Buy now on Amazon: Just Kids

If you don’t know much about Patti Smith and you look her up you will see that she is a very accomplished poet, visual artist, song writer and performer.   Her music is of the punk rock variety. She even co-wrote a song with Bruce Springsteen that made it to #13 and she has received all kinds of recognition for her body of work including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This book touches upon some of the many things that she has done but it is really a story of  her relationship with a man who wasn’t her husband or the father of her children and wasn’t even a musician. The man however, was an artist and although I don’t believe she used the term about him, it is fair to say that he was her “soul mate.” The man is Robert Mapplethorpe and if by chance you don’t know much about him and look him up you will see that he was a preeminent photographer known best for mostly black and white photos, many Polaroid, and many  of flowers and nude men . His photos were frequently known for their homoerotism. He also took many portraits including  photos of Patti Smith and did the cover for many of her albums.

The both were born in 1946. Patti was born in Chicago and grew up in New Jersey in alower middle class religious family. At age 21 she left college and religion as she headed to New York City with  some vague ideas about being a writer and a poet.  Robert Mapplethorpe was born in Queens and went to Pratt College and studied drawing, painting and sculpture and then set about trying to figure out how to become the artist that he knew he was destined to be. Smith and Mapplethorpe literally ran into each other and became a struggling, symbiotic and literally a starving duo. They had no or little money, at times very little food but clearly had found each other. They shared whatever they had including their bed and themselves. They supported each other in every way. They understood each other and their aspirations. They both believed in each other’s art and destiny to be artists. One time they overhear an older couple talking about them in the park saying, “They are just kids.”

Although she barely mentioned it , Smith obviously kept a diary . She has written this book in a continuous flow as she tells about the everyday events of her life especially about the first several years of her relationship with “ Robert” During most of the book , Smith has not started to sing and is only writing mostly poetry. Similarly for  the majority of the narrative, Mapplethorpe has not picked up a camera yet  and is drawing, making collages and various complex pieces to express himself. We hear  of the names of the many people who were the underground artistic life in New York City. The reader is introduced to life at the Chelsea Hotel with all the great conversations at the big round table in the back room. Some people’s names are more recognizable than others at least to this writer, ie. Alan Ginsberg , Andy Warhol, Sam Shepherd but I am sure that many others would be recognized by the  aficionados of the poetry and art scene of that time  but such familiarity is not necessary to appreciate this story.

Things do happen, these people grow up, establish adult important meaningful connections, opportunities appear, but these two are also always there for each other. Robert begins to confront his own sexuality and establishes various relationships with men. His own art flourishes and he explores his expression through photography. Patti has success with her poetry, publishes, adds music to her work and eventually becomes an important singer. We watch them come into their own and by necessity drift apart but yet are always connected. It is Robert who can photograph Patti for the perfect picture for her latest album. When the deadly scourge of the 1980s especially for the gay community strikes Robert, he asks Patti to some day tell their story. It has taken Patti more than 20 years to be able to do it and we feel enriched by being allowed to share it.

Buy now on Amazon: Witness to an Extreme Century: A Memoir

I had always wanted to learn more about the interesting work of psychiatrist Robert J. Lipton that I had heard about, but I never got around to reading his various books and other writings. This is the reason that I was pleased to embark upon reading this recent memoir. The author not only reviews his four main projects but he shares his recollections and feelings about the many people he has met along the way of his fascinating life’s work.

Lifton’s psychiatric training was interrupted by having to join the military as a physician during the Korean War. Although he was able to resume and even ultimately have some training at the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute, he never became a conventional psychiatrist or analyst. After spending sometime in Hong Kong Lifton became intensely interested what had become known as Chinese thought control. The Chinese communists had embarked upon what they had called a “reeducation” program aimed at indoctrinating everyone in the country but especially the educated and the young people to completely and without any question accept the sanctity of their leader and the validity of their doctrine.. Lifton’s technique of gathering data was to make contact with appropriate subjects and then hold open ended exploratory interviews. He used a trusted translator most of the time. He had made friends and contacts in Hong Kong who led him to meet various people from China who had been subjected to this mind control. A variation of this technique was applied to the Americans airmen taken prisoner of war by the Chinese in the Korean War. At that time the term “ brain washing” became popularly applied to what was being done .The techniques involved isolation, repetition of ideas, raising self doubts about old ideas. It was a relentless style of re-education which also included the encouragement of reporting to the authorities anyone known to rebel and not accept this new way of thinking. As Lifton saw the overall impact on Chinese society, he applied the term “totalism” to the complete penetration of this doctrinal thinking in all phases of living in China. Lifton was to also use this term when he studied other groups particularly the German people falling under the influence of Hitler. His suggestion that any group whether it be religious, political or even social which makes an all out effort to control the thinking of it’s potential followers should be identified as applying “totalism” to its efforts. He is very clear about the destructive nature of such thinking and the reader cannot but think how various modern day movements may be leaning in this direction.

While it is difficult to say which of his experiences had the greatest impact on him as they all obviously did and each embellished on the other. However, it seemed to me that his study of the survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing which he did when he was in his early 30s, emotionally penetrated deeper than anything he subsequently experienced and irreversibly changed him. Through his personal interviews with the subjects of his research, as a relatively young man he repeatedly encountered the meaning of death, destruction and mutilation. He appeared to feel their despair. While he intellectually understood and scientifically described the complicated grief and walking death that so many of the Japanese were to live throughout the rest of their lives, Lifton was transformed into a lifelong and very effective pacifist. Those of us who never had the emotional confrontation with the results of the A Bomb, might be able to accept President Truman’s decision to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki based on the calculation to save the lives of many thousands of Americans who would have invaded Japan. Lifton I believe, never raised this issue and appeared to believe in retrospect it had to be the wrong decision. He continues to bring a pacifist point of view to every relevant modern political and social issue of his time.

While I never met with anyone who went through anything approaching the magnitude of Hiroshima, my experience as a consultant to a major burn unit and having had some professional work in the aftermath of 9/11 gave me some perspective to to relate to his writing on this subject. However his decision to attempt to interview the Nazi doctors was “ mind boggling” to me, meaning that I had no frame of reference to this subject. Since this was his memoir, it probably was relatively short on the details of this work and conclusions which was covered in his earlier published work. But this book was relatively long on his personal reactions to the people with whom he met. His own perspective in approaching the Nazi doctors was as physican, psychiatrist, pacifist and a Jew. He seemed to have no trouble making the contacts and finding the surviving doctors who were willing to speak with him. In this memoir Lifton shares his struggle to understand whether these doctors were inherently evil people or whether circumstances might induce people to do terrible things to other people.

Lifton’s analysis and discussion of his experience in looking at the Viet Nam War and anti-war movement carried through to his comments on the U.S. war in Iraq. His reasoning and anti-war point of view is not simply founded upon his pacifist point of view but brings in a political and historical analysis. He also describes his interest in understanding post traumatic stress. He may have originated the term psychic numbing based on his earlier observations as well as those on the returning Viet Nam veterans. It is not surprising that he had great interest in understanding the My Lai massacre and raised once again how could descent people (in ths case the American soldiers) do horrifying deeds.

It was a special treat to learn about the many writers, historians and other intellectuals with whom Lifton interacted over the years. His personal discussions with people as diverse as Erik Erikson and Norman Mailer were recounted. Many of them took place at seminars he and his wife held at their summer home in Wellfleet. Betty Jean Lifton died shortly after her husband finished most of his memoir She was a writer mostly of children’s books but she shared his passion for psychohistory and their relationship is warmly reflected at many places in this book.

Buy now on Amazon: My Life by Bill Clinton

I have always known that Bill Clinton  is a warm friendly guy but I never have had any personal contact with him- that is up until now. This autobiography makes you feel that he is sitting in your living room chatting with you. Chatting in some detail!! In addition to his obviously very good memory for faces, people and events he also met regularly during his presidency with a person who helped record an oral history which he was able to draw upon, as well as all appointment books and official papers, along with a staff to help him. But the product is still Bill talking away in great detail – often fascinating detail about the story of his life and story of the history that he made as President of the United States.

As he recounts his childhood and the early details of his life, he foreshadows his ability to connect with people and maintain them as friends. For example as a small kid maybe 5 or 6 years old in Arkansas there was a rich kid who lived across the street in a larger house . Bill was grateful that the boy’s parents and the kid were very friendly to him and invited him over to play. That kid was Mack McLarty who became his first White House Chief of Staff and one of his most trusted advisors. This story was played out time and time again as for example several of his college buddies who he met at Georgetown some of whom he met because they lived near him in his dormitory freshman year, were appointed to responsible jobs in his administration and were very special to him. Hence,  the informal designation FOB – friends of Bill. While I don’t recall it was used in the book, it is certainly is a category which includes many people.. Clinton’s ability to relate, tied together with a tremendous memory, especially for people, was a great political asset. When he was running for Governor he would travel throughout the state and meet many people from all walks of life often in small towns, in diners, gas stations and sometimes in their homes. He would personally come to understand their special story along with  their hopes and aspirations. When running for President about 20 years later he recognized these people on the campaign trail and reconnected with them. Of course there was no one in his early life that he felt closer to than his mother and his brother. His biological father had died before he was born.

Obviously he is a very bright guy who made it into Yale Law School and yet could skip some of classes in his freshman year so he could take on local responsibilities as part of the Democratic Party presidential campaign of that time

Clinton’s determination and ambition were demonstrated early in his political career. He rose quickly from Attorney General of Arkansas to Governor but was defeated in his quest for a second term . Hence the “ Come Back Kid “ as he then bounced back and was elected Governor’s for another two terms. The details of who encouraged him, who he emulated and how he conceptualized himself as a political person but yet as a person who really wanted to do things for people is all spelled out in great detail as you go on this journey with him through this book.

Reading this book is also like thumbing through an old family photo album and seeing people you know well as adults, but viewing them as young people just getting started.

His version of his encounter and relationship with Hillary comes across as a good friend who might be telling you about the details of the courtship with his wife. We come to appreciate the decisions that Hillary made to be with Bill and support him, long before she knew he might have such momentous success and the opportunities that would open up for her  We meet George Stephanopoulos as a young untested campaign worker and of course we know how he ultimately became one of Clinton’s  most trusted advisors and now is national network commentator. This story is repeated for so many familiar people.

Some critics have suggested that this book may be a little too long. But the fascination of this young man who grew up to be a two term President is in the details, It is the behind the scenes discussions, strategies, encountering dirty politics around him, the excitement of coming from behind, the election evenings, crisis in the White House and so much more, is what makes this book so valuable.

What also comes across in this book is Clinton’s genuine feelings for the oppressed and his desire to help people who can’t help themselves or those who are treated unfairly. His views of civil rights clearly come form his childhood and early experiences which allowed him to appreciate the prejudices which so many blacks in his southern rural area were experiencing and which he saw as wrong. As President, when he developed programs which were going to help downtrodden people, he was constantly relating them to people he knew and could name. This was quite consistent and very impressive.

Clinton’s early propensity for making and keeping friends is a recurrent theme throughout the book. Perhaps because he genuinely made good connections with people, he didn’t seem to question, as his career progressed, that famous celebrities, titans of industry and leaders of other countries valued his friendship because he was the most famous and powerful person in the world. He seems to take for it granted that the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the leader of the Russia, Princes and Kings were his good friends and that during and after his term in office he and Hillary would have dinner with them as one might be getting together with an old college buddy (which Clinton would also do). A most illustrative example of how he perhaps had a slight blind spot in this regard, is the story of Barbra Streisand and his mother. His mother was a great fan of this iconic singer. Therefore during the campaign, Clinton was thrilled when he could introduce his mother to Streisand. He then goes on to say they got along very well, became “very good friends” and they spoke weekly on the phone for many years??

Clinton knew if he were going to write a meaningful autobiography he was going to have to write about his sexual lapses, his impeachment and how he avoided having to step down as President. He acknowledged making a great mistake in his interactions with Monica Lewinski, a White House intern, and how he tried to avoid publicly acknowledging it. He related some of the details how he dealt this his wife and daughter in the face of this great humiliation. He shared how he was forced to sleep on the couch as Hillary came to grips with what he had done. However he goes into great detail of how he believes the Special Prosecutor Ken Starr over stepped his bounds and his authorization in trying to bring down the Clintons, first for Whitewater (accusations which were never proved of impropriety related to Hillary’s work with her law firm in Arkansas) and then extending his attacks against Clinton and trying to get information which would allow Congress to remove him from the presidency. He documents in some details what he believes were very unfair and untrue accusations, which were knowingly made by Starr against him, and how people who were his friends were badly treated because they would not misrepresent the truth. This segment of his biography will someday make a great documentary, movie, book, TV program etc.

Clinton had an opportunity to be president during a relative period of prosperity perhaps in part because of his policies. He was able to balance the budget (can you imagine that?) and sign into law quite remarkable legislation impacting our environment, healthcare

and social change. He spells them out and you can feel his passion and how proud he was of these accomplishments. He also recounts in great details what could have been perhaps his greatest accomplishment but yet fell short through no fault of his own. That was peace in the Middle East. He personally worked very hard with both sides and in the end had a solution which the Israelis could accept and many of the Arab nations including many Palestinians thought was fair but for some indefinable reason Arafat was not able to sign. Years later when Arafat wanted to sign on to these same things, the pendulum had past and the opportunity was lost (at least for then) .

The epilogue and any perusal of modern current events will reveal that Clinton has put his energies, his ability to raise money and his brilliance all in the service of humanity as he continues with trying to develop educational opportunities, provide  treatment of AIDS and promote social change throughout the world. .

It is well known that one of the ways to go down in history is to write the history. That certainly is what  a President who writes an autobiography is doing. Time will tell whether Clinton was as great a president. Despite his human foibles he has presented himself and the history of his life as a wonderful model for young Americans who want to make a difference in public service. His energy, sprit and caring for others is also a life lesson which we only hope might be contagious to many of the readers of his book..

My Father’s Paradise: A Son’s Search for His Family’s Past by Ariel Sabar

A journalist who grew up in Los Angeles born to immigrant parents from Kurdistan rethinks his alienation from his father at the time of the birth of his own son and goes on a journey to understand as much as he can about the life of his father. He ultimately travels to modern day Iraq with his father to seek a better insight into the details of his fathers past and the roots of his fascinating culture. We first meet the father who is the same age as I am , as an older man,  who has been a very successful Professor Aramaic Language, an almost extinct language from an almost extinct culture, at UCLA. The story than goes back to the reconstructed life of the authors great grandfather, a spiritual and scholarly man and the birth of the authors father. We follow the childhood of Yona in the streets of Zalho in northern Iraq through his youth and immigration (perhaps better described as his expulsion)at the time of his Bar Mitzvah, with his family, from their homeland to settle in  Israel. We come to appreciate the poor treatment of the Kurdish Jews even in Israel where they were the low people on the totem pool. We see Yona’s coming of age in Israel and follow his college days where he realizes that the fact that he speaks and reads the dying language of his youth is valued by his professors and becomes his calling ultimately as a teacher and scholar. In pursuit of this interest he travels to the US to study at Yale and ultimately settles in America. The careful documentation of his life by his son not only is a fascinating story in itself but it also is an exquisitely researched history of nearly 4 thousand years of a group of Jews that for much of this time were isolated from the trials and tribulations of  the other peoples of Israel. Sabar utilizes ancient Hebrew writings, the limited number of scholarly texts that exist in the world and then adds the stories passed down through his own family. While his father’s mission in life was to preserve the heritage of his ancestors by teaching, studying and writing about his native language, his son has ultimately complimented his father’s life work by now by writing this book. He brings to this endeavor his journalistic skills and zeal which is now driven by his personal desire to bridge the gap between his father and himself which he established in his youth. This is best illustrated by his obsession to understand the fate and meet if possible his father’s older sister who shortly after her birth  was given by his mother  to a nearby  tribal women to nurse since her own milk had dried up. They never saw the women or this child again although her mother never got over this loss. The author feels if he could somehow find her he will not only achieve a journalistic “get”(meaning the ultimate scoop) but he will make up for his rejection of his father for most his life. While the father of the author is the central character, his grandmother, mother and his own wife are characters in the book as also we meet them in their youth and follow their history in relationship to the author. This is a great personal story and a very valuable history book. It also stimulated me to think about my own relationship with my father and my own children.  While our own history was quite different and I certainly did not have the alienation that Sabar described. Many years after his death,  I did have a need to understand and chronicle my father’s story. I ultimately put together a very small book of pictures with stories which I could gather from others . In a small way I appreciate the need and passion of Sabar and imagine some day my children will probably feel the same way.

Buy now on Amazon: The Alchemist

I have probably been listening to Jonathan Schwartz play Frank Sinatra and his genre of  music on the radio for more than 30 years originally in New York and now on satellite radio in LA. His intimate understanding of the music ,the song writers and the singers was matched by his warm personal style of chatting with the audience. I guess I felt that he was one of my friends and I spent many  weekend afternoons listening to him. I knew he was a well respected expert in this music, had been a singer himself and that his father was a well known song writer who wrote Dancing in the Dark and some other songs that were part of the American Song Book. Therefore I was very pleased when a dear cousin of mine presented me with this book as a gift. After reading it I feel that I now know  “my friend” much better  and as a psychiatrist I particularly understand  some of the pain suffering that he has gone through in his remarkable life. Growing up he was surrounded by show business stars and has to be one of the few people on earth who can recall as a small child having Judy Garland come into his room and sing him “Over the Rainbow.”    Unfortunately he had to also suffer the death of his mother while he was little kid. He also encountered a step mother who treated him much worst than was the case in the Cinderella story. He shared the sad story of his childhood excursions of sneaking into neighbors homes in Beverly Hills to hid behind  their couches just to listen to their family interactions  He did inherit his father’s musical ability, developed a wonderful ear for music and insight into  the popular music of his early years and the genre which was built upon it.  His desire to play music on the radio was manifested as an early teenager as he rigged up his own radio station when living in Manhattan which could be picked up in his apartment house on many radios. This well written  memoir ( he is also an accomplished writer) is an intimate one in which we learn of his encounters with girls and young women and his hardy drinking. He paints a full rich picture of the nature of many of his difficult relationships with women. He seems to pull few punches as he tells of his flirting with suicide, his psychiatric admission and his time at Betty Ford Hospital. for his alcoholism. While I would not venture a psychiatric diagnosis, I will say that I do believe that the five years or so that he had with his mother and a connection with his father that while certainly rocky and tested at times allowed him  to ultimately develop a warm mature personality. He seems  to be a caring father with a very good relationship with his children. Perhaps the vignette which stands out most in my mind from the book is the story how Frank Sinatra ( certainly a symbolic  father figure to him )  whom he did meet several times, arranged to have  him fired from his radio job because he made  some negative critique of one of his albums. Despite this traumatic event Jonathan Schwartz never faltered in his love for the man and his music. Although we are the same age, I am very grateful that he continues to be on the  radio with no sign of slowing down  and to be “my friend” and companion as I enjoy my favorite music.