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From 1975 | A Classical Rebirth

JL;DR SUMMARY In this reflective piece of fiction, originally published in 1975, David Stern explores the internal conflict of Leo Kastnerr, a Columbia University professor of Greek, as he navigates his love for classical Greece and his Jewish identity. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish IdentityOrthodox JudaismColumbia UniversityHeritageRoutineInternal ConflictGreek PhilosophyDavid Stern1975 FictionClassicism

Places mentioned

Columbia University, New York, United States
"Kastnerr, a professor of Greek at Columbia University, had been mugged the night before; however, he had entirely forgotten the incident by the time he awakened the following morning."
Riverside Drive, New York, United States
"slammed the door behind him, walked out through the front lobby to Riverside Drive, and then down Riverside, against the wind, to 116th Street."
Paris, France
"From Germany, he had gone to France, and in Paris, all manner of strange and wonderful things had happened to the young classicist."
Faubourg Rue St. Honore, Paris, France
"Stepping off the train, which had carried him there from Hamburg on a Saturday afternoon at three, he lit up a cigarette and strolled down the Faubourg Rue St. Honore until he met a young, saucy redhead named Ariane whom he accompanied to a tiny hotel where the two fornicated the remainder of the Sabbath afternoon."
Istanbul, Turkey
"Liquor and hashish, even an attempt at opium smoking. There were endless diversions in Istanbul."
Hamburg, Germany
"From Germany, he had gone to France, and in Paris, all manner of strange and wonderful things had happened to the young classicist."
Times Square, New York, United States
"The classicist got off the subway at 42nd Street and walked upstairs to Times Square."

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Retrieved 2025-06-25 05:31:14 UTC
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