T-1: Israel

Medical mysteries, book/doc recs, buy a girl a shawarma

Good Sunday morning from Chinatown, NYC, where I have just learned the silliest of tweets sometimes gain traction, or at least make people laugh while having their first cup of coffee. I read the “won-and-done” in “Swamp Boy, Medical Mystery.” Gosh I cannot recommend it highly enough, the visuals, the storytelling, the agony, the cat! At the risk of you not reading it, though you really should, it’s important not simply as great journalism but as to when and why to trust/not trust medical diagnoses, here is a video of author Kris Newby discussing the case:

I am thinking of grabbing either Newby’s book, Bitten, or one Spillover, by David Quammen, also about animal infections breaking through to humans, something we all have had at least a passing familiarity with these past few years - the new Vanity Fair/ProPublica piece on the possible lab origins of COVID-19 is well worth your time - but in truth I have a soft spot for medical mysteries. Two favorites: The Family That Couldn’t Sleep by D.T. Max, and Nine Pints, by Rose George. (And listen! While you’re over on Amazon, my book, To the Bridge, A True Story of Motherhood and Murder, is a featured Kindle Buy for $2.49 (or free with Unlimited) for all of November.)

But I am not getting you here under false pretenses, I am in fact getting on a plane tomorrow for Israel. I am not sure how liberally I should explain why and how - I am sure these will unfold in the coming weeks, patience patience - but I will say, I will be with a bunch of other journalists, we will be going many places and meeting many people, and I figure, because I know about as much about Israel as the average American (read: not very much) I would both crash-course myself, as well as bring you, maybe daily, entries while I am there.

One book that came highly recommended, 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War, by Benny Morris, has proven elusive to find, at least before I take off. Another Israel participant and I will be scooting around the city today looking for a hard copy. Author Morris did appear in Above and Beyond, which I started last night and finished this morning - why didn’t anyone tell me how enjoyable it is to watch a movie in bed pre-dawn? - and which I cannot recommend highly enough.

I also watched, two nights ago, the documentary Long Way Home.

I am not an ignoramus when it comes to the history of WWII, one of the reasons, perhaps, I had a hard time sticking with Ken Burns’ new documentary on the Holocaust, which I did not see as turning over new leaves, or not in new ways. (A investigative journalist pal says I might have had troubles with it for other reasons; stay tuned for that.) And yes, I knew Israel was founded as a country in 1948, but many of the particulars I did not know, such as that the British far from covered themselves in glory when it came to allowing refugees into what would soon become Israel. The perseverance of people to found a homeland, to save their own lives, to repopulate, is overwhelming. Let’s just say I cried more than once.

I’ve also dug into two books. Almost done with Spies of No Country, whose author, Matti Friedman, I hope to meet for a drink while in Jerusalem, and Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth, by Noa Tishby, which my friend (and Tel Aviv native) Yael Bar Tur left on my bookshelves and which is a breezy read.

Our itinerary in-country is somewhat set, but we are going to have to eat and drink and see and meet so I invite you to post your recommendations here. I pledge to try to be a good correspondent and post daily.

Do you want to buy me a shawarma? There are ways! xx