Philip Roth

When the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh defeated President Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election, fear gripped American Jews. Not only had Lindbergh, in his radio address to the nation, accused Jews of pushing America into an unnecessary war with Nazi Germany, but upon becoming the thirty-third president of the United States, he promptly signed a non-aggression pact with Hitler. Then terror entered Jewish homes.

For Simon Axler, it's all over. He was one of the greatest actors of his generation. Now in his sixties, he has lost his talent, his magic, his self-confidence. Falstaff, Peer Gynt, Vania—his greatest roles: nothing remains, just a wisp of air.