a-knife humidity ease up; summer getaways have left folks feeling recharged and ready to socialize again; and the...

Turning the Page

by Simone Ellin, Associate Editor | Aug 29, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

Today’s youth are increasingly turned off by reading books. Ellen Jarrett has always loved books, but she describes her youngest son, Drew, as “a reluctant reader.” “He never enjoyed sitting and reading by himself,” says Jarrett, who lives in Owings Mills and works...

Ben Stiller Helps Gary Shteyngart Sell His Latest Novel. Buyer Beware.

by JTA | Aug 15, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, Film & TV, The Arts

Gary Shteyngart is nearly as successful in gathering A-list friends as he is in writing critically acclaimed novels. To promote his 2014 memoir “Little Failure,” he starred in a video that featured Rashida Jones as his publisher and James Franco as his husband. For...

Pages for All Ages

by Aliza Friedlander | Aug 1, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

Book clubs offer opportunities for fun, friendship and flights of fancy “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” — Dr. Seuss It doesn’t matter whether you’re a child discovering Dr. Seuss, a teenager engrossed in a Harry...

Paperbacks, Pilates & Pottery

by Rafael Alvarez | Aug 1, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

This is a story about books, shame and the distance between a historic Baltimore neighborhood and high culture hidden within the monotonous cul-de-sacs of the 1960s suburb where I grew up. The neighborhood is Reservoir Hill — long in decline, now in revival. Linthicum...

What We’re Reading This Summer

by JMORE Staff | Aug 1, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

They don’t call us the “People of the Book” for nothing! Jmore’s staff is made up of a happy crew of avid readers. Some of us prefer historical tomes, some of us cozy up to contemporary literature and some of us get our healthy dose of escapism...

The 7 Best Jewish Obituaries by New York Times Writer Margalit Fox

by Josefin Dolsten, JTA | Jul 2, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

NEW YORK (JTA) — New York Times obituary writer Margalit Fox announced she was leaving her position after writing farewells to more than 1,400 notable, notorious or downright unusual people over a 14-year span. Fox intends to turn to book-writing full time. Among the...

Remembering the Golden Era of Jewish Boxing in Baltimore

by Deborah Weiner | Jun 28, 2018 | Arts & Life, Books, The Arts

Quick, name a current Jewish boxer? Coming up short? Well, times have changed since the 1920s when, arguably, the most famous Jewish American was world lightweight champion Benny Leonard (nee Leiner), a product of New York’s Lower East Side. If this seems surprising,...