In this volume resulting from a 2004 meeting of the Association of Medieval Hebrew Poetry and Renaissance Literature, Guetta (Jewish thought, l'Institut national des langues et civilisations
orientales [INALCO], Paris) and Itzhaki (Hebrew literature, INALCO) compile 14 noteworthy essays in the field. They introduce current research foci including: interactions between Jewish,
Muslim, and Christian poetics; theoretical studies from contemporary points of view; new perspectives on classic authors (e.g., Judah Halevi, Judah al-Harizi); newly appreciated authors
(Shelomo Boafed, El'azar ha-Bavli); lesser known authors from Egypt, Iraq, and Aragon; and specific genres such as a form of piyut (liturgical poem). The first complete Hebrew critical edition
of a poetic correspondence between Vidal Abenvenist ('Efer we and Simon Solomon de Piera Diwan is presented. One of the contributions is in French. Annotation 穢2009 Book News, Inc., Portland,
OR (booknews.com)
