Author Archives: Richard Jeffrey Newman

A PSA About Male Survivors of Sexual Trauma from 1in6

I think it speaks for itself. 1in6 is an organization worth knowing about in this regard. So is MaleSurvivor.

Posted in Rape, intimate violence, & related issues, sexual assault | Comments Off  

A Blood Libel Against Muslims? It’s Not as Far Fetched as You Might Think

The blood libel, the myth that Jews ritually sacrifice and use the blood of Christian children as part of our religious practice, has been one of the most consistent tropes of antisemitism since the earliest known accusation was lodged in … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-Semitism, Islamaphobia | Comments Off  

Rachelle Escamilla’s Interview with Me On “Out of Our Minds” on KKUP Cupertino | San Jose

I had the pleasure last week of spending an hour talking with Rachelle Escamilla, who interviewed me for her poetry radio show, “Out of Our Minds.” We talked about many things, including the politics of the canon, of race in … Continue reading

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The Music I’d Like to Put Back Into My Life

When I was in grade school, my grandmother taught me how to play the C major scale, bass and treble clef, on the Steinway upright piano she had in her apartment. From that moment on, I wanted to be a … Continue reading

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“Words for What Those Men Have Done” – It’s Official and It’s a Launch!

I cannot tell you how excited I am that Words for What Those Men Have Done, my second full-length collection of poetry, is officially in the world. And I am equally excited to announce the New York City book launch, … Continue reading

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Some Thoughts About Harvey Weinstein and What He Represents

I met my Harvey Weinstein when I was around 13 years old. He was the head waiter at the catering hall where I worked, and he spent the next three or four years groping and fondling me as often and … Continue reading

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Trying to Write After Charlottesville

(The beginning of this post has been edited, twice, because I accidentally posted, and then sloppily edited the first time, the wrong draft.) I’ve been trying to write something in response to Charlottesville for the past two weeks, but I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in anti-racism, Anti-Semitism, Bigotry & Prejudice, Race, racism and related issues | Comments Off  

from “The Lines That Antisemitism and Racism Draw”

Today is Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath of Consolation. Last year at this time, I was on a family vacation in Europe, sitting in our host’s dining room in Sweden, early in the morning while everyone else was still asleep, and … Continue reading

Posted in anti-racism, Anti-Semitism, Jews and Judaism, Race, racism and related issues | Comments Off  

Anatomy of a Book Cover

Not too long ago, I received from my publisher, Guernica Editions, the final proof of the cover of my new book of poems, Words For What Those Men Have Done and I am really happy with it. The design, of course, is … Continue reading

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A Couple of Education-Related Union Blog Posts People on Alas Might Be Interested In

In September, I start my first full term as Secretary of my faculty union. One of my responsibilities is to write and manage the union blog, which has been very interesting, both because I have been given more or less … Continue reading

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