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Lives in Disguise:
Autobiographical Fiction (MHL - Modern Hebrew Literature Series) Editor in Chief: Gershon
Shaked |
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With this issue, we are reviving the
periodical Modern Hebrew Literature, now being published in
conjunction with The Toby Press in a revamped format. MHL is
dedicated to maintaining and improving its standards, and will continue to
publish selected excerpts from Hebrew literature - fiction, poetry, and
essays - as well as brief reviews of new books. Occasionally, an issue will
be devoted to a noteworthy theme in Israeli literature and culture. In the past few years, a profusion of
literary autobiographies has emerged, and it is only natural that we probe this
trend in Hebrew literature. (…) There is a long-established tradition of
autobiographical works in Hebrew and Yiddish literature, beginning with Aviezer by Mordechay
Aharon Ginzburg (…). During
the past few years, many Israeli writers have "come out of the
closet". Previously, they went to great lengths to disguise themselves
as characters within their fictional stories. But relatively recently a
striking trend has emerged, with several authors openly identifying
themselves in their works (…). The autobiographical chapter in Hebrew
fiction has confirmed that life stories are often more fascinating than
fictional plots. They often debunk long-held myths, and replace them with the
realities of confronting bare necessity and difficult psychological
pressures. These life stories are the subject of the current issue, which
presents Israeli writers as human beings and attempts to examine the reality
that underlies their fictions. From the Editorial |
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