My little monologue.

A couple months ago, as the culmination of my Art/Lab fellowship, I wrote, memorized, and performed a monologue about my Jewishness in this moment. It's about being a first-generation child of immigrants who fled antisemitism in the USSR and came to this country riding waves of fear. It's about the things we pass down to each other. It's about the fear I live with every day. And it's about how October 7th and the devastation of Gaza are living in my body right now. Most of all it's a story about how much I miss my mom.

I reprised this monologue again at a reading recently, at my favorite teahouse here in Portland, and my partner snagged a recording of the audio. I've been nervous to share this because it feels vulnerable and because it speaks in part to Israel and Palestine. But I recently relistened to the audio and I think what I've written and said feels true to my experience in this moment, and I really do want to share it more widely.

You can listen to it at this link.

And if you do, I am open to hearing whatever you think about it!

Until then,

I remain,

Daniel