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Join us for a special discussion of "The Glatstein Chronicles" by Jacob Glatstein. Discussion made possible by the Yiddish Book Center.
Please register online, in person or by calling 330.836.1081. Those who are registered for the reading group will receive a copy of "The Glatstein Chronicles" to read and return to the Library after the book discussion.
The Akron Summit County Public Library has been selected as a participating library for the Yiddish Book Center's "Stories of Exile" Reading Groups for Public Libraries for 2023.
At this event in the series, we will discuss "The Glatstein Chronicles" by Jacob Glatstein.
Book summary:
This seminal American work from the Yiddish literary canon, in a restored English edition, offers the luminous narrative of the author’s journey home to his Polish birthplace.
In 1934, with World War II on the horizon, writer Jacob Glatstein (1896-1971) traveled from his home in America to his native Poland to visit his dying mother. One of the foremost Yiddish poets of the day, he used his journey as the basis for two highly autobiographical novellas (translated as "The Glatstein Chronicles") in which he intertwines childhood memories with observations of growing anti-Semitism in Europe.
Glatstein’s accounts “stretch like a tightrope across a chasm,” writes preeminent Yiddish scholar Ruth Wisse in the introduction. In Book One, “Homeward Bound,” the narrator, Yash, recounts his voyage to his birthplace in Poland and the array of international travelers he meets along the way. Book Two, “Homecoming at Twilight,” resumes after his mother’s funeral and ends with Yash’s impending return to the United States, a Jew with an American passport who recognizes the ominous history he is traversing.
The Glatstein Chronicles is at once insightful reportage of the year after Hitler came to power, reflection by a leading intellectual on contemporary culture and events, and the closest thing we have to a memoir by the boy from Lublin, Poland, who became one of the finest poets of the twentieth century.
About the Stories of Exile Series:
The Yiddish Book Center’s “Stories of Exile” Reading Groups for Public Libraries is a reading and discussion program to engage teens and adults in thinking about experiences of displacement, migration, and diaspora. In this program, librarians organize reading groups to discuss three books of Yiddish literature in translation, and one book related to the experience of a community served by their library.
The Yiddish Book Center’s “Stories of Exile” Reading Groups for Public Libraries is made possible by a gift from Sharon Karmazin.
Programs in the series include:
Book Discussion: "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui (Graphic Novel)
Firestone Park Branch Library
Thursday, September 7, 6:30 pm
Book Discussion: "In the Land of the Postscript: Short Stories" by Chava Rosenfarb
North Hill Branch Library
Monday, October 2, 12:30 pm
Book Discussion: “The Glatstein Chronicles” by Jacob Glatstein, a restored English edition originally translated from Yiddish
Northwest Akron Branch
Monday, October 18, 6 pm
Book Discussion: “On the Landing: Stories” by Yenta Mash
Main Library (Meeting Room 1)
Wednesday, November 1, 6:30 pm
Main Event: Many Voices With Yiyun Li
Main Library (Auditorium)
Monday, November 6, 6:30 pm
Immigrant Perspectives on Film
Main Library (Auditorium)
Thursdays, September 7, 14, 21, 28, 6:30 pm
AGE GROUP: | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | History | Community Discussion | Books & Writing |
TAGS: | Yiddish Book Center | Stories of Exile | Jewish Stories | Immigrant Stories | Book Club |
The Northwest Akron Branch Library, along with its neighbor, the Northwest Family Recreation Center, serves as a center of active learning through a diverse offering of programs and resources. A rich collection of books for all ages is just one aspect of what the branch has to offer; its outstanding multimedia collection includes music CDs, audiobooks, and feature and documentary films. The collection has something for just about every interest and taste. Computers and computer classes, WiFi, printing, copying, scanning, and faxing are additional services that make personal and professional growth possible.
Look for Northwest Akron Branch staff at local schools and early childhood centers and at community events throughout the year. Visit the branch for more opportunities to learn and explore with others. Programming for all ages at the library is responsive to community interests, with play and story programming for very young children, book discussion groups for adults, school-age and teen crafting and gaming opportunities, and more. The Northwest Akron Branch Library—your one-stop spot for all your educational and entertainment needs and interests.
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