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Whether it's a novel, memoir, diary, poem, or drama, a common thread runs through the literature of the Nazi Holocaust-a motif of personal testimony to the dearness of humanity. With that perspective the expert authors of Encyclopedia of Holocaust Literature undertake profiling 128 of the most influential first generation authors who either survived, perished, or were closely connected to the Holocaust. Arranged alphabetically by author, all of the entries answer the same basic questions about the author and his or her work: What is the nature of the author's literary response to the Holocaust? What is his or her place in Holocaust literature? What does the author's work contribute to an understanding of the Holocaust? What is distinctive about the author's work? What are some key moments in the author's life? What issues does the author's work pose for the reader? To address these questions, the entries are generally organized into three primary divisions: (1) an opening section on why the author's work has a significant or distinctive place in Holocaust literature, (2) a second section containing information on the author's biography, and (3) a critical examination of the highlights of the author's work. In most cases, the third section is the longest, since the focus of the encyclopedia is the literature, not the author.
The Encyclopedia is intended for all students and teachers of the Holocaust, regardless of their levels of learning. Avenues for further research are incorporated at the conclusion of each entry and in a comprehensive bibliography of primary works of Holocaust literature and a second bibliography of critical studies of Holocaust literature.
List of contents
Preface
Introduction
The Encyclopedia
Appendix 1: Authors by Date of Birth
Appendix 2: Authors by Country of Birth
Appendix 3: Authors by Birth Name
Bibliography of Primary Works of Holocaust Literature
Bibliography of Critical Studies of Holocaust Literature
Index
About the author
DAVID PATTERSON holds the Bornblum Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Memphis and is a winner of the Koret Jewish Book Award. He is the author of more than 90 articles and book chapters.
ALAN L. BERGER occupies the Raddock Eminent Scholar Chair for Holocaust Studies and is Director of Holocaust and Judaic Studies at Florida Atlantic University. With more than 80 articles and books chapters, Professor Berger has lectured on the Holocaust and Jewish literature and theology throughout America and in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Israel. He is also editor of the
Religion, Theology, and the Holocaust series for Syracuse University Press and an associate editor of
Studies in American Jewish Literature and serves on the editorial boards of
Literature and Belief and
Jewish Affairs.
SARITA CARGAS is an independent scholar. She earned her B.A. at St. John's College, Annapolis, in 1990. She also holds an M.A. in Psychology from Georgetown University (1997) and an M.A. in Theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology (1998). She is currently studying for an M.A. in Religion at Oxford University.
