Share

cover art for Philip Roth's The Ghost Writer - with Toby Lloyd

All Else is Commentary

Philip Roth's The Ghost Writer - with Toby Lloyd

Season 1, Ep. 19

This week, Elliott is joined by the author Toby Lloyd, to talk about one of Philip Roth's most Jewish novels: The Ghost Writer (1979).


There will be spoilers, so if you want to buy and read the book first, you can do so here.

You can find out more about Toby's own book, Fervour here.


If you're interested in reading Roth's article from 1963 on writing about Jews, you can do so here: https://www.commentary.org/articles/philip-roth/writing-about-jews/


If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.


If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.


On Thursday, look out for a special epsiode we are putting out for Pesach: Rabbi Professor Jonathan Magonet on how Moses knew he was a Hebrew.


Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/


We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.


All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 17. Chanukah Special! Through a Jewish Lens: Harry Potter, Part 2 - with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler

    29:13||Season 2, Ep. 17
    All Else is Commentary is a podcast of Jewish ideas.The second of 8 Chanukah specials - one for each night of Chanukah.This is the second of two episodes on Harry Potter, for which Elliott is joined by Student Rabbi Yael Tischler.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 16. Chanukah Special! Through a Jewish Lens: Harry Potter, Part 1 - with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler

    25:07||Season 2, Ep. 16
    All Else is Commentary is a podcast of Jewish ideas.The first of 8 Chanukah specials - one for each night of Chanukah.To kick off, two episodes on Harry Potter, for which Elliott is joined by Student Rabbi Yael Tischler.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 15. Jewish Novels #3: Barren Metal by Naomi Jacob

    39:52||Season 2, Ep. 15
    All Else is Commentary is a podcast of Jewish ideas.This week, Elliott reads Barren Metal by Naomi Jacob, the story of the rise and fall of Meyer Pardo, the Jewish tailor who becomes filthy rich - but at what cost?Coming up for Chanukah: We bring you 8 little podcast presents - Elliott is joined by guests to read and watch different cultural phenmena through a Jewish lens, starting with Harry Potter. As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/Episode CreditsIzzie Marcuson-Stafford ......... as ........ Amy LevyWe are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 14. Jewish Novels #2: Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy

    37:23||Season 2, Ep. 14
    All Else is Commentary is a podcast of Jewish ideas.This week, Elliott reads Reuben Sachs by the Victorian poet and novelist, Amy Levy. We see how this novel responds to George Eliot's Daniel Deronda, but also holds its own place in the history of writing by Jews and about Jews.You can buy Reuben Sachs here: https://persephonebooks.co.uk/products/reuben-sachsOr read it for free here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74419You can find out about more about Amy Levy through the book by Linda Hunt Beckman: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amy-Levy-Letters-Victorian-Studies/dp/0821413309Next week: We move forward into the twentieth century, as Elliott reads Naomi Jacobs's novel, Barren Metal.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/Episode CreditsIzzie Marcuson-Stafford ......... as ........ Amy LevyWe are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 13. Jewish Novels #1: Daniel Deronda by George Eliot, Part 2

    38:43||Season 2, Ep. 13
    The second part in Elliott's lecture on George Eliot's Daniel Deronda.Next week: Elliott finally gets to the novel he aimed to start with: Ruben Sachs by Amy Levy.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 12. Jewish Novels #1: Daniel Deronda by George Eliot, Part 1

    37:57||Season 2, Ep. 12
    This week, we finally come to our first Jewish novel: Daniel Deronda by George Eliot. There was too much to talk about in just one episode, so this discussion will be split into two parts. Look out for part 2 on Thursday.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.
  • 11. Jewish Novels Introduction: Why Novels?

    27:52||Season 2, Ep. 11
    This week, Elliott begins a new series on Jewish novels. He begins this week with a discussion of why he is choosing to look at novels, and why he has made the particular selection he has.There are a couple of good articles on Harry Kemelman's Rabbi/Detective series. From the Los Angeles Review of Books (https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/rabbi-knew-much/) and the Jewish Journal (https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/books/378025/sixty-years-ago-a-crime-solving-rabbi-appeared-remembering-harry-kemelmans-rabbi-small-series/)Next week: Elliott begins to delve into novels, starting with George Eliot's Daniel Deronda.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.
  • 10. British Jews in the Time of the French Revolution - with Dr Jeremy Smilg

    01:03:20||Season 2, Ep. 10
    This week, Elliott speaks to Dr Jeremy Smilg about his research into the Jews of England during the time of the French Revolution (1789-1815).You can find out more about Jeremy's book here.Next week, we are finally beginning our series on Jewish novels, and to begin with Elliott is taking some time to explain why he wanted to talk about novels – why novels have something to tell us in particular, and what they can help us learn about Judaism.As always, if you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.
  • 9. Tikkun Olam, Part 3

    35:33||Season 2, Ep. 9
    This week, Elliott concludes his series of 3 episodes looking at the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam - the repairing of the world.This week we reach the Lurianic tradition and Elliott brings us fully up-to-date, even thinking about tikkun olam of the future.Next week: A recording of a conversation Elliott had recently with historian Dr Jeremy Smilg about the Jews in England at the time of the French Revolution. If you have any comments or questions, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we're also on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary.Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.