Born in the Ukraine in 1896, and settling in Montreal in 1910, Segal became one of the first Yiddish writers in Canada. His poetry, infused with lyricism and mysticism, along with the numerous essays and articles he penned, embodied both a rich literary tradition and the modernism of his day.
Pierre Anctil has written so much more than a biography. For the first time, Segalâs poetic production is referenced, translated and rigorously analyzed, and includes over 100 pages of appendices, shedding light on the artistic, spiritual, cultural and historical importance of his oeuvre. By introducing the reader to the poetâs work through previously unpublished translations, Anctil demonstrates that in many respects it reflects the history of the Jewish immigrants who arrived in North America from Russia, the Ukraine and Poland at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as the tragic experiences of Jewish intellectual refugees of the interwar period.
This admirably written, sweeping yet subtle, work will appeal both to scholars and to a broader audience.
The original French version was awarded the prestigious 2014 Canada Prize in the Humanities by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. NĂ© en Ukraine en 1896, J. I. Segal arrive Ă MontrĂ©al en 1910 et allait devenir un des premiers Ă©crivains yiddish au Canada. Sa poĂ©sie lyrique et mystique, de mĂȘme que les nombreux essais et articles quâil a signĂ©s, incarnent Ă la fois une riche tradition littĂ©raire et le modernisme de son temps.
Pierre Anctil a Ă©crit bien plus quâune biographie. Pour la premiĂšre fois, la production poĂ©tique de Segal est rĂ©fĂ©rencĂ©e, traduite et analysĂ©e de maniĂšre rigoureuse. Elle est accompagnĂ©e de plus de 100 pages dâappendices qui jettent la lumiĂšre sur lâimportance artistique, spirituelle, culturelle et historique de son oeuvre. En initiant le lecteur Ă lâoeuvre du poĂšte grĂące Ă des traductions inĂ©dites, Anctil montre quâĂ plusieurs Ă©gards, Segal est le reflet de lâhistoire des immigrants juifs arrivĂ©s en AmĂ©rique du Nord depuis la Russie, lâUkraine et la Pologne au dĂ©but du XXe siĂšcle, de mĂȘme que des expĂ©riences tragiques des intellectuels juifs rĂ©fugiĂ©s dâentre-deux-guerres.
Cet essai admirablement bien Ă©crit, ambitieux et pourtant tout en nuances, plaira tant aux chercheurs quâĂ un plus grand public.
La version originale française (Presses de lâUniversitĂ© Laval) a reçu le prestigieux Prix du Canada en sciences humaines remis par la FĂ©dĂ©ration canadienne des sciences humaines.