Companion book to the weekend course, I.L. Peretz: Classic and Contemporary, held at the Yiddish Book Center April 8-10, 2016
I. L. Peretz (1852-1915), the father of modern Yiddish literature, was a master storyteller and social critic who advocated a radical shift from religious observance to secular Jewish culture. Wisse explores Peretz's writings in relation to his ideology, which sought to create a strong Jewish identity separate from the trappings of religion.
"Wisse adeptly combines literary commentary with biographical and cultural materials. . . . She has made a valuable contribution by reinterpreting Peretz's literary output in its cultural, political, and historical framework."
-Forward
Paperback 2015
