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.
The Jest Is Commentary By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−Politicians have made insane remarks in the past week. In a just world, their stupidity automatically would elicit these comments. Iowa Congressman Steve King: “What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? […]
Humoring the headlines: August 21, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Who is the Endangered Species? By Elona Baron (as told to Laurie Baron) SAN DIEGO−The Golden Deceiver has decided to weaken the Endangered Species Act to make it easier for companies to build, develop, drill, and mine habitats where rare animals reside. Since dogs aren’t threatened with extinction, why should I care? I might be
Hounding the headlines: August 16, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, The World We Share, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USAMake Holidays Affordable Again By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−President Trump postponed imposing a new round of tariffs on popular Chinese consumer goods “for Christmas season, just in case some of the tariffs would have an impact on U.S. customers.” His new economic doctrine is trade wars are good except if they spoil your holidays. He
Humoring the headlines: August 15, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireA “Really Beautiful Letter” from Chairman Kim By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO: President Trump disclosed today that Kim Jong Un had sent him “a really beautiful letter.” Fortunately, a colleague who knows an anonymous White House source familiar with the letter has shared some of its contents to me. Most Esteemed Orange Buddha, Ever since
Humoring the headlines: August 9, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireThe Template for Cable News Programs By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−Once upon a time, television news covered a spectrum of international stories in a 30 minute time slot. Now there is a template for cable news programs aired 24 hours per day. Mass Shootings and natural catastrophes preempt whatever else was scheduled to be broadcast.
Humoring the headlines: August 4, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USADemocrats and Dogs By Elona Baron (as told to Laurie Baron) SAN DIEGO−Now that I have become a prolific pooch pundit, I want to tell you which Democratic presidential candidates pass my sniff test. Before I do, I need to howl a bit about Donald Trump. He is the first president since William McKinley, who
Hounding the headlines: July 31, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, The World We Share, Trivia, Humor & SatireFeminist Bitch By Elona Baron as told to Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−You probably are wondering why I am referring to myself in such a derogatory way. This illustrates the problem! I am a female dog, but another meaning of bitch is “an unkind or unpleasant woman.” So why do humans always call female dogs bitches,
Hounding the headlines: July 26, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, The World We Share, Trivia, Humor & SatireRobert De Niro Replaces Robert Mueller as Do-Over Hearing By Lawrence Baron SAN DIEGO−Political pundits hoped that since most Americans have not read the Mueller Report, the only way to capture their attention was for Mueller to testify before Congress on television. Since Mueller turned out to be a rather bumbling witness, House Democrats have
Humoring the headlines: July 25, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireA Pet-tition to the Rabbis of Elad By Elona Baron (as told to Laurie Baron) SAN DIEGO−While lying on the rug in my owner’s room, I glanced at his computer and noticed a news story about the ultra-orthodox rabbis of Elad issuing the following edict: “We have heard and have seen that lately, a serious
Hounding the headlines: July 20, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, The World We Share, Trivia, Humor & SatireA Racist True or False Quiz By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−President Trump tweeted today, “I don’t have a Racist bone in my body!” True: He doesn’t have a racist bone in his body. He has a racist mind, mouth, and political instincts. As far as bones go, he does have racist skeletons in his closet.
Humoring the headlines: July 17, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Like a Dog By Elona Baron as told to Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−I’m the new dog Laurie and Bonnie Baron adopted from a rescue agency. Since I’m only two, I don’t remember where I was born. I know I probably had prior owners because I’m house-trained and well-behaved. Why did I leave? If I were
Hounding the headlines: July 10, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, San Diego County, The World We ShareIn Memory of Bob Hope Who Entertained the Troops Rather Than Vice Versa By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Tanks for the memory Of military pomp Funded by the swamp. The greatest event for the one percent. It was quite a romp. How bigly it was. Tanks for the memory Of Lincoln sitting there. Silent
Humoring the headlines: July 5, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatirePresidential Patriotic Songs for the 4th of July By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−Donald Trump knew that most people didn’t want him to politicize his 4th of July address at the Lincoln Memorial. Instead, he planned to change the lyrics to a number of the patriotic songs that will be sung at his “Salute to America.”
Humoring the headlines: July 4, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireTrump’s Diary: “How I Brought Peace to Asia” By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO−I, the President, have just returned from my trip to Japan and Korea. I was supposed to practice diplomacy, but I’m so good at it, I don’t have to practice. I treated it like a reunion with great friends like MBS, Xi Jinping,
Humoring the headlines: July 2, 2019 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire