There are many words in Yiddish, the universal language of exiled Jews that is now making a strong comeback among young people.
" nar,nefesh,shnook,shlemiel,shmegeggeh,shlimazel,yold( one of my mother's favorites). I once asked I.B. Singer the great Jewish writer why he thought we had so many words for fools.
" Why Dr. Omans," he replied with twinkling eyes." I'm surprised at you. Because there are so many kinds of fools running around in this world."
I realize now that when I lived and wrote Ol' Man On A Mountain, I was consciously putting myself in the role of fool. Much Jewish humor is self deprecating and the protagonist plays the role. Often, it is on purpose to learn a new way.
When my wife and I decided to buy a little farm in Appalachia we knew we would begin as misfits, fools, but insisted that all the fears we had were misguided. " Those people" we kept hearing...
But we jumped in: urban, theatrical, academic, artists... Democrats among precivil war, country, long - time Repuplican farmers!
Ol' Man is the result: what I know is a funny, honest report of our experiences, a growing multiple level love story between Baptists and Jews, conservatives and liberals, city " fools" and country wise men.
It's a salute to good willed people, regardless of background.
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