Dreaming the Actual: Contemporary Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers (SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture) [Paperback]

Miriyam Glazer (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0791445585 | ISBN-13: 978-0791445587 | Publication Date: May 2000 | Edition: SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture

This book introduces the powerful and provocative new fiction and poetry of Israel's women writers to an English-speaking audience. Read together, the stories and poems in this book will help to create a more sophisticated understanding of Middle Eastern passions and realities, and will foster a wealth of discussion about the meanings of homeland, exile, and diaspora; women's sexuality and spirituality; gender roles; the legacy of the Holocaust; the tensions and reconciliations of religion and secular life; the effects of war; and the power of memory.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This collection of contemporary fiction and poetry by Israeli women writers includes works originally written in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, and English. Rather than constituting a cohesive group, these writers form more of a mosaic of different cultural types. They are multigenerational; they have come from many countries to Israel and have very different political, social, and religious backgrounds. The stories and poetry portray coming of age, the unease of sexuality, and much discussion of the meanings of homeland, exile, and diaspora in addition to many aspects of memory. In Nurit Zarchi!s Madame Bovary in Neve Tsedek, for instance, the power of women!s imagination and power is explored in a surrealistic framework. Along with another recent anthology, New Women!s Writing from Israel (Vallentine Mitchell, 1996), which does not include poetry, and numerous individually authored collections of short stories and novels (e.g., Zeruya Shalev!s Love Life, LJ 1/00), Israeli women writers are now well represented in English. They give English-speaking readers a window into Israeli culture, plus, in most cases, an awareness of Jewish sensibilities as seen by women."Molly Abramowitz, Silver Spring, MD
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Miriyam Glazer is Professor of Literature and Director of the Dortort Writers Institute at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. She is the author of Burning Air and a Clear Mind: Contemporary Israeli Women Poets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: State University of New York Press; SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture edition (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0791445585
• ISBN-13: 978-0791445587
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Miriyam Glazer, rabbi, long-time literature professor, healthy/ethical foodie, and frequent Visiting Scholar & public speaker, has authored/co-authored books ranging from the engaged spiritual to the poetic to the delicious, including PSALMS OF THE JEWISH LITURGY: A GUIDE TO THEIR BEAUTY, POWER & MEANING -- a book that seeks to engage your heart, mind, and soul, your humor and your earthiness; THE ESSENTIAL JEWISH FESTIVAL COOKBOOK: 200 SEASONAL RECIPES & THEIR TRADITIONS -- written with my sister Phyllis, and filled with fascinating festival lore & mouth-watering, healthy recipes of the global Jewish cuisine, including Persian, Libyan, Moroccan, Ashkenazi,among many others; DREAMING THE ACTUAL: Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers, a compelling book that unfolds Israeli women's versions of the country's story, from the pre-state era to the present -- and more. I am nothing if not eclectic, and am now working on issues of Jewish spirituality and environmental justice. I'm married to Anthony Elman, now , joyously, the rabbi of the Jewish Home for the Aging after many years as a psychotherapist in England, and the mother of Avigail, a tv writer & producer. You can reach me via my website, miriyamglazer.com (which features has my Torah commentaries and literary essays) or [e-mail].

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich and multifaceted, April 8, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dreaming the Actual: Contemporary Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers (SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture) (Paperback)

A South American Catholic, I ordered this book containing the works of Israeli Jewish women in order to look at this beautiful, contradictory and war-ridden country from a different angle. Well, I was not disappointed. "Dreaming the Actual" is like a colorful patchwork, filled with voices, images and realities that draw you into a rich and changing picture. Though the presence of the Holocaust is, understandably, strong, there are no hackneyed stories here. The tragedy is evoked mostly through the experience of survivors' children, and is thus removed from the European stage to the one their lives are unfolding in. Also, I was pleased by the deep awareness of the Palestinian plight I found in some of the works. There are some really gifted women here. Both the stories' and the poems' quality is very high. I know I will return to this book again and again.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and beautiful collection, July 13, 2000

By 

Miriyam Glazer (Chicago) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dreaming the Actual: Contemporary Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers (SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture) (Paperback)

Although I was familiar with Israeli writers like Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua, I had never read the stories (or poetry) by women writers. And I wasn't really aware of what a multicultural, multilingual, culture Israel is. Reading this book has been an extraordinary experience. It has made the culture live for me, in all its vivid complexity. Miriyam Glazer has done a brilliant job in her introduction to the book and to all the individual stories -- making the stories accessible and the tenor of the culture nearly palpable. I love this book and recommend it highly to anyone who wants to understand what it means to grow up in Israel and face issues of poverty, war, immigration, coming-of-age, spirituality. Fabulous collection!

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Reading, July 13, 2000

By 

Mike Adler (East Lansing, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dreaming the Actual: Contemporary Fiction and Poetry by Israeli Women Writers (SUNY Series in Modern Jewish Literature and Culture) (Paperback)

Dreaming the Actual is a superb collection of short stories and poetry -- I appreciated the fact that most of the material is new, and the result is that the book captures the sensibility of the scene in Israel today. I also valued the editor's decision to include work originally written in Arabic, Russian, and English, as well, of course, as Hebrew -- The stories are riveting; because of the way Glazer has organized the book,you truly get a sense of what it was like to live in Israel even before the founding of the State, all the way up to the present. The introduction is masterfully and beautifully written, and the introductions to each story and each author wonderful guides. I recommend this book highly.