Mort Malkin, who died unexpectedly in early July, was a polymath. He was in turn—and sometimes simultaneously—a decathlete, a surgeon and teacher of others, an artist, a poet, an archaeologist, and a collector of artifacts from the Neolithic and Sumerian periods.
His newest book, released by Pisgah Press on April 13, reflects the broad range of interest and deep knowledge of cultural history that animated Mort throughout his long life.
Jay Sweeney, the Pennsylvania Green Party’s candidate for Auditor General, recalled, “Mort and I travelled to a Sierra Club meeting one time. He got the crowd up in arms by claiming that war is the biggest environmental threat. They didn’t agree. Mort also antagonized the Northeastern Sierra Club group when he used the term “global heating” about ten years ago. They thought his speech was too radical. Mort was brilliant and gifted beyond compare. His intellect and vision were astute. Mort will be sorely missed by his family, friends and community.”
Homo Sapiens: A Violent Gene?
In Homo Sapiens: A Violent Gene? Malkin reviews the literature and realities of human approaches to conflict and cooperation. Many philosophers, theologians, and politicians believe that human aggression is universal, and that our biology determines that the human race will never escape violence. The media encourages this perception of violence and war as pervasive in society, and as everlasting. After all, diplomacy, peace, and contemplation do not sell ads.
But much evidence exists to refute that belief. If mankind were really so preoccupied with war, we would know only the negative emotions that are brought forth with war: hatred, xenophobia, otherness, revenge, greed, exaggeration and rationalization if not outright lying, vanity, and pride. Yet, there is a spirit of fellowship and cooperation in the land. In many countries that we consider foreign, a long tradition of hospitality exists. Perhaps our perception of war as being part of man’s nature, and its inevitability, needs rethinking. Until we believe that cooperation, not violence, is part our genome, we will not have peace in the world.
Mort Malkin’s previous books include Psyching up for Tennis; Walking: The Pleasure Exercise; Aerobic Walking, the weight-loss exercise; Celebration of Spring in the Delaware Valley: Three Poets of The Millville Poets, UnLtd; Upper Delaware River In Verse And Image; Over the Banks.
He was also an ardent canoeist and kayaker, the lyricist for Danser’s Inferno, and a featured speaker at The De-Aging Lecture Series.
