16 Friday, November 30, 1984 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS PROFILE I.B. Singer Continued from preceding page 14 HT GOLD and ammo EARRINGS 120 W. Maple • Birmingham, MI • 644-1651 MON.-FRI. 10am-9pm SAT. 10am-5:30pm SUN. 12 -5pm BORENSTEINS YOUR HANUKA STORE AND A WHOLE LOT MORE light Hanuka candles before Sabbath candles Gifts For The Whole Family • • • • • • • Dreidels Decorations Gift Wrapping , Streamers Greeting Cards Menorahs Candles FOR YOUR HANUKA PARTY • • • • • • Paper Goods Tablecloths Napkins Plates Cups Cookie Cutters FOR THE KIDS • • • • • Records Books Toys Games Chocolate Gelt WE HAVE ISRAELI AND DOMESTIC KOSHER WINES, CHAMPAGNE AND ASTI SPUMANTE FOR GIFT GIVING FOR THE ADULTS • • • • • Giftware from Israel Candlesticks Records & Tapes Books • 14 Kt. Gold Jewelry We now carry Kedem Menorah Decanters CHECK OUT OUR CASE PRICES AND SAVE! We also have a large supply of Jewish Computer Software in stock BORENSTEIN'S Your Jewish Supply House 25242 Greenfield N. of 10 Mi. in Greenfield Ctr. 967-3020 Open Mon.-Fri. 9:30-5 and all day Sunday the things I would like to say might not interest the very young or they might not understand," he said. Yet, Singer does remember talking to a group of psychiat- rists at the Menninger Clinic. He then spoke to several chil- dren being treated at the clinic. "They asked me the same questions as the doc- tors," Singer said. "Children understand things. The ideas of Spinoza, of Kant, of Schopenhauer, of the great philosophers you will find in a child of ten. They think the same things. They think about infinity. They think about the problems of eternity." More than 59 of Singer's books are in print. About a third of these are for children. He seems to share the inno- cence, the wholesome naivete of children. In 1978, there was a dinner for Singer and other Nobel laureates on the eve- ning that the Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm. Singer told of his reasons for writing in Yiddish. "First," he said, "I like to write ghost stories and noth- ing fits a ghost better than a dying language. The deader the language, the more alive the ghost." Singer's belief in resurrec- tion had also convinced him to write in Yiddish. Without his efforts (and those of the very few other Yiddish writers to- day), there wouldn't be much of an answer for the "millions of Yiddish-speaking corpses [who] will rise from their graves one day" asking their first question: Is there any new Yiddish book to read?" And, said Singer, he writes in Yiddish because it is the only language I really know well." Singer also listed his rea- sons for writing for children. He enjoys, he said, the purity, the openness which children bring to books. They have no use for psychology," he said. They detest sociology. They don't try to understand Kafka or Finnegan's Wake. They still believe in God, the family, angels, devils, and witches. They love interesting stories, not commentary guides or footnotes. When a book is bor- ing, they yawn openly without shame or fear of authority. They don't expect their be- loved writer to redeem hu- manity. Young as they are, they know it is not in his power. Only adults have such childish delusions." The adults the night of the Presidential debate asked Singer autographed a copy of one of his books, following an appearance on a lecture series program. Singer to explicate, to elabo- rate, to annotate. "What new perspectives," asked the first questioner, "did your writing give the world?" "You don't expect me to stand here and praise my work," replied Singer. "Litera- ture is made to entertain people, not to change the world." No one asked about the meaning, the import, the pro- per interpretation of Singer's stories the next morning when he appeared before the high school students. There were no Ph.D.s in the audience, no neophyte philosophers. Singer was more in his ele- ment there. He knew it and he quickly let his audience know it. We are living," he said, "in a time of little story telling. Children may save us. Chil- dren are the last readers of stories." Singer read Rachel and Menashe, a short story about two blind children.. The 9-year-old sitting next to me, Rachel Miller, had a copy of the book in which the story appears. We read it silently together as Singer read it into a troublesome microphone. When he finished, Rachel turned to me and whispered, "He's a brilliant person. He writes about what he thinks is