tragedies lived on in her son, who
recalled scurrying to the head of a
line at an Emerson, Lake and
Palmer concert, because he wanted
to "escape the selection."
"My frame of reference is corn-
pletely different than most other
people's — including fellow Jews,"
said Kaufman. "I can't see a bar of
soap or a water nozzle without
thinking of the Holocaust. And that
language and commonality is shared
by many American children of sur-
vivors.
"The book is about stuff that
marches right past the shlock of
something like Schindler's List and
tells about brutal and scarring events
that happened to real people —
events that will take generations to
heal," he added.
Jew Boy's perspective is unique,
according to its author, because it
shows the friction that ensues when
American culture rubs up against
the Holocaust.
"You have Captain America, the
Green Bay Packers and schoolboy
crushes on one hand," said
Kaufman, slowly rubbing his hands
together, "and the gas chambers on
the other hand."
During the course of the book,
Kaufman evolves from a boy who
got beat up by neighborhood bul-
lies, to a soldier in the Israeli army,
to a homeless alcoholic and, finally,
to an accomplished writer who
found solace and salvation in the
written word.
The book, bleak though it may
be, contains kernels of optimism.
"Being the child of a Holocaust
survivor keeps on driving me
back to the fact I'm Jewish,"
Kaufman said. "I've waited a
long time and mustered up all
my courage to do this, to tell
this story nakedly and truth-
fully.
"My mother wanted to
impress upon me the pain she
experienced, and she succeed-
ed," the author said, adjusting
his glasses.
"Here I am today, with this
book, delivering that mes-
sage."

❑

Alan Kaufman speaks
6:30 p.m. Thursday,
Nov. 9, at the Jewish
Community Center in
West Bloomfield.

P ho to by Steve Kno ll

clePubly, the ales Jinee, (962

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"The book is
about stuff that
marches right
past the shlock
of something
like "Schindler's
List" and tells
about brutal
and scarring
events that
happened to
real people.

).)

— Alan Ka
lif Ian

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11/3
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