Modern Hebrew Culture in Translation

This course serves as an introduction to the diverse genres and movements of cultural production in Hebrew, covering roughly the last one hundred years. We will explore a broad selection of poetry, fiction, film, music, and theatre originally intended for Hebrew-speaking audiences, including works composed in Israel (or pre-1948, from British-mandated Palestine) and elsewhere. In translation, we will study works by Yehuda Amichai, Maya Arad, H.N. Bialik, Sayed Kashua, Etgar Keret, Atallah Mansour, Amos Oz, Dalia Ravikovitch, Anton Shammas, A.B. Yehoshua, and others. Particular emphasis will be placed on the themes of modernity, political expression, and aesthetics. 3 hrs. lect./disc.