A Poetry Concert In Four Voices:"In Everyone There Are Four Sons".
Eilat, Southern District, Israel
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Limited edition of “In Everyone There Are Four Sons” now on exhibit in Hall 4.1
Frankfurt, 16.10.2008 - In the Book Art section of the 60th Frankfurt Book Fair, the colorful and surprising writing debut by Israeli poet Nilly Dagan “In Everyone There Are Four Sons” has been selected as one of this year’s most impressive new book designs on exhibit. The chosen work is actually two books in one, designed as a single unit by Ido Agassi, and published by Even Hoshen in a limited edition of 54 signed and numbered copies.
Equally impressive are the concept behind the book itself and its contents, including the audio CD which comes with it, featuring music by David Elharrar and Amos Ever-Hadani.
“Poetry is a gift that isn’t given for life”, one line of a poem reads. A line which Nilly Dagan herself embodies, as she only began writing three years ago, shortly after receiving a pacemaker. This life-changing experience opened her eyes to the worlds of imagination and inspiration which she craftily interweaves with the familiar worlds of inner and outer reality. This gives her poetry a fascinating multi-vocal quality which communicates on many levels simultaneously.
Nelly Dagan’s words not only leap from the page, they literally take on a life of their own. The poet’s express goal is to have her poems translated, set to music and read aloud, hence the audio CD included. For instance, read by actress Gilya Stern, these words immediately sweep the listener away on a journey across time and space:
“My grandmother was once a friend of Anne Frank. Today, she is a ‘getaway driver’ taking the coastal road to Netanya in a silvery automobile…to the Four Seasons Hotel, where she plays a wild card game.”
Like the contents, brief and involving, the packaging captures the attention, as well. In Hall 4.1, near the head of aisle Q, the Book Art News Forum displays this year’s selection of best book art, with Nilly Dagan’s book prominently placed at the top of the foremost display case.
What is perhaps most striking about this limited edition of the book is the metal sculpture “Quartet” by artist David Gerstein, who has created a visual representation of the four sons in the Passover haggada, which the book title refers to, “In Everyone There Are Four Sons”. The sculpture acts as a kind of center divider between two language versions of the book, like butterfly wings, identical in content, yet one in Hebrew and the other in English.
Or they might also be Spanish and Arabic versions of the book and CD, which are currently in translation and will be available soon. Four languages for the four sons who represent the four elements of which all things are made.
The limited edition of the book has been brought to the Frankfurt Book Fair by Israeli publisher Even Hoshen, Hall 4.1, Stand L 137, where it may also be viewed. Copies of the limited edition may be ordered from Mr. Agassi: uagassi1@netvision.net.il
The international rights to the compelling book of poetry itself, with its visual and audio supplements, are handled by the writer: contact@nillydagan.com
Kontakt
The limited edition of the book has been brought to the Frankfurt Book Fair by Israeli publisher Even Hoshen, Hall 4.1, Stand L 137, where it may also be viewed. Copies of the limited edition may be ordered from Mr. Agassi: uagassi1@netvision.net.il
The international rights to the compelling book of poetry itself, with its visual and audio supplements, are handled by the writer: contact@nillydagan.com
- Book Art News Forum
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Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Just published by Even Hoshen: In Everyone There Are Four Sons by Nilly Dagan. This is Dagan’s first book of poetry, simultaneously appearing in both Hebrew and in English.
The two books are accompanied by a CD featuring readings of selected poems to guitar improvisations by Amos Ever-Hadani. Opening and closing musical motifs are by David Elharrar, arranged by Ken Burgess. The Hebrew reading is by actress Tami Spivak and the English reading (in the translation of Susann and Ed Codish) is by actress Gilya Stern.
In Everyone There Are Four Sons is predicated on elements of multiplicity and variety. Every poem speaks in several voices, and the series of transitions surprise. Nilly Dagan weaves the high and the low, street slang and ancient sources, images and symbols from all over the world. All of these elements introduce one another and interchange, and associatively create the multi-vocal lyrical flow that is uniquely hers.
In the Jewish tradition, the four sons in the Passover haggada are viewed as archetypes of people, and parallel to the four elements which were viewed as the stuff of which all matter is comprised – water, fire, dust and air. The wise son is like pure water, the wicked like consuming fire, the simple like dust of the earth, and the son who doesn’t know how to ask like restless wind. Just as their faces differ, so do their opinions, says the Talmud, by which it seeks to tell us that a multiplicity of facets, faces, voices and colors constitutes a blessing for a fuller and richer multi-dimensional world.
Of special note is the artistic contribution by artist David Gerstein with his creation “Quartet,” 2007, the designer David Tartakower, and the musical producer David Elharrar.
The project In Everyone There Are Four Sons includes:
1. A book of poetry in Hebrew, accompanied by a CD with readings by actress Tami Spivak.
2. A book of poetry in English, translated by Susann and Ed Codish, accompanied by a CD with readings by actress Gilya Stern.
3. A limited dual-language collector’s edition, numbered and signed, hand-bound, accompanied by metal cutting by artist David Gerstein and hand-bound by Ido Agassi. To be accompanied by CDs with readings by actresses Aviva Marks (English) and Tami Spivak (Hebrew).
4. An English-language CD with actress Gilya Stern reading eight sections of the book. David Elharrar composed original music for each of the eight segments, and the music and dramatic reading interweave to create a spoken-word/musical experience.
This CD represents a preview of a collection called A Poetry Concert in Four Voices to be released in four languages – Hebrew, Arabic, English and Spanish – featuring four actresses.
Nilly Dagan
Poet Nilly Dagan came to poetry relatively late, having spent many years in the world of business. She has been writing poetry since 2005. Her poems have been published in Israeli literary supplements literary magazines. Just as she appreciated the insight at the core of In Everyone There Are Four Sons, so she envisioned four modes of expression participating together in a four-way artistic conversation: poetry, translation, music and reading. And so, the point at which other poets might feel that they have completed their task, was turned by Nilly Dagan into a new beginning. She contacted translators, composers, musicians and actresses, to become part of a project whose shape emerged, step by step, and swept them all into a collaborative artistic creation.
David Elharrar
The Tamuz Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Artistic Production was awarded to David Elharrar, radio personality, actor and producer. He received the prize for a brilliant and multi-faceted career in music and production.
In 1950, at the age of 5, Elharrar immigrated to Israel with his family from Morocco. Elharrar’s long musical career in Israel covers many areas of achievement. He is a phenomenal singer with great taste in choosing material, a gifted composer, and an album and show producer for other artists where he always demonstrates good taste and originality. He is very active in promoting the Israeli music industry and original Hebrew songs, and has helped the careers of many other artists. Elharrar is also an actor and storyteller, and has taken part in a wide variety of TV and radio shows.
Ken Burgess
Israeli musician Ken Burgess was born and raised in England where he worked as a composer and musical arranger. Among others, he composed Tomorrow’s biggest hit “My White Bicycle.” He has worked with many bands, primarily those playing progressive rock, and was the musical producer for Israeli singer Nava Berukhin’s debut album, produced by Francis Lai, which won the Best Movie Song Oscar for “Love Story.” In Israel, Burgess has his own production studio, United Studio, in the city of Ramat Gan.
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