2018 SAJ Retreat Study Session, Saturday, May 5, 5 PM to 6:15 PM led by Nancy Ludmerer “Where then is my hope and my good – who can glimpse it?” (Job 17:15) Literary Responses to Difficult Times from The Book of Job, Tillie Olsen, Blume Lempel, Kafka and Alomar We will begin by looking at excerpts from The Book of Job in Robert Alter’s beautiful translation. How does one respond to catastrophe? Then we leap forward to 20 th and 21 st century writers, writing in Yiddish, German, and Arabic as well as English, many of whom explore similar themes and threads, with a focus on Tillie Olsen (1912-2007). Born on a tenant farm in Nebraska, one of six children of Russian Jewish immigrants, she grew up socialist, worked at menial jobs into her 40’s, and only then launched her writing career in earnest. We will come to know Olsen’s “Vision of Fear and Hope” and those of the other writers we will consider, concluding with Osama Alomar, born in Syria in 1968. All excerpts are attached—- dip in as you please (no need to read everything to participate). Please join us!
Table of Contents Page Excerpts from The Book of Job 1 Olsen's Vision of Fear and Hope 22 Olsen's I Want You Women Up North to Know 28 Olsen's I Stand Here Ironing 32 Kafka's Passers-by 41 Lempel's Bag Lady of Seventh Avenue 42 Alomar's Fate and The Dark Side 46
Excerpts from The Book of Job : Translated by Robert Alter Page 1
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A long time later…... Page 12
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A little bit later . . . Page 18
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Three Short Works by Tillie Olsen (1912-2007) Page 22
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By Blume Lempel (1907-1999) Page 42
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By Osama Alomar (b.1968) Translated by C.J. Collins Page 46
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