Michael Wex
Encyclopedia
Michael Wex is a Canadian
novelist, playwright, translator, lecturer, performer, and author of books on language and literature. His specialty is Yiddish and his book Born to Kvetch
was a surprise bestseller in 2005. Wex lives in Toronto
with his wife Marilla,and daughter Sabina.
Michael Wex was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to a family of descendants of Rebbe
s of Ciechanów
and Stryków
. He has taught at the University of Toronto
and the University of Michigan
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
novelist, playwright, translator, lecturer, performer, and author of books on language and literature. His specialty is Yiddish and his book Born to Kvetch
Born to Kvetch
Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All Its Moods is a 2005 book by Michael Wex devoted to Yiddish. In this book, "Wex is a rare combination of Jewish comic and scholarly cultural analyst"....
was a surprise bestseller in 2005. Wex lives in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with his wife Marilla,and daughter Sabina.
Michael Wex was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada to a family of descendants of Rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
s of Ciechanów
Ciechanów
Ciechanów is a town in north-central Poland with 45,900 inhabitants . It is situated in Masovian Voivodeship . It was previously the capital of Ciechanów Voivodeship.-History:The grad numbered approximately 3,000 armed men....
and Stryków
Stryków
Stryków is a town in central Poland, in Łódź Voivodeship, in Zgierz County. It has 3,602 inhabitants .-Early history:The first mention of Strykow was in 1387. Strykow was a village situated on the route from Zgierz to Lowicz. Strykow received city rights in 1394 from King Wladyslaw Jagiello, at...
. He has taught at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
Works
- The Frumkiss Family Business. Toronto: Knopf Canada, 2010. ISBN 978-0-307-39776-8
- Just Say Nu: Yiddish for Every Occasion (When English Just Won't Do). New York: St. Martin's Press, 2007. ISBN 0-312-36462-8
- Born to KvetchBorn to KvetchBorn to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All Its Moods is a 2005 book by Michael Wex devoted to Yiddish. In this book, "Wex is a rare combination of Jewish comic and scholarly cultural analyst"....
: Yiddish Language And Culture in All Its Moods. Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 1, 2005). ISBN 0-312-30741-1 - Born to Kvetch (Audio CD). ISBN 0-06113-122-9
- Shlepping the Exile, 1993, ISBN 0-88962-542-5
- The Adventures of Micah Mushmelon, Boy Talmudist. 2007.
- Die Abenteuer des Micah Mushmelon, kindlicher Talmudist (dt. von Heiko Lehmann, Wagenbach 2005)
- Classic Yiddish Stories of S.Y. Abramovitsh, Sholem Aleichem, and I.L. Peretz. (Michael Wex, translator) 2004. ISBN 0-81560-760-1
- The Wishing-Ring by S.Y. Abramovitsh (Michael Wex, translator). 2003. ISBN 0-81563-035-2
- God in Paris (performance)
- Sex in Yiddish (performance)
- Judenverwolkung, or Meshiekh's Tsaytn (performance)
- I Just Want to Jewify (The Yiddish Revenge on Wagner) (performance)