Mark Cohen is a writer and speaker specializing in the Jewish American scene, from the novels of Saul Bellow to the pop culture comedy of Allan Sherman. To email Mark, click here.
Advance Praise for New Biography of Billy Rose
Not Bad for Delancey Street: The rise of Billy Rose (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life, 2018).
- Who remembers Broadway Billy: shorthand wizard, impresario, songwriter, columnist, promoter? Mark Cohen’s Billy proves more audacious, kinkier, more full of mystery than your grandfather’s Billy or the Billy you read about in novels. There are endless surprises here from the number of beautiful lyrics we owe the man to unforgettable accounts of his intersection with major historical figures. In the pages of this meticulously researched, probing and affectionate biography, Cohen grants Billy Rose the revival he deserves. -- Janis Freedman Bellow
Previous Books
Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman (Brandeis Series in American Jewish History, Culture and Life, 2013).
- "A superb, absorbing account." -- Prof. Stephen Whitfield, Brandeis U.
- "An entertaining, informative, and ultimately moving story." Prof. Victor L. Cahn, Skidmore College.
- "A remarkably well-researched, passionately written story of quite nearly tragic proportions." -- Eric Alterman, author and The Nation columnist
Missing a Beat: The Rants and Regrets of Seymour Krim (Syracuse University Press, 2010).
- "This collection not only restores to print the heart of Krim's achievement, but balances it out with lesser-known pieces that show his judicious lucidity, side-by-side with his manic melancholy exuberance. And Mark Cohen has done an excellent job of placing Krim in an historical and literary context." — Phillip Lopate, editor, The Art of the Personal Essay
- "An important addition to the study of Sephardic Jews and an essential building block in what I hope is the burgeoning field of Balkan Jewish studies. … Cohen has done an impressive job, and no library - certainly no center of Jewish studies - would be complete without this book."—The Forward
Scholarly Articles
“Cruelty of the Soup Bone: The Chicago Eccentric Behind Saul Bellow’s ‘A Sermon by Doctor Pep.’” ANQ Journal (Spring 2009). Peer reviewed.
“A Recognizable Jewish Type: Saul Bellow’s Dr. Tamkin and Valentine Gersbach as Jewish Social History.” Contemporary Literary Criticism (Cengage Learning, 2013). Reprinted from Modern Judaism (Fall 2007). Peer reviewed.
“Body Language: Spoken vs. Silent Communication in Herzog.” Saul Bellow Journal 20:2 (Fall, 2004). Peer reviewed.
“Disaster and Change in an Ottoman Sephardic Community: Moses Montefiore and the Monastir Fire of 1863.” Journal of Jewish Studies (Spring 2004). Peer reviewed.
“Foreword.” Bitola (Monastir) Holocaust Memorial Book (New York: National Yiddish Book Center, 2004).
“Early Photographs of Albania and Macedonia by Josef Székely.” History of Photography (Summer 2003).
“Monastir: Oasis of Civilization, 1839-63.” Turkish Studies Association Bulletin (Fall 2000). Peer reviewed.
“The Suffering Joker in Jewish Fiction.” Midstream (Aug/Sept 1984).
Journalism
"Is Rick Moranis 'Too Jewish'?" Forward. June 27, 2013.
“The End of the Reign in Spain.” Book review. Forward. Jan. 7, 2011.
“A Profane Reliquary: Saul Bellow’s Life in Letters.” Forward. Nov. 5, 2010.
“Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Hello Grandkids of My Original Fans: The Enduring Appeal of Singer Songwriter Allan Sherman.” Forward. Oct. 22, 2010.
“Mark Cohen on Seymour Krim.” Forward. Sept. 16, 2010. Podcast.
“A Jewish Frankenstein: new film paints Norman Finkelstein as a belated victim of the Warsaw Ghetto.” Forward. April 13, 2010.
“Drawing on Hitler’s Book: New exhibition in San Francisco takes Mein Kampf as starting point for Jewish struggle.” Forward. February 26, 2010.
“It’s a Small World: Albert Kahn’s 100-year-old photography project brought humanity into focus.” Tablet. January 8, 2009.
“Soldier of Misfortune: Did Hyman Minsky’s Jewish Upbringing help him predict the financial crisis?” Nextbook. September 16, 2008.
“Allan Sherman.” In Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records, the first fifty years, by Warren Zanes (San Francisco, 2008).
“Missing A Beat: The Overlooked Jewish Writings of Seymour Krim.” Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture (September 2007).
“Allan Sherman Liner Notes.” My Son, The Box (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2005).
“.Howl.” (A parody of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”) ZYZZYVA (Fall, 2005).
“Allan Sherman: A Different Kind of Jewish Music.” Heritage (Fall 2004).
“Tower of Sephardic Faces.” US Holocaust Museum Website. Photographic exhibit on the Monastir Jews with text from Last Century of a Sephardic Community. Holocaust Museum.
“Jobless Find They Have a Job: Staying Busy.” Contra Costa Times, April 23, 1995.
“United Nations Greeters Extend Welcoming Hand to Diplomats’ Spouses.” Los Angeles Times, July 4, 1993.
“The Arms and the Man.” New York Daily News, June 10, 1993.
“Library Feels World Pulse.” New York Newsday, March 19, 1993.
“Meet’s Best Thing on Menu,” New York Daily News, December 27, 1992.
“New Yorkers Buy Pieces of Their Rock.” Los Angeles Times, December 10, 1992.
Author Talks
Allan Sherman talks
JCC of Binghamton, NY, October 23, 2014.
Ocean County Library, Tom's River, New Jersey, June 5, 2014.
Temple Sinai, Oakland, Calif., June 20, 2014.
Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles. May 19, 2013.
Max and Benny's Deli, Chicago-metro area. May 27, 2013.
Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York. May 29, 2013.
National Capital Radio & Television Museum, June 2, 2013.
Great Neck Public Library, Great Neck, New York. June 4, 2013.
NewBridge on the Charles for Hebrew Senior Life, June 5, 2013.
Brookline Booksmith, Brookline, Mass. June 5, 2013.
Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. June 13, 2013.
Washington DC JCC, October 8, 2013.
Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valley, Nov. 2, 2013.
Merage JCC, Irvine, CA, November 5, 2013.
JCC of Metro Detroit, November 9, 2013.
JCC of Greater Ann Arbor, MI, November 11, 2013.
St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, November 12, 2013.
Jewish Federation of Greater Toledo, November 14, 2013.
Springfield JCC, Springfield, MA, Dec. 4, 2013.
Worcester JCC, Worcester, MA, Dec. 4, 2013.
JCCs of Greater Boston, Dec. 5, 2013.
Haverstraw King's Daughters Public Library, Garnerville, NY, Dec. 8, 2013.
92 Street Y, New York, Dec. 10, 2013.
Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza, Dec. 10, 2013.
Great Neck Public Library, Great Neck, NY, Dec. 11, 2013.
Mid-Manhattan New York Public Library Author Series, Dec. 12, 2013.
National Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia, Dec. 15, 2013.
JCC East Bay, Berkeley, Calif., Dec. 17, 2013.
Temple Isaiah, Lafayette, Calif., January 24, 2014.
St. Paul JCC, St. Paul, Minnesota, January 30, 2014.
Osher Marin JCC, San Raphael, CA, February 9, 2014.
JCC of the Greater Palm Beaches, Florida, March 7, 2014.
Dix Hills Jewish Center, Dix Hills, NY, April 3, 2014.
Main Line Reform Temple, Wynnewood, PA, April 7, 2014.
Austin JCC, Austin, Texas, April 27, 2014.
Praise for Allan Sherman talks by Mark Cohen
"We were so pleased with the program on Sunday. I've received phone calls relaying how much people enjoyed the talk and the way in which you portray Sherman's life and contributions."
Kasia Gondek, Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
"This week I heard nothing but positive comments about last Monday's presentation. It was a major success, and you should feel proud of your efforts."
Richard Reeder, readings coordinator, Max and Benny's Deli, Chicago-metro area.
"Just wanted to say what a pleasure it was having you here last night. I think it was a success by any measure. Best of luck at BEA and with the book. I'll be rooting for it -- and you."
Gabriel Sanders, Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York
"You gave a terrific, informative presentation, and the music, fascinating facts, stories, and insight offered broader take on the Allan Sherman phenomenon and why America went so crazy for 'My Son, The Folk Singer.'"
Jonathan Aubrey, Great Neck Public Library, Great Neck, New York.
"You did a fabulous job presenting the information to a very receptive group of intelligent and sophisticated seniors."
Pamela Markson, NewBridge on the Charles for Hebrew Senior Life, June 5, 2013.
"There are relatively few people who excel at both the solitary tasks of researching and writing and the very social act of presenting that work, and you are one of them."
Howard Freedman, Director, Jewish Community Library, San Francisco.
Other talks
Museum of Jewish Heritage, New York City. August 11, 2010. Seymour Krim book reading.
McNally Jackson bookstore, New York City. August 10, 2010. Seymour Krim book reading.
Dickinson College. April 15, 2009. “My Fair Sadie: Allan Sherman and Jewish-American Culture.”
UCLA. October 26, 2008. “How the West Won: French Schools Arrive in the Sephardic World.”
Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. November 1, 2007. “Missing a Beat: The Forgotten Writings of Seymour Krim, the Once Celebrated and Unhappily Jewish Beat Writer, Editor, and (Self-Proclaimed) Failure.”
Jewish Community Library, San Francisco. March 1, 2006. “Zelig and His Friends: A Look at Some Giants of Jewish Assimilation.”
Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation, Indianapolis. Nov. 12, 2005. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Indiana University. Nov. 10, 2005. “How the West Won: The Victory of the Alliance Over the Talmud Torah in the Sephardic Community of Monastir.”
San Francisco Public Library, main branch. Sept. 15, 2005. “.Howl” (a high-tech parody of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl”).
Association of Jewish Libraries Conference, Oakland, Calif. June 21, 2005. “How I Wrote My Lost Family History.”
Shomrei Torah Synagogue, West Hills, Calif. March 11-12, 2005. Scholar-in-Residence.
MID Lecture Series, Temple Beth Sholom, San Leandro, Calif. March 3, 2005. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Berkeley/Richmond JCC. Feb. 9, 2005. “Giants of Assimilation: A Rogues’ Gallery of A Vanishing Jewish Type.”
Magnes Museum, Berkeley, Calif. January 27, 2005. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Jewish Community Agency, Sonoma County, Calif. Dec. 6, 2004. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
California State University, Northridge. Oct. 26, 2004. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Berkeley/Richmond JCC’s, “Kol Sippur: A Festival of Jewish Storytelling.” Oct. 10, 2004. “The Unorthodox Lessons of Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Marin Osher JCC, San Raphael, Calif. Oct. 8, 2004. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Marin Osher JCC, San Raphael, Calif. Aug. 19, 2004. “Writing My Lost Family History.”
Stroum JCC, Seattle. April 25, 2004. “The Destruction of the Sephardic Jews of Monastir.”
Jewish Community Library, Los Angeles. March 23, 2004. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
Contra Costa JCC, Walnut Creek, Calif. March 9, 2004. “Long Live the King: Women in Power in Sephardic Folk Tales.”
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