Primo Levi, the Holocaust, and Forgiveness: A Video Discussion With Professor Al Filreis
A Deeper Dive Into a Recent Post
UPenn Professor Al Filreis is an expert on Primo Levi and how the Holocaust is represented in our culture. He joined me this week for a video conversation sparked by my recent post “Primo Levi: Only Victims Can Truly Forgive.” That post can be found at robertsdavidn.substack.com/about
In our conversation, we spoke about who can forgive and about Primo Levi as a prisoner, a freed man, a writer, and a potential forgiver.
We spoke about who can bear witness and how the Holocaust should best be studied.
Al revealed how Primo’s “The Periodic Table” helped him convince his wife to marry him.
The video discussion is below. The introduction ends at 2:40 in. If you prefer to read the intro (as I often do), go to the footnote. 1
Let me know if you find an occasional deeper dive like this valuable.
Resources Mentioned in the Discussion
To find out more about Al Filreis, go to: web.sas.upenn.edu/afilreis/
To find out more about the Kelly Writers House at UPenn, founded and run by Al, go to writing.upenn.edu/wh/
On the Kelly Writers House site, check out Featured Projects and especially Online Book Groups and Modpo.
The online book groups are innovative, asynchronous email discussions that are moderated by subject experts. Modpo is a Massive Open Online Course (“MOOC) about modern poetry led by Al.
If you want to participate in any of KWH’s complimentary and terrific on-line programs and courses, mention Sparks From Culture By David Roberts.
Introduction: Welcome. I’m David Roberts, the author of the substack Sparks From Culture. I’m honored to have with us today my friend and teacher Professor Al Filreis from the University of Pennsylvania.
Al is here to discuss a recent post I wrote called Primo Levi: Only Victims Can Truly Forgive
Among his many talents, Al is an expert on Primo Levi and teaches a class called Representations of the Holocaust.
Al thanks for being with us.
A bit about Al. At UPenn, he’s the Kelly Family Professor of English; the Director of The Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing, and the Faculty Director and founder of the Kelly Writers House.
Kelly Writers House is a remarkable community of writing and culture at UPenn. The House is an actual, real life, lovely house in the middle of campus and a gathering place for everyone in the Penn community who loves writing.
Al has been at the forefront of on-line learning about literature. He runs an incredibly popular Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) on Modern Poetry. Al also oversees a series of innovative on-line, email driven book groups. Over the past ten years I’ve had the privilege of co-moderating a quite a few of these book groups with Al.
If you’re interested in participating in an on-line group, the Kelly Writer’s House website is your portal. I’ve included a link. Just mention Sparks From Culture.
I want to mention one other terrific course that Al created called the Kelly Writers Fellows Seminar. Students study an author’s work in depth and then have the thrill of spending time with that author both inside and outside the classroom. Past fellows include John Ashberry, Lydia Davis, Joan Didion, and Art Spiegelman.
Do you find an occasional deeper dive like this valuable? And is the video format helpful?
I truly enjoyed the interchange and found the notion of secondary witnesses in regard to the Holocaust very significant.
Pardon the pun but David I think you found your element. Well done.