Jeff Siegel

Jeff Siegel (born January ??, 19?? – )

Education: Queens College, CUNY. Majored in Philosophy, Sociology, Honors in the Western Tradition. Graduated Phi Beta Kappa.

Background: Though at times satirical in nature, Parts I & II of this interview are a fairly accurate summarization of my life. From a very early age I read books that ordinary kids did not read. I spent many days sitting in Irving’s Kosher Knishery in Brooklyn, reading about the operation of vacuum tubes while v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y drinking a soda and enjoying a pletzel. (The longer I took to eat it the longer I could sit there.) So while the CIA and government work is meant to be tongue-in-cheek, the description of my early life, along with the opinions expressed, are the “real” Jeff. In fact, as you look through this blog, keep in mind that everything is a reflection of the “real” Jeff,¹ including the “faux” images and “faux” magazines that I created. To make sure there is no misunderstanding about some of the material on this website, The Rabbi is one of my persona’s. The image is a combination of my head shot with that of Matisyahu, the Jewish Reggae singer. My other persona is Peter DeLaVerità. The photo of Peter is actually that of Vinny Basciano, aka Vinny Gorgeous. I hope they don’t mind that I used their images. I certainly haven’t used it for any monetary gain.

I use these personas to express various thoughts, ideas and concepts that are not easily conveyed within a more standard, straightforward blog post. For example, you can say anything in an interview – even a mock interview – without having to prove its truthfulness. Like any conversation, people make assertions and the listener either agrees or disagrees. There’s no need to assemble evidence or create long, complicated logical explanations to back up any particular assertion. In addition, the style of the material itself – such as a “faux” interview, a serious reflective post, an imaginative post or “faux” images – allows for freer expression and the ability to explore and continue the thinking-through-writing process. Since it is easy for you, the reader, to unintentionally misinterpret something, please don’t hesitate to contact me (info at jeffsaddmind dot com) if you have any questions concerning the posts or any of the other material you find on this blog.

I recently created this Twitterized description of this blog. I think it says it all: “Like a labyrinthine journey into a fantasy world, the blog reflects the sometimes funny and poignant convolutions of a restless ADHD mind.”

I hope you enjoy the journey.

Jeff