One man in his time plays many parts...

Many years ago I “landed” in the dental chair of Dr Brian Braude. At that first appointment I automatically adjusted my ear to understanding the rhythms of his South African accent and was getting ready to switch from my broad American sense of humor to a more refined Joburg (Johannesburg, for the uninitiated) take on the world. I needn’t have bothered. The slim gentleman in his dental whites had wit and intelligence, his face exhibited a mischievous grin and his eyes sparkled behind his eyeglasses. Over the years, our conversations ranged further and further. Of course politics, after all we were living in Israel, but also rearing children (I was by then writing children’s books), photography (which was a passion of his that developed into an eye far beyond that of an amateur). When I was told to rinse my mouth I was grateful for the break and was ready to joust with him on the topics we had discussed before the start of my examination. As our friendship continued we got to discussing the intricacies of writing. I encouraged him to submit his travel articles to ESRA MAGAZINE knowing he had been to so many interesting places, places many of us had never seen. His photographer’s eye translated easily into the very enjoyable travelogues that appeared in the magazine. On my last visit with him we discussed a story he was working on, a fictional tale of a young woman in Seoul. The characters were drawn with perception and the story echoed with the truth of the human situation. It was totally Brian Braude. 
May he rest in peace. He will be sorely missed by ESRA MAGAZINE and our readers.
*The title is borrowed from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”.
Brian’s articles can be read on www.esramagazine.com – In the “Search” line, press on ‘Brian Braude’ and links to all his articles will appear.