ATLANTA, Ga.—Peachtree Branch of Atlanta-Fulton Public Library will host a free five-part reading and discussion series called Let's Talk About It: Jewish Literature—Identity and Imagination. The series explores Jewish literature and culture through scholar-led discussions of contemporary and classic books on a common theme.
The library's series will explore the theme of Demons, Golems and Dybbuks: Monsters of the Jewish Imagination. The library series is part of a nationwide program made possible by grants from Nextbook and the American Library Association (ALA). Local support is provided by The William Breman Jewish History Museum and the Friends of Peachtree Library.
Whatever is Haunting Their World
The first program will explore Satan in Goray by Isaac Bashevis Singer and will be held on Monday, June 11, at 7:00 pm. Scholar Leah Wolfson, who will lead the discussions, said she had been reading the book. "It's a ghost story, but it's not," she said. "You have a messiah. Is he or is he not? Who is the real demon? What's interesting about this theme, ghost stories, is that it's a snapshot of whatever is haunting their world at the time," said Wolfson. She said Singer was writing about a time when the Jewish world was about to explode.
Dive in and Have a Conversation
Wolfson is from Emory University's Department of Comparative Literature. In 2006 she won the David R. Blumenthal award for work which "links the knowledge, insights, values, and perspectives of Jewish realities to generically human concerns."
Wolfson said "literature gives you something really concrete to talk about that allows you to bounce off into ideas that are universally human. Then it becomes our job to dive in and have a conversation. That is by far the most fun for me as a teacher and as a scholar. If it makes you mad, fine. If you love it, fine." Let's Talk About It programs are meant to let people engage with ideas and emotions through literature in an informal, stimulating setting.
Additional books will be discussed once a month at the library. These books are The Dybbuk by S. Ansky on July 16, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka on August 13, The Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick on September 17, and Angels in America by Tony Kushner on October 15.
Wolfson said Ansky was very influenced by the Communism of his day, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but was not a good idea. She said you needed that background to have The Dybbuk make sense, and you need to know where Cynthia Ozick was coming from as a feminist and a translator of Yiddish poetry when she recast the legend of the Golem in The Puttermesser Papers .
Of Tony Kushner, she said he has a very Jewish sensibility, though it is not the first thing most people think about when they think of him. The same thing is true of Kafka; most think of him as a great German writer first, but he is also a great Jewish writer.
"I think Nextbook does a terrific job" of putting together the themes and assembling a diverse group of books people might not naturally read together, said Wolfson.
All programs will be held at Peachtree Library, 1315 Peachtree St, Atlanta, Ga. 30309. For details or to rsvp, please visit www.afplweb.com, calendar of events, Peachtree Branch or call 404-885-7830.
Peachtree Library is open Mondays 12-8, Tuesdays 10-8, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10-6, Fridays and Saturdays 12-6. Free parking is available under the building. Please enter from Peachtree Street at 16th Street, immediately across from the High Museum.
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