Author Archives: Richard Jeffrey Newman

Tonight, I’ve Been Thinking About Sex

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

I am trying to remember the first time I understood, really understood, that sex was nothing but touch, that I wanted the sex I had to be about finding ways to touch people that would leave them feeling fully and … Continue reading →

Posted in Sex | 4 Comments  

Farid al-Din Attar Translation in Progress: “Do The Latter”

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

I find the politics of this poem fascinating. For Attar to show this much respect for a religious tradition he describes in such barbaric terms, suggests a willingness to grant a certain level of validity to other beliefs that I … Continue reading →

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Attar in Progress: “This Tale Applies to You”

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

This is a story that has been told in several different versions. Here is my first pass at Attar’s take on it in Elahi Nameh. Izrail is the name of the Angel of Death: I’ve heard that one day Izrail,
 … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | 4 Comments  

Review of “No Ocean Here,” by Sweta Srivastava Vikram

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

Let’s get the obvious, by which I do not mean inconsequential, out of the way first. When a writer chooses to use her art to give voice to those who might otherwise be voiceless, that choice deserves to be recognized … Continue reading →

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Questioning the Mission of College: Frank Bruni’s Column in Today’s Times is Worth Reading

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

I think the piece pretty much speaks for itself, but here are a couple of paragraphs that stood out for me: How practical versus idealistic should the approach to college be? I’m somewhat torn, and past columns have reflected that. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education | 40 Comments  

Because Men Only Understand Cliches

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

That’s the title and the title poem of my second book of poetry, on which I have just put the finishing touches and which I will, over the next couple weeks, start shopping around to publishers. LIke last time–which was … Continue reading →

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Farid al-Din Attar: A Reading Journal 4

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

When I was a teenager and thought I wanted to be a rabbi, I took great comfort in the fact that the god of the Jewish people did not have a body. It was, of course, confusing to me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | 1 Comment  

A Poem for Leaving Patriarchal Male Heterosexuality Behind

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

I’ve been reading and thoroughly enjoying a poet too few people read these days, J. V. Cunningham. One day, I will write about why I think he’s worth reading and learning from, even though the kind of poetry he wrote … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender and the Body, Men and masculinity | Leave a comment  

When Families Destroy Themselves From The Inside

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

On Tuesday of last week, I helped move my mother to her new house in New Jersey. This means that I am the last member of my family left in New York, and if you had told me fifteen years … Continue reading →

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What I’ve Been Reading About Iran

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Richard Jeffrey Newman

Iran’s Web Censors vs. Google Reader: In the wake of Google’s announcement that it’s going to kill Reader, a fascinating article about the role Reader played in helping Iranians circumvent government censors. Pahlavi Iran and Zionism: An Intellectual Elite’s Short-Lived … Continue reading →

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