{"id":20496,"date":"2014-12-11T04:13:22","date_gmt":"2014-12-11T10:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=20496"},"modified":"2014-12-11T04:13:22","modified_gmt":"2014-12-11T10:13:22","slug":"at-98-kirk-douglas-finds-his-poetic-muse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/at-98-kirk-douglas-finds-his-poetic-muse\/","title":{"rendered":"At 98, Kirk Douglas finds his poetic muse"},"content":{"rendered":"

By TOM TUGEND<\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Kirk Douglas, born Issur Danielovitch, the son of an immigrant Russian Jewish ragman, marked his 98th birthday on Dec. 9 by launching his 11th book.<\/p>\n

The legendary star of 87 movies (who can forget \u201cSpartacus\u201d?) can look back, in happiness and grief, on countless one-night stands with filmdom\u2019s most beautiful women, a helicopter crash in which he was the only survivor, a stroke, two bar mitzvahs and the death of a son.<\/p>\n

He has written about these and many other parts of his life in previous works. But there is something special about his latest, \u201cLife Could Be Verse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have expressed my personal feelings and emotions more than in any other of my books,\u201d said Douglas, sitting in his art-filled Beverly Hills home.<\/p>\n

In the slim volume of poems, photos and anecdotes, Douglas is no longer the swaggering Hollywood star and serial philanderer of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. His trademark dimpled chin and bright blue eyes are still there, but his blond hair is now fastened into a gray ponytail, and he walks carefully and speaks with a slur, a legacy of his stroke.<\/p>\n

What he has not lost is his sharp sense of humor, his pride as a Jew and his love for Anne, his wife of 60 years. The cover of \u201cLife Could Be Verse\u201d shows an early photo of Douglas and Anne fondly kissing and the subtitle \u201cReflections on love, loss and what really matters.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his previous 10 books, Douglas\u2019 prose is marked by the artlessness of a man whose casual conversation has been surreptitiously taped, and his poetry as well makes no pretensions to Shakespearean loftiness. But there is no doubt of his deep devotion when he serenades his wife on their 50th wedding anniversary in \u201cPlease Stay in Love With Me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Does fifty years together<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Seem so long to you?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The older the violin, the sweeter the music<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It is often said, and it\u2019s true.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To me, it seems like yesterday<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We met in gay Paree.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now Paris is sad, but I am glad<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You chose to marry me.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A lesser-known side of Douglas is expressed in \u201cFor Eric,\u201d an elegy for the youngest of his four sons from two marriages, whose drug-induced death still haunts his father.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I sit by your grave and weep,<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Silently, not to disturb your sleep.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rest in peace my beautiful son<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It won\u2019t be long before we are one,<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While I lie down by your side.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And talk, no secrets to hide.<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tell me, Eric, what did I do wrong?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What should I have done to make you strong?<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now I sit here and cry,<\/em>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Waiting to be with you when I die.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Neither Anne nor Douglas’\u00a0first wife, actress Diana Dills, are of Jewish descent. But Anne converted to Judaism 10 years ago, explaining, \u201cKirk has been married to two shiksas, it\u2019s time he married a nice Jewish girl.\u201d The conversion did not change the couple\u2019s relationship except for one ritual: Anne has taken over the Shabbat candle lighting on Friday nights that Kirk handled in their first 50 years together.<\/p>\n

During an hourlong conversation, Douglas looked back on the lessons of a full and long life.<\/p>\n

On God and religion:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cI grew up praying in the morning and laying tefillin. I gave up much of the formal aspect of religion \u2026 I don\u2019t think God wants compliments. God wants you to do something with your life and to help others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Douglas celebrated his first bar mitzvah at the Sons of Israel congregation in his hometown of Amsterdam, N.Y., and his second at 83, after the traditional biblical lifespan of 70 years, at Sinai Temple in West Los Angeles. He skipped his third bar mitzvah at 96, and plans to do the same at 109, when he would be entitled to his fourth bar mitzvah.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be showing off,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m an actor, so I have already been showing off all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

On attracting women:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhen I was courting Anne in Paris, I couldn\u2019t get through to her,\u201d Douglas said. \u201cOne day she agreed to go to the circus with me, and when the circus performers recognized me, they insisted that I participate in the show. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but as a string of circus elephants trotted out, I followed them in my tuxedo with a shovel and broom and started to clean up what the elephants had left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anne was still laughing when Douglas took her home and she bestowed her first goodnight kiss on him. The poet in him celebrated the triumph by noting: \u201cAnne thought I was a big hit, As she saw me shoveling s***.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the interview, Douglas emailed a final thought on a more serious topic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Jewish tradition, a birthday gives a person special power,\u201d he wrote. \u201cAnd if he issues a blessing, this blessing becomes true. So on my 98th birthday, I bless all people in the Land of Israel that the current conflict resolves itself, that no more people die or are hurt and that you can continue your lives in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

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