David Avidan
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 References Further reading The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself (2003), Futureman (2017) External links לקסיקון הספרות העברית החדשה – דוד אבידן NY Times obituary, retrieved October 5, 2008 http://mailchi.mp/1480e735fb8d/a-very-phoneme-fall 1934 births 1995 deaths Jewish Israeli writers Jewish Israeli artists Jewish Israeli male actors Israeli male poets Israeli male painters Israeli film directors Israeli male film actors Israeli male screenwriters Burials at Yarkon Cemetery 20th-century Israeli poets 20th-century Israeli male actors 20th-century Israeli male artists 20th-century Israeli male writers 20th-century Israeli painters Israeli science fiction writers Hebrew-language poets Hebrew-language playwrights Film people from Tel Aviv Hebrew University of Jerusalem