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Yiddish for Pirates

Gary Barwin's darkly comic novel was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award in 2016.

Gary Barwin

CBC Books Posted: Mar 02, 2017 12:53 PM EST | Last Updated: January 6, 2021

Set in the years around 1492,Yiddish for Piratesrecounts the compelling story of Moishe, a Bar Mitzvah boy who leaves home to join a ship's crew, where he meets Aaron, the polyglot parrot who becomes his near-constant companion.

From a present-day Florida nursing home, this wisecracking yet poetic bird guides us through a world of pirate ships, Yiddish jokes and treasure maps. But Inquisition Spain is a dangerous time to be Jewish and Moishe joins a band of hidden Jews trying to preserve some forbidden books. He falls in love with a young woman, Sarah; though they are separated by circumstance, Moishe's wanderings are motivated as much by their connection as by his quest for loot and freedom. When all Jews are expelled from Spain, Moishe travels to the Caribbean with the ambitious Christopher Columbus, a self-made man who loves his creator. Moishe eventually becomes a pirate and seeks revenge on the Spanish while seeking the ultimate booty: the Fountain of Youth. (From Vintage Canada)

Yiddish for Pirateswas a finalist for the 2016Scotiabank Giller Prizeandthe 2016Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.

Yiddish for Pirates is on the Canada Reads 2021 longlist.

Gary Barwin is a multidisciplinary artist, composer and poet who currently lives in Hamilton, Ont. He has written more than 20 books, includingpoetry, fiction and books for children. His poetry collections includeFor It is a Pleasureand aSurprise to BreatheandNo TV for Woodpeckers.Yiddish for Piratesis his first novel.

Why Gary Barwin wrote Yiddish for Pirates

"Humour is one of the great technologies of humanity. It gives you distance, and also an opportunity to deal with difficult things. Jewish humour in particular has this optimistic pessimism, or pessimistic optimism, that is so much part of the culture. The speaker can connect with the people they're telling the jokes to, and they're able to stand outside what's happening and look at it philosophically.

Humour always gives you agency, because you are the one telling the jokes. That's a very powerful position from which to address tragedy.- Gary Barwin

"Through this kind of humour, they find a way to engage, think about what is happening and still have agency. Humour always gives you agency, because you are the one telling the jokes. That's a very powerful position from which to address tragedy."

From the book

Hello. Howaya? Feh. You think those are the only words I know? Boychik, you don't know from knowing. You ain't seen knowing. I may be meshugeh crazy, but I know from words. You think I'm a fool shmegegge? I'm all words.

Hello? If you want the story of a life, don't wait for your alter kaker old gramps over there to wake up. Maybe he'll never wake. But me? Listen to my words. They tell some story. Because I remember. Sometimes too much, but I remember.

So, nu, bench your fat little oysgepasheter Cape Horn tuches down on that chair and listen to my beaking. Come all ye brave lads, and so forth. I'll tell you the whole megillah story from fore to aft.

What's it about? Pirates. Parrots. Jews. Jewels. The Inquisition. Gefilte fish. Gold. A girl.

From Yiddish for Pirates by Gary Barwin 2016. Published by Random House Canada.

Interviews with Gary Barwin

The Next Chapter3:26Gary Barwin on "Yiddish for Pirates"

Author Gary Barwin on the inspiration for his first novel.

CBC Books5:55CBC Poetry Prize juror Gary Barwin

The poet and artist discusses being a juror with Calgary Eyeopener.

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