Conversations with Chaim Potok

by Daniel Walden (Editor), Chaim Potok

One of America's most popular Jewish writers, Chaim Potok (b. 1929) is the author of such novels as The Chosen (1967), The Promise (1969), The Book of Lights (1981), and Davita's Harp (1985). Each of his novels explores the tension between tradition and modernity, and the clash between Jewish culture and contemporary Western civilization, which he calls "core-to-core culture confrontation."

Although primarily known as a novelist, Potok is an ordained Conservative rabbi and a world-class Judaic scholar who has also published children's books, theological discourses, biographies, and histories.

Conversations with Chaim Potok presents interviews ranging from 1976 to 1999. Potok discusses the broad range of his writing and the deep influence of non-Jewish novels-in particular, Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man-on his work. Interviews bear witness to Potok's many other influences-Orthodox Jewish doctrine, Freudian psychoanalytical theory, Picasso's Guernica, and Jewish kabbalah mysticism.

Though labeled an American Jewish writer, Potok argues that Flannery O'Connor should then be called an American Catholic writer and John Updike an American Protestant writer. "In his mind," editor Daniel Walden writes, "just as Faulkner was a writer focused on a particular place, Oxford, Mississippi, . . . so Potok's territory was a small section of New York City."

Potok often explores conflict in his writings and in his interviews. Strict Jewish teachings deem fiction an artifice and therefore unnecessary, yet since the age of sixteen Potok has been driven to write novels. At the root of all of these conversations is Potok's intense interest in the turmoil between Jewish culture, religion, and tradition and what he calls "Western secular humanism."

As he discusses his work, he continually includes broader issues, such as the state of Jewish literature and art, pointing out with pride and enthusiasm his belief that Jewish culture, in the twentieth century, has finally begun to have a significant role in producing and shaping the world's art and literature. Whether discussing the finer details of Talmudic textual analysis or his period of chaplaincy during the Korean War, Potok is articulate and philosophical, bringing deep consideration into what may seem small subjects. Although his novels and histories take place primarily in the recent past, the Chaim Potok that emerges from this collection is a writer deeply rooted in the tensions of the present.

Daniel Walden is Professor Emeritus of American Studies, English and Comparative Literature at Penn State University. He has written or edited several books, including On Being Jewish (1974), Twentieth Century American Jewish Writers (1984), The World of Chaim Potok (1985), and American Jewish Poets: The Roots and the Stems (1990).

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Essays, Jewish

196 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apr 26, 8am ~~ Review asap.

1130am ~~ This is the final title of my Chaim Potok project, made up of eleven volumes of both rereads and new-to-me books. The interviews here are dated from 1976 to the year 2000, and are arranged in chronological order. I was very interested to read Potok's own words, his own interpretations of his novels, his own thoughts about the world.

There was some repetition, of course. Many questions were basically the same in slightly different words but the answers were consistent throughout the years. From the books I knew that Potok was quite an intellectual, and that shows up even more so here. I had to really keep myself in focus to capture or get close to capturing the thoughts being expressed. Not all the time, but often enough that I knew I would have to reread someday to really comprehend various passages.

The very first interview made me a little uncomfortable because the questioner seemed very antagonistic towards Potok and his reasons for writing. I was impressed with how the author handled himself in what the editor of the book cited as one of his earliest interviews. The other interviewers did not come across as crabby as this first one did, and a few were able to ask and discuss questions that went beyond the basic why do you write or what is coming up next.

My favorite was from 1982, conducted by Leonard Rubinstein at the Penn State University. The topic was the treatment of the Kabbalah in Potok's novel The Book Of Lights. These pages felt like a friendly debate about an incredibly deep subject, and helped explain some of the underlying themes of the book. It was a fascinating discussion between two very knowledgeable people and gave me a few ah-ha moments as well.

I had often suspected, even years ago in my first readings of the Potok novels, that his main characters were based upon himself or aspects of himself and in all of these interviews he confirms this. And Davita, the only female protagonist? She was inspired by his wife and some incidents she had experienced in her youth.

Something interesting to me was that while Potok was writing Davita's Harp, he said he connected more with his feminine side and that actually made him uncomfortable at times, being raised in a strict Orthodox patriarchal society. But he said it turned out to be a good experience and he was better able to comprehend women's issues afterwards.

One more thing about Davits. Potok planned to have a trilogy about her. There was supposed to be a novel where she went to Russia. I don't know what happened to that one; the only other book with the character of Davita in it is Old Men At Midnight, which is really three short stories set at different phases of Davita's life, but with the focus more on other people.

In one interview there was a question about how Potok felt about the movie made of his novel The Chosen. In the answer and additional questions that came up from it, I learned that CP had a cameo role in the movie as the Talmud teacher. I watched that movie on YouTube a couple of weeks ago so now of course I have to go back and watch it again to see why I did not recognize him the first time through.

I have rated all of his books 5 stars during this project, but this I originally rated at 4. But as I have been writing here, I have decided to go ahead and upgrade. This will be a special addition to my library and the next time I decide to reread Potok, I will probably skim through this first as a reminder of what to pay attention to as I read the novels.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, so, Chaim Potok was a genius, and this collection of interviews shows just how much deeper his books are than his critics give him credit for. His absolute commitment to his writing ("An artist always chooses for his art.") inspires and humbles me, and I wish my worldview and sense of self had half the coherence that his did.

The interviews get fairly repetitive. This is in part because Potok was so focused--modern media gurus might say he was always "on message" but in part because apparently interviewers couldn't think of anything new to ask him until he was very, very old.

I would have liked a quick description of the media outlets that published these interviews. I think a couple interviews were with Christian publications, which would have been useful to know going in.

[julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, I've learned that I'm quite Jewish in my beliefs, faith, and actions. It figures since Christianity came from Jewish beliefs.

[Pat Loughery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of interviews with Potok spans a couple of decades. They provide a good amount of insight into the author's intent in many of his books. I was impressed by Potok's own self-understanding and analysis of the themes of his work.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extensive collection of interviews with Chaim Potok that included more than I was able to access through my school’s databases.