Asher Reich: portrait of a Hebrew poet ISBN: 9780299181505 Platform/Publisher: ACLS / The University of Wisconsin Press Digital rights:Users: Unlimited; Printing: Ten pages at a time; Download: Ten pages at a time Subjects: Jewish Studies;
A rich union of image and word, this striking book introduces English-speaking audiences to a full range of poetry by Asher Reich, one of Israel's most celebrated contemporary poets, paired with evocative drawings by renowned Israeli artist Michael Kovner. Yair Mazor, a leading scholar of Hebrew literature, provides readers with an introduction to Reich's work and its prominent position within the panorama of modern literature in Hebrew. Asher Reich's poetry has been characterized as vivid, vibrant, passionate, and expressionistic. Dominated by themes of stormy sensuality and frank sexuality, his dramatic imagery and metaphors interweave Mishnaic, Talmudic, and Biblical references in a colorful, complex poetic texture. The beautiful simplicity of Kovner's drawings--depicting female figures and natural landscapes--resonates throughout the book. Tender, stark, and striking, the drawings illustrate life's fragility and grace with a subtlety and dignity that complements Reich's sensitive style. Presenting contemporary Hebrew poetry, modern Israeli art, and informed literary commentary in an engaging format, this book promises to delight a broad audience of readers.
Yair Mazor established the certificate program in Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is professor of Hebrew and Biblical literature. He was among the founders of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Jewish Studies and acted as the first director. Mazor is the author of fourteen books published in the United States, Israel, and Europe, including Pain, Pining, and Pine Trees: Contemporary Hebrew Poetry , also available from the University of Wisconsin Press. He was awarded a National award, "The most distinguished scholar of Hebrew Studies in the United States in 1998" (Friedman Prize) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Most Distinguished Teaching Award (1999).
