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For an animated intro: www.vidlit.com/yidlit
From Publishers Weekly
YIDDISH WITH DICK AND JANE: The New Basic Parody
Ellis Weiner and Barbara Davilman, illus. by Gabi Payn. Little, Brown,
$14.95 (112p) ISBN 0316159727
Dick and Jane are all grown up, and they’re living in the real world--and
it’s full of tsuris (troubles). That’s the premise of this hilarious
little book, which functions both as a humorous tale and a genuine guide
to a language with a sentiment and world view all its own. Jane is married
to Bob and has two perfect children. Dick schmoozes with business people
over golf: "Schmooze, Dick. Schmooze...." Their sister, Sally, who teaches
a course in "Transgressive Feminist Ceramics," can see that life is not
perfect, even though dear Dick and Jane cannot. Their mother has a stroke
("Oy vey, Jane," says Dick when he learns the news). Bob’s best friend’s
wife is having an affair because the best friend himself is gay ("‘Tom
is more than gay, Sally,’ says Dick. ‘He is overjoyed.’... ‘Oy Gotenyu
[oh, God help us],’ sighs Sally.") And purse dealers take advantage of
the gullible. The brief story is priceless, but the equally funny glossary
is a great reference to which readers can return any time they need the
right Yiddish word--or whenever they need to determine whether the jerk
they just saw is a putz, a schmo or a schmuck. (Sept.)
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