“That Time When We Were Indifferent”: A Conversation with Shalom Auslander

Shalom Auslander

As a yeshiva boy, Shalom Auslander showed such promise that his rabbis believed he would grow into a leader of the Jewish people. They proved poor talent scouts. Auslander left the Orthodox community—a protracted affair he discusses in his unruly, hilarious memoir, Foreskin’s Lament —and has since written four deliriously unholy books which explore the limitations imposed by religious orthodoxy and other inherited, obligatory identities. “I have very little connection to Judaism or Jewish people,” says the former apt pupil. “Though one thing I do admire is that historically we’ve been a pain in the ass. We ask hard questions. The Spanish should have kicked us out.”

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Stalker Letters, Surreal Cartoons, & Biblical Imagery At The Franklin Park Reading Series’s Third Anniversary

Referring to public readings, Shalom Auslander, last night at the 3rd anniversary of the Franklin Park Reading Series, stated, “I don’t know why people come to these things. It’s kind of sad,” right before he launched into his book. I find it hard to pin down his antics. I can never tell if he truly feels the vitriol he expresses, or he enjoys playing a certain role. Regardless of this cynical sentiment, the night turned out to be a fitting […]

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Morning Bites: Edith Wharton’s birthday, reading Rushdie as protest, the Poem Forest, new Xiu Xiu, and more

Edith Wharton was born on this day in 1862. Jon Cotner tours the Poem Forest. Reading Salman Rushdie as a form of protest. Shalom Auslander is interviewed at Jewcy. Gloria Steinem is profiled at the Stanford blog. There’s a new Xiu Xiu album coming out, which means there will be new Xiu Xiu videos like the one up at Pitchfork right now. Follow Vol. 1 Brooklyn on Twitter, Facebook, Google + and our Tumblr. Got tips for Bites?  Info@Vol1brooklyn.com

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Afternoon Bites: Sports Tape Trading, Amelia Gray, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and more

At Three Guys One Book, Jason Rice looks at the Joseph Gordon-Levitt-edited anthology The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories. The Los Angeles Times profiles Shalom Auslander, Amelia Gray, and Todd Zuniga as literary “Faces to Watch” in 2012. Joshua Lars Weill looks at sports-tape trading, at The Classical. Flavorwire selects their 10 most anticipated books of 2012. The fine people of ComicsAlliance have selected their 11 best comics of 2011. Follow Vol. 1 Brooklyn on Twitter, Facebook, and our Tumblr. Got tips for […]

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How much Holocaust can Shalom Auslander take?

Posted by Jason Diamond I’m quite curious about Shalom Auslander’s forthcoming novel, Hope: A Tragedy (Riverhead)  I find some of Auslander’s stories hilarious, but others I’m not so sure about.  I’ve come to think that my trepidation stems from the fact that I think Auslander is doing a good job of deconstructing what I’ve heard refereed to as “Holocaust culture,” but then he situates it too comfortably next to his self-hating Jew schtick.  If I had to make a decision on the matter, I’d rather […]

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Morning Bites: Shalom Auslander, Neal Pollack, German publishers, horror films, and more

The beautiful books of Lubok Verlag Publishing.  (Via Design*Sponge) Shalom Auslander calls his friends Ira Glass and Sarah Vowell to ask if he can stay in their attics if the next Holocaust happens. The Lapham’s Quarterly podcast talks to John Crowley about the 30th anniversary of his novel Little, Big. Neal Pollack is interviewed about his book Jewball at Jewcy. Two dudes talking about umbrellas: A 50-year-old Harold Pinter sketch is unearthed. Has it been a good 51 years for horror […]

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Buzzword I’m Cool With: Comic Novel

First we had a publicist promise Sam Lipsyte’s forthcoming novel, The Ask, would usher us back into the time of Pynchon, Roth, and Heller; now Shalom Auslander is getting set to present us a funny book about genocide. and the term “comic novel” pops up again.  This time, it’s in his essay, “Go for the Kill” on Tablet. Best quotes: “I’m a fun guy. I read about the Armenian Genocide, and about the Herrero Massacre, and about the Holodomor, and […]

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