Lawrence (Laurie) Baron, now retired, served as the Nasatir Professor of Modern Jewish History at San Diego State University. He served from 1988 to 2006 as director of SDSU’s Lipinsky Institute for Judaic Studies. He was the founder in 1995 of the Western Jewish Studies Association.
He writes two satire columns for San Diego Jewish World: “Humoring the Headlines” under his byline, and “Hounding the Headlines,” under the byline of his dog Elona.
Books to his credit, available on Amazon, include:
Projecting the Holocaust into the Present: The Changing Focus of Contemporary Holocaust Cinema
The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema
The eclectic anarchism of Erich Muhsam (Men & movements in the history & philosophy of anarchism)
His most recent articles are:
“Making Room for the Jews: The House I Live In (1945),” AJS Perspectives, Summer 2023, 86-88.
“The Revolt of Job: Salvaging the Lost World of Rural Hungarian Hasidim,” Journal of Jewish Identities, 16:1-2 (January/July 2023), 181-198.
“Persistent Parallels, Resistant Particularities: Holocaust Analogies and Avoidance in Armenian Genocide Centennial Cinema, in Armenian and Jewish Experience between Expulsion and Destruction, ed. Sarah M. Ross and Regina Randhofer (Berlin: De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2021), 267-296.
“The Pioneering American Jewish Women Directors from Elaine May to Claudia Weill,” Jews and Gender (Studies in Jewish Civilization), ed. Leonard Greenspoon (W. Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2021), 217-243.
Donald Trump reemerged this past weekend to reiterate that he remains president because he never lost the election. Although the lame stream media has refused to cover him, he has been governing the country from Mar-a-Lago since January. Here are some highpoints of his second term. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Highlights from Donald Trump’s Second Term Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USABoth Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin gave press conferences and issued readouts after their summit meeting this week. Did these reflect what they really said behind closed doors? Fortunately, I had access to a transcript of the meeting recorded by devices planted by the same Jewish cabal in charge of the Space Laser program. Here are a few snippets from the meeting. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: The Unexpurgated Geneva Summit Transcript Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
have been receiving many Barks (the dog equivalent to Tweets) from curious dogs (cats don’t have a monopoly on curiosity!) who wonder why I haven’t written a column since December. Like my human companions, I have been confined at home except for my daily walks. Now that we can return to a semblance of normality, here’s how my life will be different. [Elona Baron as told to Laurie Baron]
On a Dog’s Post-COVID Life Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, San Diego County, The World We Share, Trivia, Humor & SatireLast week a US District judge declared California’s ban on semi-automatic assault rifles unconstitutional by declaring, “Like the Swiss Army knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment. Good for both home and battle.” The more I think about it, the two are almost identical in their uses. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Swiss Army AK-15s Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Travel and Food, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USASince Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and this year the return of audiences to movie theaters, I wanted to preview a few of the films scheduled for release in the coming months. Since they were withheld from release due to Covid-19 or shot during the pandemic, their plots have been altered to reflect the events of the past year: [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Woke Summer Blockbusters Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireBy Laurie Baron, Ph.D SAN DIEGO — Where there’s woke, there’s ire. What do James Bond and police officers with qualified immunity have in common? A license to kill. If someone likens something to the Holocaust to condemn it, then their reasons for condemning it are probably unconvincing. If Republican senators invoke the filibuster to
Satire: A Pax on Both Your Houses Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireKevin McCarthy opposes the creation of a bipartisan commission to investigate what happened on January 6, 2021. After all, many in his caucus contend that 1/6 wasn’t really so bad and shouldn’t be studied in isolation from other instances of civil disorder. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: How Republicans Now Remember 1/6 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireTucker Carlson’s outlandish conspiracy theories have earned him the highest ratings for a cable news commentator. After he heard about Medina Spirit’s disqualification from winning the Kentucky Derby for using the drug betamethasone, here’s what we imagine could be the advance text of his editorial on this matter. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Tucker Carlson, Medina Spirit and Joe Biden Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireHello suitcase, my old friend.
I’ve come to pack you once again.
Because I’ve had two vaccinations
I can now take a vacation. … {Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Vacation after Vaccination Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireThis year’s nominees consist of intimate dramas or recreations of politically or socially relevant events or situations. Among the eight movies nominated for best picture, The Father, The Sound of Metal, Mank, and A Promising Young Woman feature protagonists suffering from some addiction, disease, disability, or trauma and examine how these afflictions affect their careers or personal relationships. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
This Year’s Oscar Predictions Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBernie Madoff died in prison this week. In accordance with his will, his tombstone will be shaped like a pyramid. … {Laurie Baron, Ph.D}
Satire: Short Takes Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireMajor League Baseball: Most teams have limited seating to 20% to 30 % of their stadiums’ capacities, but the Texas Rangers organization permitted its ballpark to fill up to capacity because Texas prides itself on being bigger than any other state in the numbers of fans it allows to attend sporting events or the Covid-19 spike it expects in two weeks. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Spring Openings Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireJewish Programming via Internet of interest to lay and academic audiences [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Streaming Jewish Programs (March 28-April 6, 2021) Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USAA year ago this week the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic. Since then I have not attended any “congregate” events. Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I plan to attend a wedding being held at the end of this month. The invitation has made me feel that this will not be a risky undertaking. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: My Big Safe Covid-19 Wedding Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire