9 Comments

Thanks, Jay.

I love travel, in person or in my imagination.

Ironically, our new passports arrived yesterday in preparation for our travel to Ukraine next spring. To see and imagine how Cindy's grandparents lived in Odessa, UA. We might travel to neighboring countries.

Perfect timing.

Thanks, again!!

Dean

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Dean, nice to learn of Cindy's connection. That will be some special trip for her - and you. Julia and I visited Ukraine in 2005, flying into Kiev and then driving 5 hours southwest to the shtetl where my father was raised. I can't post photos here in comments, but if you and Cindy are interested, here's a link to some at Julia's website, from Kieve and Kaminets Podolski, a medieval city about 10 miles from the shtetl. https://juliadean.com/home/the-world-in-black-and-white?itemId=5qd13buk61lovfar33ujm4yzxjwgd5

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Thanks, Jay!

Wow! Cool photos.

Cindy has photos of her grandmother in America but none of her life in Odessa.

We hope to be able to visit for a few months next spring

Dean

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Jay, not only do I love this post, the fab quotes interspersed--but I was a deep reader of DoubleTake magazine and I interviewed everyone, including Robert Coles and David Parker. In the recent past, you might like what I did here, assuming we share a particular political stance—and I rarely, if ever, write on politics: https://marytabor.substack.com/p/time-for-the-united-states-to-do At the time, I couldn't help but speak out. Anyway, great post! ~M

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I absolutely love that post, Mary. I'll be restacking. The mutual connection to DoubleTake is a wonder. We were, as you said, so meant to connect. You were right, too, when you wrote that the magazine ceased publication in 2005. It got renewed life in a merger with Points of Entry magazine and persisted an additional 2 years, until our issue. We were long admirers of Coles so were especially gratified when the managing editor told us how much Coles liked our essay. And again your Double-take post on Jan. 6 has everything in it -- including Seamus Heaney!

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TY for the restack, Jay. I must now add that I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles and drove--I was not the driver, btw-- Route 66 to get to LA where I now live. Was in Hyde Park for a few years, trying not to run over all those Nobel Laureates :); Hyde Park joke, sorta ...

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Now, this is really getting spooky. I got the impression from somewhere in your writing that you lived in D.C . . . If I find out you live next door, some weird, high-pitched violin and organ music is going to start playing.

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You're correct about D.C. Long time there. Now live in La La Land. Maybe I do live next door ...

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Wonderful article. Though I am not much of a traveler, you make it real and vital and almost a necessity. Thanks, Jay.

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