The Peace Process

This collection of Friedman's madcap stories is replete with tricky plots, wacky traps, and characters who ensnare themselves in their own ridiculous choices. In "A Fan Is a Fan," the standout story, Nazi Reichminister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels phones up prominent Jewish satirist Max Winterman and attempts to commission a piece for the V%C3%B6lkischer Beobachter, the Nazi Party's newspaper. Winterman considers his options: "He hated every bone in the man's body, and the ground he stood on. Yet there was no denying the Reichminister's prominence." The prose-poem "Orange Shoes" is a much-needed moment of emotional resonance in the cheeky collection. Friedman's characters have plenty of personality. Tension built from racing between plot points occasionally creates a feeling of unmoored chaos, but even the most disorganized stories are funny, sometimes brutally so. In the novella "The Peace Process," which closes the collection, William Kleiner is visiting Jerusalem to scout film locations, and he ponders an actual move to the city. He has "few ties to the States%E2%80%94a fading career, a paper-thin marriage... Still, a move would mean a farewell to Scotty Pippin, not to mention Dan Rather, Puerto Ricans, and Kevin Spacey." The peace process involved in this novella, as Kleiner gets away from his assumptions and helps a local Arab man attend a family wedding and pursue a career in film, is life affirming. Each time hardship forces Kleiner into a difficult situation, he faces the issue and creates new, more purposeful life for himself, an idea that radiates throughout Friedman's entire collection. (Oct.)