Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 2 April 1986 — Page 21

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Books on tape: cure those traffic jam blues

By DR. SHARON WEINSTEIN

car sometimes is my

bookstore. I'm not speaking here of the library books, text

books and review books

stacked in the trunk and on the back seat. I'm referring to two modem inventions that I — not genuinely part of the technological age — can handle: my radio and my tape deck. During my long drive to Hampton University from my home in Virginia Beach (from 35 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes, depending on the exodus from the local Navy bases and other traffic factors), I often listen to the National Public Radio station. On Monday, March 17, a program featured Isaac Bashevis Singer, the beloved Yiddish writer and Nobel Prize winner in Literature, speaking at the Westminister Town Forum from the Westminister Presby-

terian Church in downtown

Minneapolis.

If you were lucky enough to be listening you heard the 81-year-old Singer read from "The Missing Line," an unpublished story, written two years ago.

This delightful story, read in Singer's thickly-accented and sometimes halting voice, is the tale of a writer who writes for a

weekly Yiddish newspaper (very much like Singer does for the Jewish Daily Forward). This writer-narrator bemoans the fact that mistakes always appear in what he publishes for the newspaper. Never mind how many times he proofreads his work before it is printed: Something is always wrong. And worse — often his readers don't even notice the mistakes! A correction never does any good, the head printer tells him, "No one ever reads them!" One week, however, the mistake is incomprehensible. A line from the German philosopher Kant, that the narrator has used in one of his articles, is missing. This kind of mistake has happened before. A line somehow mysteriously absents itself from the narrator's words and finds its way into someone else’s article But look

as he will, the narrator cannot find it anywhere in the paper. Only the next day as he gets a copy of the rival newspaper — primed across the street — does he find the missing line in the story of a writer he detests. In the midst of this rival's story

about a janitor who comes home from work one day and rapes his daughter, is the lost line by Kant. Singer presents the narrator's incredulity in a most amusing fashion. The narrator thinks he is hallucinating. How could a line from his article and his newspaper move itself across the street to another newspaper? Demons? He asks his son to buy a second copy of the rival paper. The narrator reads this second copy. The missing line is still there. Just to be sure, he asks his son to read the rival's story aloud to him. His son reads the missing line. Could there be such a thing as a "collective hallucination" he wonders? Or is, perhaps, his son a hallucination? Singer's character does find a plausible explanation for the missing line, and the route of his discovery is charming in the way only Singer can be. If you would like to be entertained

yourself by this engaging story and by the obvious respect and love of the audience for Singer — who afterwards answers questions from the audience through the moderator — you can send $7.00 for a cassette tape of the performance. Write to American Public Radio Network, Westminister Tapes, 626 N. Central Life Tower, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101. One of the interesting questions that Singer fielded had to do with having stories rejected. Can a Nobel Prize winning author still have his stories turned down by The New Yorker, or wherever? Yes, as a matter of fact. Singer replied. Although The New Yorker had taken several stories of his quite recently, one was rejected with a very apologetic note saying they just didn't care for that particular story. Singer said, however, that to him it just means that he has to set to work immediately and revise the story. He tries to figure out what is wrong with the story, and usually ends up with a better story.

Several months ago I received a package of Judaica Titles in the form of cassette

tapes from Caedmon (1995 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10023), a company which has been described as "the leading marketeer of spoken word records and cassettes for young people and adults." Among the collection were stories by Sholem Aleichem read by Jewish theatre star Menasha Skulnik; Isaac Bashevis Singer reading his stories in English and on another tape, in Yiddish; "Night" read by Elie Wiesel, and several others. The two I listened to most closely were "The Book of Job" and the most recendy produced, portions of the novel "Zuckerman Bound" by Philip Roth. Herbert Marshall reads the part of Job, in a voice that is compelling and distinctive. Martin Balsam has the small part, with his recognizable voice, of Elihu. But it's a weird experience, driving down Interstate 64 listening to Job's sufferings, his friends' hypocrisy, and the word of God telling Job off, all the while dodging the massive trucks and speeding cars that share the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel with me. Don’t do it while you Continued on page 13

Nancy Taormina leads the way to H.S. title

By SHEL WALLMAN Hail to the champs! Murray Bergtraum High School (21-1), led by its star guard, Nancy Taormina, beat James Madi-

son 47-39 to capture the New York City girl’s high school basketball tide. The 5’5'' Taormina was a 4-year starter and the team co-captain. During her four varsity seasons, Bergtraum recorded a phenomenal 78-5 won-lost record and reached the city playoffs each of the four years. Taormina's regular season stats included a

1.3 ppg average with 6.3 ssists. In the semi-finals, Taormina layed the role of point-guard, coring only six points as she oncentrated on handling the all and distributed six points as be concentrated on handling the all and distributed six assists, ut in the championship game, le versadle Taormina led all corers with 19 points. She ave Bergtraum the lead with :40 to play when she sank an 8-footer and her subsequent 15x)t jumper made it 34-29. ladison never seriously ireatened after that. Taormina died in her attempt to make the 985 U.S. Maccabiah team, but ou can bet the family jewels ie'11 be in Israel for the 1989

Games. We have received word that Mitch Kasoff of Pikesville (Md) High School will attend the University of Maryland He

will suit up without a scholarship for his freshman season (only two were available), but he has been promised one for his sophomore year. Thus, his dream of playing in the ACC for his native state university has been realized.

***

end of the season, but as Allen resigned with two weeks to go in the campaign, Rimson's status remains unclear. However, once a new coach has been named the two are expected to meet, clear up any differences and Rimson will most likely rejoin the club for her senior year.

out of pro football and into a budding show business career. With Alzado gone, Ed Newman of Miami, Brad Edelman of New Orleans, Ken Kaplan of Tampa Bay and John Frank of San Francisco are the remaining Jewish players in the NFL. *•*

I recently learned that Lorraine Rimson, Florida State's leading scorer and rebounder last year and a firstteam selection for the Jewish All-American women's cage team for 1984-85, had been suspended from the team in midseason by coach Jan Allen. At the time of her departure, she was averaging 12.0 ppg and 10.7 rebounds, down from last year's production. The suspension was to have been reviewed by coach Allen at the

*** After 15 violent years of pro football played with the Denver Broncos, the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Raiders, two-time All-Pro, Lyle Alzado, has announced his retirement. Missing the final five games of the 1985 season with a severed Achilles tendon and reaching his 36th birthday have combined to convince Alzado to take his unique collection of snarls and sneers

I received encouraging words from Hal Reinfeld, the high school basketball coach of Max Blank, the injured 6'9" Soviet emigre at George Washington University. "Max is coming along super! The doctors expect him to come back to 95 percent. He'll be running and cutting full speed by May and, remember, he has three years of eligibility." Sam Cole Of Long Branch High School won the 1986 New Continued on page 16