My Michael
Amos Oz
1972
Michael and I arranged to meet that same evening in Cafe Atara in Ben Yehuda Street. Outside an absolute storm was raging, beating down furiously on the stone walls of Jerusalem.
Austerity regulations were still in force. We were given ersatz coffee and tiny paper bags of sugar. Michael made a joke about this, but his joke was not funny. He is not…
Creator Bio
Amos Oz
Amos Oz was born and raised in Jerusalem. At the age of fifteen, he moved to Kibbutz Ḥuldah, and later lived in Arad. While professor of literature at Ben-Gurion University, Oz published works of fiction, numerous essays and articles, several nonfiction works on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a children’s book. His works have been translated into more than thirty languages. He was also a leading figure in the Israeli peace camp. Amos Oz won many awards, among them the Légion d’honneur, the Bialik Prize, the Israel Prize, and the Dan David Prize. His novel A Tale of Love and Darkness was made into a motion picture.
Related Guide
The State of Israel and Jewish Culture, 1945–1973
Early Israeli statehood balanced collectivist Zionist ideals with growing individualism and saw the emergence of a vibrant but conflicted national culture.
Related Guide
Art and Literature in the Postwar Period
Israeli art and literature reflected the emergence of a distinctive indigenous culture and moved from collectivist Zionist narratives toward individualism.
Related Guide
The Aftermath of the Holocaust in Israeli Culture
Israelis struggled to integrate Holocaust memory into national identity, as survivor literature challenged a preference for heroic resistance narratives.