Nister's Soviet Years
Subtitle: Yiddish Writer As Witness to the People
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2019
Language: eng
Number of pages: 280
ISBN-13: 9780253041876
Subjects: Yiddish literature, history and criticism; Authors, biography
Description: "In Der Nisters Soviet Years, author Mikhail Krutikov focuses on the second half of the dramatic writing career of Soviet Yiddish writer Der Nister, pen name of Pinhas Kahanovich (1884-1950). Krutikov follows Der Nisters painful but ultimately successful literary transformation from his symbolist roots to social realism under severe ideological pressure from Soviet critics and authorities. This volume reveals how profoundly Der Nister was affected by the destruction of Jewish life during WWII and his own personal misfortunes. While Der Nister was writing a history of his generation, he was arrested for anti-government activities and died tragically from a botched surgery in the Gulag. Krutikov illustrates why Der Nisters work is so important to understandings of Soviet literature, the Russian Revolution, and the catastrophic demise of the Jewish community under Stalin"--