Jewish Myth Expert, Poet to Read at Keene State

KEENE, N.H. 3/21/05 - Poet and scholar Howard Schwartz, one of the world’s leading experts on Jewish myth, will read from his work on Keene State College on Monday and Tuesday, April 4-5. Both events are free and open to the public.

His Monday reading, a storytelling session called “Tales of the Jewish Mystics,” will be held at 7 p.m. in the Mountain View Room of the Student Center.

In his Tuesday poetry reading, Schwartz will be joined by Jeff Friedman, a poet and lecturer of English at KSC. The reading will also be held at 7 p.m. in the Mountain View Room.

Schwartz, professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, has published over 30 books of poetry, Jewish folk tales, anthologies of Hebrew poetry, children’s books, and scholarly work on the Bible. His book _Next Year in Jerusalem _won the 1996 Jewish National Book Award and the Aesop Award of the American Folklore Society. His most recent book, Tree of Souls, was published in 2004.

Friedman has written four collections of poetry, including Black Threads, scheduled for publication in 2006. His poems and translations have appeared in many literary magazines, including The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and The Antioch Review.

For more information, contact William Doreski, professor of English at KSC, at 603-358-2698.