Why Jewish American Literature Matters

This lecture will explore the various forms, themes, and subjects that have characterized Jewish American literature from its beginnings to the present: from Emma Lazarus in the 19th century, to the immigrant generation of poets and novelists of the early 20th century (Henry Roth, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Mary Antin), to the well-known writers of the 50s 60s, and 70s (Saul Bellow, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley,Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth), to the works of such contemporary authors as Nicole Krauss, Jonathan Safran Foer, Nathan Englander, and Allegra Goodman, among others. Questions to be explored and discussed include: Is there an identifiable Jewish American literature? And if so, what common themes and subjects exist? What do various Jewish authors of different backgrounds, histories, beliefs, and eras have in common? And ultimately: What do Jewish authors have to tell us about ourselves, our heritage, and our identity as American Jews?

A former Fulbright scholar, Steve Rubin holds the Ph.D. in comparative literature. He has written and lectured extensively both here and abroad on topics related to Jewish literature. He has edited several anthologies of Jewish writing, including Telling and Remembering: A Century of American-Jewish Poetry, Writing Our Lives: Autobiographies of American Jews, and Celebrating the Jewish Holidays: Stories, Poems, Essays. He is professor emeritus and former dean at Adelphi University.