I am starting up my blog again. Jenna has a tumblr. Carolyn asked about it tonight. And it just seems like a good venue for some of my ridiculous summertime photos.
Tonight I am going to blog about Whoopi Goldberg. Josephine's internet research reveals that her mother encouraged her to change her surname from Johnson to Goldberg because the former was "not Jewish enough to make her a star". The funny thing about this story is that there are many instances in the history of Hollywood of names being changed because they are too Jewish. Come to think of it, is that why Robert Zimmerman changed his name to Bob Dylan? That would be a shame. I think it also had something to do with the fact that he likes Dylan Thomas.
Speaking of which, I am reading a lot of poems for Comp Lit by Paul Celan. Dorothy, his poem Deathfugue is the best poem ever, but I like this Hamburger translation better than the more popular Felstiner. Paul Celan did change his name, but most (all?) of his works are about being Jewish and reconciling his Jewish and Germany identities after the Holocaust. Understanding them is arduous, but feeling them is not.
Ebert tweeted about Steak and Shake tonight, confirming its existence to dubious West Coast teenagers who tweet. This unfortunately does not include Josephine, Jenna, or Carolyn.
More news about Whoopi Goldberg later.
