Ruth Kartun-Blum
Ruth Kartun-Blum, the head of the Hebrew Literature Department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is one of the leading authorities in this field. Her numerous publications, both in Hebrew and in English, include seminal studies in the areas of Hebrew literature, literary theory and literary history. Her books include a historical survey of the poetry of Hibbat Zion; a monograph on the poetry of Yokheved Bat-Miriam; two volumes on self-reference in art; studies on the poetry of Nathan Alterman and Lea Goldberg, and numerous essays and articles. Kartun-Blum`s research incorporates current modes of literary theory such as modernism and postmodernism, intertextuality, women’s studies and feminist readings.
Her book, Profane Scriptures: Reflections on the Dialogue With the Bible in Modern Hebrew Literature, deals with intertextuality with the scriptures in Israeli poetry and is accompanied by drawings by Menashe Kadishman. She initiated and is now the editor of a series of introductory books, Musag (Concept), which seek to introduce the lexicon of literary terms to the general reading public, illustrating them via Hebrew texts. Kartun-Blum is a frequent guest of major universities abroad. In 2003, the Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati awarded her the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa.