Born in Lublin, Poland, Glatstein emigrated to the United States in 1914 and lived there until his death. One of the major figures in modern Yiddish poetry, Glatstein cultivated free verse and poetry closely related to the reality of contemporary events and society. A master of the Yiddish language, he created poems that became classic expressions of Jewish attitudes and reactions to the tragic events of the Holocaust. He also wrote brilliant prose; especially remarkable are two accounts of a trip to Europe on the eve of World War II.
Ruth R. Wisse is the Martin Peretz Professor of Yiddish Literature and professor of comparative literature at Harvard University. She is the author of "The Modern Jewish Canon: A Journey through Language and Culture", which won a National Jewish Book Award. Her other books include "Jews and Power" (Schocken) and "The Schlemiel as Modern Hero".
David G. Roskies is series editor of the New Yiddish Library and professor of Yiddish at the Jewish Theological Seminary.