Lives in Disguise: Autobiographical Fiction (MHL - Modern Hebrew Literature Series) Editor in Chief: Gershon Shaked

With this issue, we are reviving the periodical Modern Hebrew Literature, now being published in conjunction with The Toby Press in a revamped format. MHL is dedicated to maintaining and improving its standards, and will continue to publish selected excerpts from Hebrew literature - fiction, poetry, and essays - as well as brief reviews of new books. Occasionally, an issue will be devoted to a noteworthy theme in Israeli literature and culture. In the past few years, a profusion of literary autobiographies has emerged, and it is only natural that we probe this trend in Hebrew literature. (…) There is a long-established tradition of autobiographical works in Hebrew and Yiddish literature, beginning with Aviezer by Mordechay Aharon Ginzburg (…). During the past few years, many Israeli writers have "come out of the closet". Previously, they went to great lengths to disguise themselves as characters within their fictional stories. But relatively recently a striking trend has emerged, with several authors openly identifying themselves in their works (…). The autobiographical chapter in Hebrew fiction has confirmed that life stories are often more fascinating than fictional plots. They often debunk long-held myths, and replace them with the realities of confronting bare necessity and difficult psychological pressures. These life stories are the subject of the current issue, which presents Israeli writers as human beings and attempts to examine the reality that underlies their fictions. From the Editorial