16 Comments
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Tutti Bennett's avatar

I pushed the “like” button umpteen times, because I don’t “like”, I LOVE ❤️

(I wasn’t allowed out on Friday night either and our family of 4 were the only Jews in our (country) town of 30,000).

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Born in Brooklyn's avatar

Your choice of song is great, as is your taste in music. I'm glad you have decided to do a 30 day hasbara fast. Sometimes a thing gains more impact when it's more rare. Further, you prove that unlike those musicians who use the popularity of antisemitism as a tool to promote themselves, you do what you do despite the popularity of hasbara on the part of a large number of your followers. You prove to your haters that, despite being shut out due to your "jewishness", that you can still do the job better than anyone. That's what's at the center of being the "chosen people". Despite what we are accused of, making everything about our suffering, we soldier on, while other wallow in their misery. I'm a successful software engineer. I don't need to use my identity to elevate myself. I just do a great job. As do you!

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kathy's avatar

Fantastic article.

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Terry Quist's avatar

Every single rose earned from the heart of the artist.

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Mike's avatar

24 minutes! When I was deeper in the rock-writing game, my worst fear was always being assigned an interview spot on “press days.” I’d get like 20 minutes, and Inevitably the artist would be exhausted and tired of answering the same questions over and over. I learned to lead off the most important questions and save the light banter for later.

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Erin Gray's avatar

I don’t remember the year but I remember the sound of it. Alicia Keys, India.Arie and Jill Scott. What a year that was. Thank you for this essay.

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Hopa La's avatar

Alicia posted on her instagram right after October 7 expressing her desire to paraglide. Not sure how “completely unrelated to the Israel-Hamas war” this post was and I am glad she deleted it but… what a funny coincidence.

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MQ's avatar

But

The illusion of Bliss was the idea that antisemitism died with the Holocaust Eve

When, of course, we now know it continued out there all along.

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Suzanne Reny's avatar

Wow, Eve! Loving this series of articles about music. That was quite the accolade from Alicia Keys. I hope she still feels the sane (sic, a spell check error that works) way about your brilliant writing.

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Kelly Judge Goldberg's avatar

Amen. We are, each of us, at any and every turn from illusion, a phoenix rising. Thank you, as always, Eve.

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Csb's avatar

Do you think Alicia Keys understands your pain the way you understood and understand her’s?

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Eve Barlow's avatar

It doesn’t matter. The art is to be received. Human error is to expect reciprocity from artists who give themselves to performance. We’re not the same.

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Csb's avatar

I hope you do not under-estimate yourself. I hope i misunderstand your reply. You are an artist. I have been admiring your work as a reader. And i am grateful for it. Your writing comes from your soul. When I read this piece, I see someone writing about seeing the raw power of Alicia Keys’ soul and the expression of the artist’s journey. I often feel that way about your writing. Thank you for sharing and baring your soul. It takes couragr.

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Akiva DeJack's avatar

Just, wow

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Alison Bull's avatar

Great article.

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Johanna Schoss's avatar

Really nice piece. Thanks Eve

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