Professor Sunny Yudkoff - “A Tubercular Eden: Yiddish Literature of the American West”
In American Yiddish poetry of the early twentieth century, the skyscrapers, subways, and grit of New York dominate. But the New York skyline was not the only thing that Yiddish writers set their sights on as they worked to find their voices in the American literary landscape. In this talk, we'll turn our attention Westward, away from the urban center of cultural production to the peripheral Yiddish literary space of Denver, Colorado. There, a cohort of tubercular Yiddish poets would congregate, “taking the cure” in the Mile High City’s mountain air and producing poetry at the foot of the Rockies. As we'll see, a diagnosis of tuberculosis, perhaps counterintuitively, offered Yiddish poets new natural vistas, new collaborative spaces, and even a new language—English—with which to express themselves.
Lunch: Pecan-crusted Walleye or Roasted Vegetable Napoleon, seasonal fruit plate, dinner rolls & mini muffins, jasmine herbed rice, steamed asparagus, mocha molten lava cake a la mode, coffee, tea & milk
About Levy Summer Series
Jewish Social Services established the Levy Summer Series in 2013 with a generous donation from Jeffrey C. Levy, to provide a memorable summer experience for adults.
Meeting in June, July and August, the series is held at Nakoma Country Club, 4145 Country Club Road in Madison and consists of six high-quality programs tied by a common theme, chosen each year by a committee of volunteers and staff. The programs are followed by an elegant lunch at a reasonable cost. A unique addition is the after-lunch salon, which is an opportunity to spend unhurried time engaging with the speaker and exchanging ideas in a comfortable and relaxed setting. Scholarships are available.