NPR and a Published Author Mispronounce Czeslawa Kwoka's Name.

NPR's Scott Simon and published author Lily Tuck discussed Tuck's new book about Czeslawa Kwoka. Their interview was broadcast Saturday, December 14, 2024. 

Tuck, again, has just published a book about Czeslawa Kwoka. 

Kwoka was a child Polish victim of Nazism. Nazis murdered Kwoka in Auschwitz. 

Both Scott Simon and Lily tuck repeatedly mispronounced Czeslawa Kwoka's name. 

As I listened to the interview, I was astounded. How does someone publish a book about a girl, how does NPR conduct an interview about this girl, and never take the twenty seconds of Google search to learn how to pronounce the murdered girl's name? 

ches WAFF a 

KWOK a

Not difficult. 

NPR interview is here. 

A Real Pain 2024 movie review

 

A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg explores American Jewish identity eighty years after the Holocaust

A Real Pain is a comedy-drama Holocaust-themed film. A Real Pain was written, directed, and co-produced by Jesse Eisenberg. The film depicts the journey of two cousins, David and Benji Kaplan, who travel with a tour group to Poland. The cousins' late grandmother, Dory, was a survivor. The cousins' journey is an effort to honor her and better understand their heritage.

Eisenberg, 41, plays David; Kieran Culkin, 42, plays Benji. A Real Pain also features Will Sharpe as James, the tour guide, and other tour members Jennifer Grey as Marcia; Kurt Egyiawan as Eloge; and Liza Sadovy and Daniel Oreskes as Diane and Mark.

David is a happily married husband and father. He lives in an attractive brownstone and makes a good living selling ads. He suffers from anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as does Eisenberg himself. David takes prescription medication to suppress his symptoms.

Benji is a "real pain" – as in, "a pain in the ass." He is disruptive and socially inappropriate. Benji lives in his mother's house and smokes a lot of marijuana. He has no committed relationships or steady work. He uses the F-word in every sentence.

David's pain and Benji's pain are set against the overwhelming pain of the Holocaust. The tour group members are flummoxed in their attempts to assimilate historical reality. They juxtapose their comfortable American lives with what Holocaust victims endured. They cannot craft a coherent narrative about the world or their own lives that encompasses that dichotomy.

Pogrom in Amsterdam

 There was a pogrom in Amsterdam last night. Attackers were "pro-Palestinian." Full story here. 

Halloween and Bieganski

 

An essay by me about scary movies can be found here. And also here. In this essay, I compare how I reacted to scary movies as a kid, and also how I reacted to World War II and Holocaust related films. 

"Jews to the Gas" sign at Jagiellonian University; Authorities Investigate

 Read more here 

Quote: 

Adam Koprowski, a spokesperson for Jagiellonian University, told local newspaper Dziennik Polski: “We are extremely sorry that such a situation took place. “This banner, from what I know, was hung by someone at night and was immediately removed from the fence after this fact was revealed, along with other slogans. “The case was also reported to the police, which is conducting an investigation.” A spokesman for Krakow police said that the incident is being investigated under the crime of “incitement to hatred on the grounds of nationality.”

Lee: Kate Winslet Movie about Lee Miller

 There's a new Kate Winslet movie about Lee Miller. My review of the movie is below. 

The movie is not closely related to the themes of Bieganski. I post the review here because there are horrible things we are willing to talk about, and there are horrible things we aren't willing to talk about. The movie Lee, like society at large, is willing to talk about the Holocaust. But it's not willing to talk about another horror that had a catastrophic impact on Lee Miller's life, and the lives of millions of others. 

Movie review is below: 

Neo Nazis Support Trump at Florida Boat Parade

 There was a "boat parade" in support of Trump in Florida on October 13. Some Neo Nazis participated, saying that they want to "Make America white again."