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Oz, Amos (1939 - )
Israeli novelist,
Born in Jerusalem, Amoz Oz left the capital and was educated on Kibbutz
Hulda where he stayed for many years. Many of his stories are set either
on a kibbutz or in Jerusalem, both of which he presents as microcosms of
Israeli society. His stories are known to challenge the notion of order
and decency in both locations.
His early books of short stories, "Where Jackals Howl" and "Elsewhere"
perhaps take place on a kibbutz, while "My Michael," which takes place
in Jerusalem, includes hallucinations and fears which are understood to
be a metaphor for pre-Six Day War fears.
Oz also writes about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. While "Until Death"
is preoccupied with anti-Semitism, "Touch the Water, Touch the Wind" describes
the postwar lives of two extraordinary Holocaust survivors who meet and
fall in love on a kibbutz.
Strongly identified with the Israeli left, Oz appeals for a reasoned
approach in evaluating Israel's history and politics. His more recent
views on war and peace are presented in "In the Land of Israel," a compilation
of articles written for an Israeli newspaper, based on interviews he conducted
while traveling around the country.
As one of the leading figures in the Israeli 'Peace Now' movement since
1977, his articles, essays and political activities have made him a foremost
figure in Israel. He is a full Professor and holds the Agnon Chair of
Hebrew Literature at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, in Beer-Sheva.
In 1991 he was elected a full member of the Academy of the Hebrew Language.
Amos was awarded his country’s most prestigious prize: the Israel Prize
for Literature in 1998, the fiftieth anniversary year of Israel’s independence.
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