Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories

Editorial Reviews. Review. Imagine traditional Jewish texts or the three thousand -year history of the Jewish people superimposed with stories from.
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I was captivated by the poems. There are real medieval poems written by famous rabbis whose names we know, whose liturgy we use, Ibn Gavriol, for example: In the biblical period, I had to make things up from little hints—it is possible to read David and Jonathan as I was taught in Hebrew school, as the story of good friends.

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There is a tragedy in that. I remember pictures of my father and his best friends with their arms around each other, in a way that is physically much more awkward for men of my generation—hetero, homo, or bi—to do.


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The Andalusian poems are intergenerational, which is problematic for the sexual politics of the twenty-first century and our ideas about consensual relationships between adults. The poems the rabbis wrote are about men and young men. Your book is structured in three parts, with the first set of midrash set in biblical times, a second set of stories set in medieval Spain, and finally, four stories set in the present.

The four midrash in the last section are organized under the rubric of prayer, with the stories labeled Shacharit, Musaf, Mincha and Maariv, a full day of worship.


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Can you explain what your thinking was in doing that? Originally, there were just three stories there. I added Musaf later, even though it was a story I had actually written earlier. One reason I thought of the prayer service is because the first section of the book, the biblical section, has 22 stories in it, one for each letter of the [Hebrew] alphabet. I liked the notion that the beginning and end would be anchored in some kind of Jewish experience, alphabet and prayer. The last section is the most curious. All four pieces are framed as real stories, as an interview, a transcript.

And I said, thank you, but the whole thing is fictional, including the preface which says this is a translation.


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Jews were wandering in and out of Greek culture, and must have been exposed to a whole different morality, to homosexuality. I have no evidence there was homosexuality in the Jewish world then, though of course there always is, but I would have liked imagining that period. Parallel to the one I grew up in? When I was a child, I had recurring dreams of a parallel family.

In my dream life, I watched this parallel version of my family unfold, and they were having a much better time. One day, in the s, I was taking the ferry to Fire Island. Two men in a little speedboat were coming perpendicular to our path. I was the only person watching, because everyone else was on the other side of the ferry, staring at dolphins, I think.

Anyway, I was the only person watching, and I and the two men were staring at each other. It looked like they were going to crash right into us.

Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories

They sped up, and made it. Shooting behind their boat was this enormous wake. Then, the strangest thing happened. As the ferry crossed the wake, the whole wake moved, so it went from being perpendicular to the ferry to being parallel to the ferry. In that moment, everyone on the ferry turned around.

They were all puzzled, to see this wake parallel to the boat. But I had seen it. I stood there and thought: I was in one reality, and then I was in another one. I have friends who are in heterosexual marriages who are queer, who have a queer sensibility. The cover of the book is from Esther. My midrash about Esther is all about being in disguise, and how it plays out for people who have to be in the closet.

I wander in and out of reality. Others are, although they have never ocurred. The original title of the book was the Genizah of Dreams, which ended up being the title of the first section. Return to Book Page. Preview — Queering the Text by Andrew Ramer. Jay Michaelson Goodreads Author Foreword by. Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories 4. Andrew Ramer's new book, Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories , grapples with traditional midrashim, plays with homoerotic love poems from medieval Spain, and envisions alternate versions of the present.

Inspired by the pioneering work of Jewish feminists, using the same narrative tools as the rabbis of old, Ramer has crafted stories that ancho Andrew Ramer's new book, Queering the Text: Inspired by the pioneering work of Jewish feminists, using the same narrative tools as the rabbis of old, Ramer has crafted stories that anchor LGBT lives in the three thousand year old history of the Jewish people.

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The stories in this book will transport you to a new universe the one we are striving to create, right here and now. Paperback , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Queering the Text , please sign up. Lists with This Book.

Queering the Text: Biblical, Medieval, and Modern Jewish Stories - Andrew Ramer - Google Книги

Apr 23, Julene rated it it was amazing Shelves: In the introduction Andrew Ramer speaks to root of his stories, "In Hebrew, these stories are called midrashim, from the root drash, "to inquire. For example, the Torah prohibits work on the Sabbath, without defining what's forbidden. Legal midrashim enumerate the categories of banned work.

Narrative midrashim expand or interpret biblical stories, as in the tales of Adam's first wife Lilith, who isn't mentioned in the Torah. The earlier preser In the introduction Andrew Ramer speaks to root of his stories, "In Hebrew, these stories are called midrashim, from the root drash, "to inquire. The earlier preserved midrashim date back to the first two centuries of the Common Era. Andrew, with his gifts, is the perfect writer to tell these stories. I've been friends with Andrew since the s in NYC, he was part of my spiritual community, met through a grassroots dream community.

To my delight, I'm acknowledged in his latest book as part of his 'scattered tribe,' what an honor! This book, like his book "Two Flutes Playing," is revolutionary in it's role to bring forth a new mythology of gay life, one that is deeply Jewish. He changes the world through his vision of pure love. With his deep understanding and study of the Torah he tells stories that could be true and in an altered reality I believe they are pure truth.

This is a book that is kind, forgiving, insightful, brilliant. Do not hesitate to read this book. Sep 19, Jerry L. Wheeler rated it really liked it. One would think a gay re-interpretation of Jewish scriptures might be tough going in spots, but Ramer makes an effort to be more pointed than pedantic. Despite a rather dry sound, this is an engaging and illuminating read worth your time. David rated it really liked it Jan 03, Isaac rated it really liked it May 12, Todd rated it liked it May 15, Aimee rated it it was amazing May 25, Aug 23, Elisa Rolle rated it it was amazing.

Naomi rated it really liked it Aug 31, Heidi Cullinan rated it really liked it Jul 25, Christina Zable rated it really liked it Aug 09, Joseph rated it it was amazing Apr 28, Lethe Press rated it it was amazing Aug 19, Anna rated it it was amazing Jun 11, Lia Evnas rated it it was amazing Jun 19,