Fiction Reading and Conversation: Todd Hasak-Lowy and Etgar Keret
Etgar Keret is an Israeli writer and filmmaker. His books published in English include the short story collections The Nimrod Flipout and most recently The Girl On The Fridge.
Introduction by Matthew Rohrer
This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. through public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Todd Hasak-Lowy writes, “I went to UC Berkeley, where I studied Hebrew, Arabic, and English literature in the Department of Comparative Literature. I began writing while in graduate school. I received my PhD in 2002 and am now an Assistant Professor at the University of Florida, where I teach Hebrew language and literature. I am the author of a story collection, The Task of This Translator (Harcourt, 2005), and an academic study, Here and Now: History, Nationalism, and Realism in Modern Hebrew Fiction (Syracuse University Press, 2008). I live in Gainesville, Florida with my wife and two daughters.” His first novel, CAPTIVES, is forthcoming in October 2008 from Spiegel & Grau.
Hailed as the voice of young Israel and one of its most radical and extraordinary writers, Etgar Keret is internationally acclaimed for his short stories. Born in Tel Aviv in 1967 to an extremely diverse family, his brother heads an Israeli group that lobbies for the legalization of marijuana, and his sister is an orthodox Jew and the mother of 10 children. Keret regards his family as a microcosm of Israel. His book, The Nimrod Flip-Out, which was published by FSG in 2006, is a collection of 32 short stories that captures the craziness of life in Israel today. His books are bestsellers in Israel and have been published in 22 languages. Books include Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God (2004, St. Martin’s Press), Missing Kissinger (2007, Chatto & Windus), and Gaza Blues (2004). Over 40 short movies have been based on his stories, one of which won the American MTV Prize (1998).
