I.B. Singer was a genius, but he wouldn't control his sexual drives

The Muses of Isaac Bashevis Singer (2014) is an Israeli documentary written and directed by Shaul Betser and Asaf Galay.

Isaac Bashevis Singer was a brilliant author and Nobel Prize laureate. Singer wrote in his native Yiddish, so his work needed translation. However, contrary to what most people--including me--thought, he himself did the rough translations into English. He then hired "translators," who didn't actually translate, but who "cleaned up" and improved Singer's English translations.

What we learn from this movie is that Singer rarely used the same translator more than once or twice. Each translator was a beautiful young woman, and, apparently, sex with the author was part of the job description. Dozens of young women provided sex for Singer, despite the fact that he was married. His wife surely knew about this, but she chose to look the other way. 

With any celebrity, the question arises about whether to expect them to conform to societal norms. If they don't, do we have a right to reject the celebrity? Was Tiger Woods a worse athlete because he had multiple sexual partners despite being married? Should we care about the private lives of Woods or Singer?

In Singer's case, I think the less of him as a person. However, I believe he was a genius, and the world simply cannot afford to reject his work, which describes a culture that no longer exists. The Eastern European Jewish culture that Singer described was destroyed, and it will never return. Singer was an idol with feet of clay, but he remains an idol to me despite this.

We saw this film at the JCC Hart Theatre in Rochester, as part of the marvelous Rochester International Jewish Film Festival. It will work very well on the small screen.

The biography, or "biopic", is a genre that portrays the life story of a real person, often a notable individual or historical figure. They aim to provide a depiction of the subject's personal history, achievements, challenges, and impact on society.

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The documentary is a form of non-fiction storytelling that aims to present factual information, insights, and perspectives on real-world subjects, events, issues, or people. Documentaries can cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, culture, social issues, nature, biographies, and more.

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Many books, biographies and articles have been written about the life and work of Isaac Bashevis Singer. An exclusive discovery of the filmmakers brings to light a hitherto unknown chapter of his life. In the mid 1960's Bashevis Singer established an army of female translators - more than forty women - who helped spread his work. He chose his translators carefully, was inspired by their presence, often falling in love with them. Nine of the women who were intimately familiar with the man and work are still here. Theirs will be the only voices heard in the film, as they allow us a glimpse into his complex personality and personal life.

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The Muses of Bashevis Singer

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