From Aug ’10 Spotlight: Internationally-acclaimed Israeli author Etgar Keret, who just received the Chevalier medallion of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, returns to the Midwest August 22 to begin a two-week stint as “artist-in-residence” in the Program in Jewish Culture and Society at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign, supported in part through the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago’s Israel Studies Project.
His trip to UIUC also includes a long weekend of public and private appearances in metro Chicago, including a lecture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Thurs Aug 26 (also co-sponsored by the Israel Studies Project), and a luncheon in the Loop on Friday, August 27. Keret will be accompanied by his wife, Shira Geffen, with whom he co-directed Jellyfish (recipient of the Golden Camera award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival).
The August 26 lecture, which is free and open to the public, begins at 6pm in the SAIC Auditorium. (Use the Art Institute’s “back” entrance at Columbus and Adams). Moderating this 8/26 program will be Rachel Harris of UIUC.
The August 27 luncheon, sponsored by American Associates of Ben Gurion University, begins at 11:45 am , is also free, but reservations must be made in advance. For details, contact Judy Rosen at (847) 325-5009. Moderating this 8/27 program will be… yours truly 🙂
Also posted by JUF Online on 7/27/10:
Anticipating Keret’s visit,
I called him at home for some personal thoughts…
Jan Lisa Huttner: In past interviews, you’ve named Sholem Aleichem as a major influence. What’s the connection?
Etgar Keret: I’m a Jewish writer in the skin of an Israeli writer. I’m seen as the ultimate Israeli writer because I use the Hebrew language in a very contemporary way—colloquial speech that is very dynamic. But the personality of the soul behind it is a very Jewish soul, not the classic Israeli soul.
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