Writers Bloc Presents David Denby and Kenneth Turan

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David Denby and Kenneth Turan are two beloved film critics who, between them, have held top film critic spots at The New Yorker, New York Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and NPR. They don't confine themselves to the world of movies: they have both written extensively on literature: American and Yiddish.

In his new book, Eminent Jews, David Denby, former film critic for The New Yorker and still a current contributor, examines four 20th century Jewish intellectuals who took America by storm: Leonard Bernstein, Mel Brooks, Betty Friedan, and Norman Mailer. Always candid, critical, and fully acknowledging and fully appreciating their massive contribution to American culture, Denby sets apart these four exceptional individuals from their peers in the arts and social movements. 

Kenneth Turan is so much more than a film critic. For years, we read his reviews in the Los Angeles Times, and then had the great pleasure of listening to him review movies for NPR. He is dedicated to preserving Yiddish literature, and is on the board of the National Yiddish Book Center. The author of countless books on film, Kenny now turns to two film legends who essentially created  Hollywood and the film industry: Irving Thalberg and Louis B. Mayer.

In his new book, Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg: The Whole Equation, Turan explores their complex relationship. They worked together like brothers-- until their relationship bitterly imploded. And besides being a terrific study of two men whose business and creative acumen changed global culture and society, it's a crucial reflection of Jews in Hollywood at its nascence. 

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