On Thursday, Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m., Allen Kurzweil, author of The Whipping Boy will be speaking at Temple Sinai of Roslyn. The book is the true account of the author’s lifelong search for his boarding-school bully.
Equal parts childhood memoir and literary thriller, The Whipping Boy chronicles Kurzweil’s search for his twelve-year-old nemesis. The obsessive inquiry, which spans some 40 years, takes Kurzweil all over the world, from a Swiss boarding school to the slums of Manila, from the Park Avenue boardroom of the world’s largest law firm to a federal prison camp in Southern California.
Kurzweil’s riveting account is, at its core, a heartfelt and suspenseful narrative about the “parallel lives” of a victim and his abuser. A scrupulously researched work of nonfiction, the book is much more than a tale of karmic retribution; it is a poignant meditation on loss, memory, and mourning, a surreal odyssey born out of suffering, nourished by rancor, tempered by wit, and resolved, unexpectedly, in a breathtaking act of personal courage.
In his talk, Kurzweil will discuss how reading The Whipping Boy can produce discussions about restorative justice and strategies for dealing with bullies.
Books will be available for purchase, and the author will sign the books following a question and answer period.
All are welcome. Suggested contribution for the program is $10 for Temple Sinai members and $18 for non-members. Refreshments will be served. Temple Sinai of Roslyn is at 425 Roslyn Rd. For more information, contact Ethel Liebeskind at 516-621-6800 or visit the website at www.mysinai.org.
