Elisha Porat

                                                          

Magna on Magna Feature Interview with Elisha Porat, the 1996 winner of Israel's Prime Minister's Prize for Literature, an Hebrew poet and writer, who has published 21 volumes of fiction and poetry, in Hebrew, since 1973. Elisha Porat was born in Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh in 1938. His works have appeared in translation in Israel, the United States, Canada and England. The English translation of his short stories collection "The Messiah of LaGuardia", Mosaic Press, was released in 1997. The English translation of his second stories collection "PAYBACK", was published 2002 at Wind River Press. His new novel "EPISODE", a biographical novel, just released by "Y&H" Publishers, Israel, 2006.His works, poetry and fiction, were translated from Hebrew into English, and were published, in print and online, in selected literary stage. Elisha Porat's works were published at Midstream, Tikkun, Ariel,War Literature and Arts, Rattle, Porcupine, Oyster Boy Review, Another Chicago Magazine, Boston Review, Snake Nation Review, The Paumanok Review, The Pedestal Magazine, Poetry Magazine, Jewish Quarterly, Deep South, and others.

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Question: Elisha, you are an internationally-acclaimed poet, the author of twenty-one volumes of poetry and fiction, and the winner of Israel’s Prime Minister’s Prize for Literature. Do you ever tire of poetry and the written word?

Answer: First let me correct you concerning being an internationally-acclaimed poet. Perhaps I and my poems are known over internet, due to the wide translation of my work to English. But in reality, I am not so known among the readers of Hebrew poetry in Israel. I have always lived in my kibbutz, Ein Hahoresh, which is a small village in the periphery. The literary life in Israel is concentrated in Tel Aviv, a big city and the only real cultural center of Israel. In order to be really known and famous, Israeli poets must live in Tel Aviv or its closed neighborhood.

Concerning your question: creativity in literature, and I assume it is the same with creativity in other arts, is an integral part of the life of the creator. For me to live means, among other things, also to create. But, exactly as in life, there are periods when the intensive engagement in creativity is disturbed and delayed by additional string factors, such as physical or spiritual health, family affairs, etc. There are necessary breaks in the creative life of every creator. But in my opinion they do not result from being tired. As long as I live, I sing, I write poetry, I see the world, I imagine it, I interpret it. And of course, all these are performed by my tool of expression, the tool of the written word.