tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post7291711256835335349..comments2023-06-03T09:02:36.320-07:00Comments on <center>FIRESTORM:<br>A RENDERING OF TORAH<br> MICHAEL H. BROWNSTEIN </center>: The Camel Saloonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17466326145539153263noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-91710568660114786952018-05-15T07:16:56.424-07:002018-05-15T07:16:56.424-07:00Dear friends,
"Burn them. Shoot them. Kill t...Dear friends,<br /><br />"Burn them. Shoot them. Kill them."<br /><br />This is what Israeli settlers chanted as the military shot Palestinians protesting the opening of the US embassy in the contested heart of Jerusalem. <br /><br />The snipers hit thousands with live fire, killing 59, including eight children, from the safety of their perch over a mile away.<br /><br />In response, South Africa has pulled their ambassador to Israel, a powerful move that could end the violence if it’s echoed by other nations fast. And as the outcry grows, Europe could soon be following suit.<br /><br />Emma, Christoph, Alice, Pascal, Antonia, Fatima, Martyna, Ricken and the entire Avaaz teamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-82567478882427358302017-11-21T16:26:00.639-08:002017-11-21T16:26:00.639-08:00I want to thank you for your moist kind words.
Mi...I want to thank you for your moist kind words.<br /><br />Michael H. BrownsteinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-86217406913141182302016-03-04T10:23:05.388-08:002016-03-04T10:23:05.388-08:00Personally, I loved most of your poems, not becaus...Personally, I loved most of your poems, not because I am from the Arab World, but because it really touches me and it tells the truth. <br />That's why I took three of your poems as my graduation research Mr.Brownstien. <br />I hope that Palestinians could reach their freedom and this will happen only if we support their rights. We are all humans after all. <br />I hope also that every Palestinian can see your poems to feel proud and positive and not to give up. <br /><br />Thank you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-11192633006024911282014-07-13T19:13:55.187-07:002014-07-13T19:13:55.187-07:00Palestinians Flee Northern Gaza as a Cease-Fire Ap...Palestinians Flee Northern Gaza as a Cease-Fire Appears Elusive<br />By STEVEN ERLANGER and ISABEL KERSHNERJULY 13, 2014<br /><br />Mr. Sultan looked over at the young woman next to him and said: “I don’t need another tragedy. This is the fiancée of my son.” Three days ago, the son, Odai, 21, was killed in an Israeli rocket strike on the taxi he was driving. Mr. Sultan said that he had no idea why it had been attacked, and that it must have been the wrong car.<br /><br />Isra Abbas, the fiancée, 17, was to marry Odai in September. “The 1948 Nakba is now happening every four years,” she said angrily, referring to the Palestinian exodus, known as “the catastrophe,” during the Arab-Israeli war.<br /><br />http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/14/world/middleeast/israel-gaza.html?_r=0Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-59378199164485792022014-02-24T10:47:30.185-08:002014-02-24T10:47:30.185-08:00Paul,
It's been a long time. Thanks for the g...Paul,<br /><br />It's been a long time. Thanks for the great comment. How can I get in touch with you?<br /><br />My email address is on the site: http://booksonblog35.blogspot.com/<br /><br />MichaelMichael H. Brownsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05468929554202124507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-1303001997206353802014-02-24T10:44:50.037-08:002014-02-24T10:44:50.037-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Michael H. Brownsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05468929554202124507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-23285780126847211072014-02-16T18:17:39.463-08:002014-02-16T18:17:39.463-08:00Michael,
Stunning work. It's amazing to see ho...Michael,<br />Stunning work. It's amazing to see how much you've grown. I could hear your voice as I read this work. Reminds me of the chap book days so many years ago.<br />Paul S. WalaszekAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-59563878567986620222013-10-25T11:20:31.105-07:002013-10-25T11:20:31.105-07:00Israel has suspended its affiliation with the UN&#...Israel has suspended its affiliation with the UN's Human Rights Council:<br /><br />I feel the poems above tell us why.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-71152184451071870252013-10-05T13:10:58.636-07:002013-10-05T13:10:58.636-07:00Dear Michael, ...Dear Michael, 3rd day of Oct 2013<br /> Long ago I taught next door to a Bilingual classroom. The teacher was outside my door with his class. I said “Hi! How come my kids think you are speaking Spanish? What language are you speaking?” He looked at me and said “That is because they think ALL foreigners are the SAME!” I burst out laughing and replied, “How long have you been here? We are ALL foreigners unless you are Native American. Why don't YOU tell them what language you are speaking?” So began the friendship that introduced me to Middle Eastern food, languages, music and family.”<br /><br />1992 – Old City Jerusalem – taking cabs with Musa from Tel Aviv (Palestinian driver) and then to Mt Scopus, Hebrew University (Israeli driver). Musa saying “Listen ! See how NOTHING has changed!” (He had taught Hebrew and Arabic at the University)<br /><br />Both cab drivers blamed the OTHER...for the current state of affairs.<br /><br />Musa “passed” as both Israeli and Palestinian! ( We were treated well by both sides everywhere we went! East Jerusalem, Old City, the Wailing Wall, the Mosque, Sea of Galilee, Gaza, West Jerusalem, King David Hotel, YMCA, Tel Aviv)<br /><br /> At the hospital 4 months earlier, when he couldn't walk and was catheterized in bed, I had asked if I could feed him and wash his face and hands – if that would be “doing too much” - and he said “Of course you can...can't you see I can't even get my hand to my mouth to feed myself? I pulled out this catheter 3 times today before I even realized I was one person! This is ME!” <br /> <br /> We are ONE … what we do here, there, wherever we are – affects all of us!<br /><br /> Five months after the trip to Jerusalem and Gaza, Musa could no longer speak – he had been silent for 3 wks – in bed at Hospice in Chicago. I went to stay with him the last day. As I held him in my arms I said “Musa, it's Dad's birthday today and everyone is praying for you – Muslims, Jews, Christians! He opened his eyes and shed one tear and said “I love...” with his last breath here and then he was gone to wherever we go next. <br /> Maybe the answer really is -forgiveness, love, letting go...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-14910565875752313692013-10-03T18:22:18.673-07:002013-10-03T18:22:18.673-07:00We are surely ONE ...
perhaps all that is left is ...We are surely ONE ...<br />perhaps all that is left is forgiveness, love and letting go...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-5689384281413374542013-09-09T09:34:40.440-07:002013-09-09T09:34:40.440-07:00Very insightful, more people should be aware of th...Very insightful, more people should be aware of thisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-42961290092388914612013-07-27T10:41:17.337-07:002013-07-27T10:41:17.337-07:00I enjoyed reading this a lot. It articulated a num...I enjoyed reading this a lot. It articulated a number of points that need to be made about the 1948 war--and it's relevant today too. If only the governments involved would read this book.<br /><br />Eric BrewtonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-21677507589470607742013-07-27T10:37:16.763-07:002013-07-27T10:37:16.763-07:00I really enjoyed reading this book. It opened my m...I really enjoyed reading this book. It opened my mind and I learned a lot. <br /><br />I am now reconsidering my previous ideas on this subject.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />KoreabAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03122357566385498530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-61390500200297889252013-07-27T10:31:34.491-07:002013-07-27T10:31:34.491-07:00Brilliant book! Nothing more to say!Brilliant book! Nothing more to say!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-28060917463282830232013-07-22T17:58:05.420-07:002013-07-22T17:58:05.420-07:00I like the use of side-notes in "Firestorm.&q...I like the use of side-notes in "Firestorm." Since poetry may mix the real with the imagined, a poet has a responsibility when dealing with controversial historical events to make clear what are actual documental events and what are imagined. The side-notes help in making that determination, but are not clear enough for such a weighty subject.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-91601185425493779232013-04-07T19:17:20.045-07:002013-04-07T19:17:20.045-07:00Beautiful piece of writing in the chapbook…some of...Beautiful piece of writing in the chapbook…some of my favorite lines are “To the victor goes the writing of history” and “There are people visiting this world who came here to die.<br /> These are the angels of our lives.” Thank you,Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17124052902450621989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-45750963063138191172013-04-07T12:08:15.139-07:002013-04-07T12:08:15.139-07:00Perhaps because my father fought for the Irish Rep...Perhaps because my father fought for the Irish Republican Army and was expelled from Ireland by the English, I have always had an immense interest, from afar, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<br /><br />Although I have always been pro-Israeli, I have hoped Palestine would one day have a land of its own and some kind of piece could be realized. The media (that word again) has led me to believe over many years that the Palestinians are at fault, with Hamas lobbing missiles into Tel Aviv for “no apparent reason.”<br /><br />This is a chapbook I will read carefully, and it is a credit to Russell Streur for publishing it here and for Devlin De La Chapa for reviewing it in BoySlut, especially at the start of Passover 2013.<br /><br />Like the author Michael Brownstein, I too have my roots in Chicago and happenstance had me, an “Irisher,” living for 10 happy years in a Jewish neighborhood on Morse Avenue. I don’t know how welcome Michael would be on that street today if the population is still Jewish. I never tasted anything elsewhere as good as the hot pastrami on rye at Ashkenaz’s Restaurant. But I doubt the Jews on Morse Avenue would be too pleased today with Michael’s findings. But many of them may have lived as I have without the facts.donalmahoneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15495872532526336596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-57532206272221543962013-04-07T05:15:52.536-07:002013-04-07T05:15:52.536-07:00Jon, thanks for the huge compliment.
You can see ...Jon, thanks for the huge compliment.<br /><br />You can see Jon's poem here:<br /><br />http://projectagentorange.com/wordpress/?p=1291Michael H. Brownsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05468929554202124507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-13833897010763643372013-04-06T21:08:48.336-07:002013-04-06T21:08:48.336-07:00Your poetry book has piqued my research hound, and...Your poetry book has piqued my research hound, and I am eager to learn the history of which you speak. I tried to use some of its style in the way I structured Ex Gratia. I don't normally do direct address in my poetry, but your use of it was on my mind. Reading "Too Many Bullets" encouraged me to try a variation of your thematic advancement style by including a floating, evolving stanza and then signposting its iterations to the end in order to wrap it all up. I look forward to learning and creating more because of your work.Jon Freelandhttp://drj3kyll.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-55307854920617874882013-03-27T09:06:35.427-07:002013-03-27T09:06:35.427-07:00Thanks for sharing, Brownstein! These are ridiculo...Thanks for sharing, Brownstein! These are ridiculously powerful, as always.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-73309557519577889122013-03-25T08:18:14.325-07:002013-03-25T08:18:14.325-07:00You can view another review of the chapbook here: ...You can view another review of the chapbook here: http://www.devlindelachapa.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/firestorm-a-rendering-of-torah-a-reviewinterview/.<br /><br /><br />Thank you, Michael for the opportunity.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-61238786063590590062013-03-22T07:40:25.643-07:002013-03-22T07:40:25.643-07:00Here's a review of the book:
http://brickrhet...Here's a review of the book:<br /><br />http://brickrhetoric.org/tag/torah/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-28206997133310001232013-03-01T11:56:57.260-08:002013-03-01T11:56:57.260-08:00(I deleted the comment above because it was meant ...(I deleted the comment above because it was meant to be a fresh comment, and not a reply to A.J. Huffman's post) <br /><br />However, I would like to say that I second those sentiments shared by Huffman. This collection reads book end to book end. Once you begin, you will no doubt reach the NOISE AND THE PHOENIX OF HOPE.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-6067526129348346492013-03-01T00:21:11.953-08:002013-03-01T00:21:11.953-08:00This is indeed an impassioned and poignant work--I...This is indeed an impassioned and poignant work--I would have expected nothing less from the poet, whose other works I have found to be equally relevant and thought-provoking discourse for our day. This collection incites conversation, as is demonstrated by those comments that have come before mine, and those that will continue to come, challenging us all to learn from the past, to cultivate an improved-upon future. Like others, I found TOO MANY BULLETS particularly compelling, as was FOLLOWING ORDERS. Michael, your poetry is eloquent and striking, courageous and heartfelt. I thank you so much for sharing this important work.<br /><br />SKAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9198288855361983465.post-34203783932860096362013-03-01T00:18:45.989-08:002013-03-01T00:18:45.989-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com