JewishJournal Q&A with Handler & Snicket
Apr 3, 2015 3:30:53 GMT -5
Hermes, Cafe SalMONAlla, and 2 more like this
Post by Dante on Apr 3, 2015 3:30:53 GMT -5
No new information, but a rare double appearance from both the author and his doppelganger.
(Well, strictly speaking the interview does claim that ?4 will be out on September 1st, but that's pretty much a month earlier than present information indicates, so let's wait for official word. Maybe during Passover, given the title?)
www.jewishjournal.com/passover/article/no_such_thing_as_a_bad_question_q_and_a_with_lemony_snicket
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No such thing as a bad question?: Q-and-A with Lemony Snicket
Author Daniel Handler is the creator of the wildly popular books by Lemony Snicket (Handler’s pen name), best known for “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” His recent four-volume series, “All the Wrong Questions,” will culminate with the Sept. 1 release of the final volume, “Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?” The book takes its name from one of the Passover seder’s Four Questions, traditionally asked by the youngest person at the ceremonial table — exactly the age of a child who might read Lemony Snicket’s works. For Passover, Handler agreed to a rare interview — along with Lemony Snicket — with the Jewish Journal, conducted via email .
Jewish Journal: Why is this night different from all other nights?
Daniel Handler: Usually Mr. Snicket and I are interviewed separately.
Lemony Snicket: Yes, it is a pleasant change to be in the same room.
JJ: Why does this ritual revolve around asking questions? Isn’t religion supposed to have all the answers?
DH: Jews traditionally answer a question with a question, don’t they? This may, in fact, be the organizing tenet of the Jewish religion. Isn’t it, Snicket?
LS: Of course, and furthermore, a ritual is simply a certain way of asking a question. The question is often, “Why are we doing this?”
JJ: We say, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” But we don’t really mean that, do we?
DH: Of course we do, although they shouldn’t necessarily come and eat all at the same place.
LS: Each year, I happily donate my portion of gefilte fish to anyone who needs it.
JJ: It’s been 2,000 years since we were slaves — why bother about that now?
DH: Literature and friendship have been around for thousands of years. Why bother with that?
LS: We bother with stories of slavery and liberation for the same reason we bother with a sink of dirty dishes. Who knows what will happen if we let it fester?
DH: It’s your turn to wash them, Mr. Snicket.
LS: Very true. Please excuse me.
JJ: Anyway, there are no more slaves right? Didn’t Lincoln free them?
DH: Lincoln did not free the slaves; he proclaimed they were free. We must go on proclaiming freedom until it is as agreed upon as it is obvious.
JJ: We did Passover last year. Same story, same food. Why do it all over again?
DH: As with stories of liberation, a good Passover menu varies slightly over time.
JJ: Isn’t it true that if no one bothers to ask a question, we’d get to eat sooner?
DH: I time my brisket specifically according to the haggadah, so if we skipped anything, we’d all just have to wait silently.
JJ: Why are just sons asking questions? Why not four daughters?
DH: My haggadah has “children” instead of sons.
LS: I contributed to a haggadah listing the four types of parents. Everyone ought to ask questions all the time, such as, “If it was my turn to wash the dishes, isn’t it your turn to dry them?”
DH: But of course. Please excuse me.
JJ: If Pharaoh was the bad guy, why did all the Egyptians have to suffer the plagues? It’s not like they voted for him.
LS: My research indicates that “pharaoh” is not a term used in democracy.
JJ: Is it wrong to feel bad for the drowned Egyptians?
LS: Wrong? It is essential. One feels sorry for anyone immersed too long in water, be they Israelite, Egyptian or casserole dish.
JJ: Did the Exodus really happen? If there’s no proof the Exodus happened, why do we bother celebrating a myth?
LS: A myth is a kind of truth: A story of a tribulation and a difficult journey, resulting in liberation and delight, is always worth celebrating, regardless of the circumstances.
DH: The dishes are washed and dried! Hurrah!
JJ: Do you really think Elijah will come? And what about all that wine he has to drink at every house?
DH: Why are you worried about Elijah’s alcohol intake? He’s not driving.
LS: Prophets are the only guests permitted to show up very late, full of wine.
JJ: Do you like gefilte fish? How about matzah meal sponge cake?
DH: In my household, we occasionally substitute a ceviche for gefilte fish.
LS: Matzah meal sponge cake? Our people have suffered enough. Floating Island is an elegant, Passover-friendly dessert.
JJ: What was Passover like for you as a child?
DH: Delicious and invigorating, like childhood.
LS: Too long and very tiring, like childhood.
JJ: Why name a book you hope to sell to billions of people after a holiday practice celebrated by just 13 million people? What’s universal about Passover?
DH: I don’t know what book you mean.
LS: “Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?” the final volume in “All the Wrong Questions,” has an intended audience of colleagues dedicated to noble, literary and perhaps stylish triumph over the suffering endemic to our broken and difficult world. Sadly, this is not a universally held position, but one can hope.
JJ: Should a brilliant and creative writer write his own custom haggadah or use the standard one?
LS: One tries to invite brilliant and creative people to seder, but sometimes they bring their spouses. In any case, the Passover story should be discussed all night, as is tradition, by whomever has gathered around the table.
DH: Amen. Hey, why is Elijah’s cup empty?
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(Well, strictly speaking the interview does claim that ?4 will be out on September 1st, but that's pretty much a month earlier than present information indicates, so let's wait for official word. Maybe during Passover, given the title?)
www.jewishjournal.com/passover/article/no_such_thing_as_a_bad_question_q_and_a_with_lemony_snicket
---
No such thing as a bad question?: Q-and-A with Lemony Snicket
Author Daniel Handler is the creator of the wildly popular books by Lemony Snicket (Handler’s pen name), best known for “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” His recent four-volume series, “All the Wrong Questions,” will culminate with the Sept. 1 release of the final volume, “Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?” The book takes its name from one of the Passover seder’s Four Questions, traditionally asked by the youngest person at the ceremonial table — exactly the age of a child who might read Lemony Snicket’s works. For Passover, Handler agreed to a rare interview — along with Lemony Snicket — with the Jewish Journal, conducted via email .
Jewish Journal: Why is this night different from all other nights?
Daniel Handler: Usually Mr. Snicket and I are interviewed separately.
Lemony Snicket: Yes, it is a pleasant change to be in the same room.
JJ: Why does this ritual revolve around asking questions? Isn’t religion supposed to have all the answers?
DH: Jews traditionally answer a question with a question, don’t they? This may, in fact, be the organizing tenet of the Jewish religion. Isn’t it, Snicket?
LS: Of course, and furthermore, a ritual is simply a certain way of asking a question. The question is often, “Why are we doing this?”
JJ: We say, “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” But we don’t really mean that, do we?
DH: Of course we do, although they shouldn’t necessarily come and eat all at the same place.
LS: Each year, I happily donate my portion of gefilte fish to anyone who needs it.
JJ: It’s been 2,000 years since we were slaves — why bother about that now?
DH: Literature and friendship have been around for thousands of years. Why bother with that?
LS: We bother with stories of slavery and liberation for the same reason we bother with a sink of dirty dishes. Who knows what will happen if we let it fester?
DH: It’s your turn to wash them, Mr. Snicket.
LS: Very true. Please excuse me.
JJ: Anyway, there are no more slaves right? Didn’t Lincoln free them?
DH: Lincoln did not free the slaves; he proclaimed they were free. We must go on proclaiming freedom until it is as agreed upon as it is obvious.
JJ: We did Passover last year. Same story, same food. Why do it all over again?
DH: As with stories of liberation, a good Passover menu varies slightly over time.
JJ: Isn’t it true that if no one bothers to ask a question, we’d get to eat sooner?
DH: I time my brisket specifically according to the haggadah, so if we skipped anything, we’d all just have to wait silently.
JJ: Why are just sons asking questions? Why not four daughters?
DH: My haggadah has “children” instead of sons.
LS: I contributed to a haggadah listing the four types of parents. Everyone ought to ask questions all the time, such as, “If it was my turn to wash the dishes, isn’t it your turn to dry them?”
DH: But of course. Please excuse me.
JJ: If Pharaoh was the bad guy, why did all the Egyptians have to suffer the plagues? It’s not like they voted for him.
LS: My research indicates that “pharaoh” is not a term used in democracy.
JJ: Is it wrong to feel bad for the drowned Egyptians?
LS: Wrong? It is essential. One feels sorry for anyone immersed too long in water, be they Israelite, Egyptian or casserole dish.
JJ: Did the Exodus really happen? If there’s no proof the Exodus happened, why do we bother celebrating a myth?
LS: A myth is a kind of truth: A story of a tribulation and a difficult journey, resulting in liberation and delight, is always worth celebrating, regardless of the circumstances.
DH: The dishes are washed and dried! Hurrah!
JJ: Do you really think Elijah will come? And what about all that wine he has to drink at every house?
DH: Why are you worried about Elijah’s alcohol intake? He’s not driving.
LS: Prophets are the only guests permitted to show up very late, full of wine.
JJ: Do you like gefilte fish? How about matzah meal sponge cake?
DH: In my household, we occasionally substitute a ceviche for gefilte fish.
LS: Matzah meal sponge cake? Our people have suffered enough. Floating Island is an elegant, Passover-friendly dessert.
JJ: What was Passover like for you as a child?
DH: Delicious and invigorating, like childhood.
LS: Too long and very tiring, like childhood.
JJ: Why name a book you hope to sell to billions of people after a holiday practice celebrated by just 13 million people? What’s universal about Passover?
DH: I don’t know what book you mean.
LS: “Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?” the final volume in “All the Wrong Questions,” has an intended audience of colleagues dedicated to noble, literary and perhaps stylish triumph over the suffering endemic to our broken and difficult world. Sadly, this is not a universally held position, but one can hope.
JJ: Should a brilliant and creative writer write his own custom haggadah or use the standard one?
LS: One tries to invite brilliant and creative people to seder, but sometimes they bring their spouses. In any case, the Passover story should be discussed all night, as is tradition, by whomever has gathered around the table.
DH: Amen. Hey, why is Elijah’s cup empty?
---
