David Avidan

David Avidan
דוד אבידן
"David Avidan", painting by Yael-Shahar Sarid, 1994
Born	February 21, 1934 Tel Aviv, Israel
Died	May 11, 1995(1995-05-11) (aged 61) Tel Aviv, Israel
Alma mater	Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Occupation(s)	Poet, painter, filmmaker, publicist, and playwright
Awards	1993 Bialik Prize for Hebrew literature

David Avidan (Hebrew: דוד אבידן) (February 21, 1934 – May 11, 1995) was an Israeli "poet, painter, filmmaker, publicist, and playwright" (as he often put it). He wrote 20 published books of Hebrew poetry.

Biography and literary career

He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and studied Literature and Philosophy while briefly studying at Hebrew University. He wrote mostly in Hebrew, and was an avant-garde artist throughout his life. He translated many of his own poems into English, and received several awards both as a poet and as a translator.

He was not popular with most critics or the general public throughout his life, often criticized as being egocentric, chauvinistic, and technocratic. His first book, Lipless Faucets (1954), was attacked by nearly all poetry critics; the first favorable review was by Gabriel Moked, editor of the literary quarterly Akhshav, who later became one of Avidan's closest friends.

By the early 1990s he could scarcely make a living, and his mental condition had deteriorated. Avidan died in Tel Aviv, the city which had played a central role in his life, and was, in many ways, the center of his creation.

Avidan died on May 11, 1995, in his Tel Aviv apartment at the age of 61. Since his death, Avidan's reputation has been on the rise both in literary circles and in the popular imagination, positioning him as one of the core poets of the Israeli canon. A volume of Selected Poems by Avidan, "Futureman," translated by Tsipi Keller, has been published by Phoneme Media in 2017.

Awards

In 1993, Avidan was the co-recipient (jointly with Amalia Kahana-Carmon) of the Bialik Prize for Hebrew literature.

Movies

• Message from the Future, a 1981 Israeli film Avidan wrote, directed and starred in, is a science fiction movie in English about future humans visiting present-day Israel. In the year 3005, a man is sent back to 1985 to convince the present leaders make certain that World War III happens, which he guarantees will make for a better future. Having already caused natural disasters and catastrophes by coming back from the future, he now tries to force his message on the world press and TV. Sheldon Teitelbaum has judged the film 'execrable'.

Books (poetry) – partial list

• Lipless Faucets, 1954
• Personal Problems, 1957
• Subtotal, 1960
• Pressure Poems, 1962
• Something for Someone, 1964
• A Book of Possibilities – Poems and More, 1985

See also

• List of Bialik Prize recipients

Further reading

• The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself (2003), ISBN 0-8143-2485-1
• Futureman (2017) ISBN 978-1944700140

External links

• לקסיקון הספרות העברית החדשה – דוד אבידן
• NY Times obituary, retrieved October 5, 2008
• http://mailchi.mp/1480e735fb8d/a-very-phoneme-fall