Our brother-in-law, Marshall Goldman, may be known as a scholar, but we always think first of his humor! This Friday, May 16, 7 PM, you'll have a chance to hear him in person at Schwartz  Bookshops, 4093 N Oakland Avenue in Shorewood.

Here's an excerpt from Marvin Kalb's review of Marshall's latest book, “Petrostate: Putin, Power, and the New Russia”: "This may be Goldman's best book, and that's saying a lot. Focusing on Putin's Russia with a scholar's commitment to deep and meaningful research and a reporter's eye for detail and color, Goldman has explained why and how Russia has again emerged as a global power.." --Marvin Kalb, former Moscow bureau chief for CBS News.

I asked Marshall to send me something about his book to forward to our list, and here it is: Less than a decade ago,  Russia was effectively bankrupt.  Its banks were closed and its debt worthless.  Then in August 1999 Putin was appointed prime minister.  Now Russia has the world's third largest holding of reserves, its banks are profitable and its GDP has doubled.  No wonder the Russian people credit Putin with this turnaround.  Would Russia be any different today if someone else had been appointed instead?  The answer is yes and no.   Because Russia today is the world's largest producer of petroleum, no matter who would have been appointed prime minister, Russia today would be prosperous.  But Putin did make a difference. In what way?  What are the implications of all this for the European Union and the US and what difference will it make now that Medvedev is the new president?

Hope to see you Friday!
 

I feel as if our kids grew up in an art warehouse, walls covered with, and racks filled with, paintings and drawings, sculpture on every table and shelf, and yet all five of us were producing more. And I'm thankful the tradition continues, with spouses and grandchildren thrown into the mix. Recently Eli has been on a painting roll. You might sense from his work that he once owned a bar (in Taipei) and that he has a long-standing relationship with pool halls, as he takes the inhabitants of the night and brings them back to life in his unique style. You can also sense that painting is a natural part of his being. From March 8 to May 30, he has a show at Gallery H2O, 221 N. Water St., Milwaukee. The hours are a little unusual, Mon-Fri, 7:30 AM-4:00 PM, but he'll have a reception on Gallery Night, Friday, April 18th, 6 PM-10 PM, and the gallery will also be open Saturday, April 19th, 11 AM-2 PM. You can see some of his work on his home page.
 

Beginning on Gallery Night, October 19th, our son Eli's vibrant, richly textured paintings will be on exhibit in the North Room of Rosenblatt Gallery. Unlike his parents, Adolph and me, who work directly from life, Eli creates his own dream world triggered by the many places he's traveled and the characters he's met there. And suddenly you are there with him, in that playful, brilliantly-colored world of strong-faced men and women stealing glances at each other, or puffing on cigarettes, or waiting. You can see some of his work on his website and on YouTube,

Adolph's environmental sculptures and my oceanscapes and dancers are also on view in the gallery.
Rosenblatt Gallery, 181 N Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward, is located above Artasia Gallery and Museum. Gallery night and day hours, Friday, Oct 19, and Saturday, Oct 20: 10am to 11pm