... and a gratitude for every day of life, every crumbof success, each encounter of love. The Yiddish mentality isnot haughty. It does not take victory for granted. It doesnot demand and command ... com-plicated and boisterous friendship during the 1970s with Ray-mond Carver, when both men were in the San Francisco Bayarea.”—Washington Post28CHAPTER 7Words about Books and Writing cmp01.qxd ... figurative way,Yiddish is the wise and humble language of us all, the idiom of frightened and hopeful Humanity.Many everyday English words such as bagel,klutz, and kibitz areborrowed from Yiddish....