David Avidan

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David Avidan (born February 21, 1934 - May 11, 1995) was an Israeli "poet, painter, filmmaker, publicist and playwright" (as he often put it). He wrote twenty published books of Hebrew poetry, and is one of the most prominent and influential poets in Israeli history.

He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and studied Literature and Philosophy at the Hebrew University, but did not graduate. 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. He was condemned as egocentric, chauvinistic and technocratic. His first book, "Lipless Faucets" (1954), was attacked by nearly all poetry critics; the first favourable review was by Gabriel Moked, editor of the literary quarterly "Akhshav", and later one of Avidan's closest friends.

The quality of his later poetry was seen as inferior to that of his early works, although critics in favor of postmodern and experimental trends in poetry disagree.

Public interest in him diminished year by year. By the early 1990s he could scarcely make a living, and his mental condition had deteriorated. David 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.

Since his death, public interest and his posthumous literary stature have increased, positioning him as one the core poets of the Israeli canon.

See The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself (2003) ISBN 0-8143-2485-1