Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 29 (2008) Winner
Robert Bernard Alter
ロバート・アルター
Rōbāto Arutā
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1935
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Hebrew
- Religion
- Judaism
- Residence History
- Berkeley, California, USA
Career
- Occupations
- Scholar, Translator, University professor, Hebraist
- Active Years
- 1962-
- Affiliations
- University of California, Berkeley
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Philosophical Society, Association of Literary Scholars and Critics
- Influenced By
- Franz Kafka, Frank Kermode, Jewish biblical tradition
- Influenced
- Recent biblical literary scholars and translators
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | Faculty of Arts and Sciences | Department of English | Bachelor of Arts | 1953–1957 | United States |
| Harvard University | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | Comparative Literature | Master of Arts | 1958 | United States |
| Harvard University | Graduate School of Arts and Sciences | Comparative Literature | Doctor of Philosophy | 1958–1962 | United States |
Columbia University
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
/ Department of English
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Period:
1953–1957
Year of Graduation:
1957
Country:
United States
Harvard University
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
/ Comparative Literature
Degree:
Master of Arts
Period:
1958
Year of Graduation:
1958
Country:
United States
Harvard University
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
/ Comparative Literature
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Period:
1958–1962
Year of Graduation:
1962
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Robert Kirsch Award | — | — | Los Angeles Times | 受賞 |
| 1966 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1978 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | 受賞 |
| 1981 | National Jewish Book Award (Jewish Thought) | The Art of Biblical Narrative | Jewish Thought | National Jewish Book Council | 受賞 |
| 2005 | PEN Translation Prize | The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary | — | PEN America | 受賞 |
| 2010 | Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Yale University) | — | — | Yale University | 授与 |
| 2015 | Doctor Honoris Causa (Hebrew University) | — | — | Hebrew University of Jerusalem | 授与 |
| 2010 | Berkeley Citation | — | — | University of California, Berkeley | 受賞 |
Robert Kirsch Award
2009
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1966
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
Guggenheim Fellowship
1978
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
受賞
National Jewish Book Award (Jewish Thought)
1981
Work:
The Art of Biblical Narrative
Category:
Jewish Thought
Organization:
National Jewish Book Council
Result:
受賞
PEN Translation Prize
2005
Work:
The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
受賞
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters (Yale University)
2010
Organization:
Yale University
Result:
授与
Doctor Honoris Causa (Hebrew University)
2015
Organization:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Result:
授与
Berkeley Citation
2010
Organization:
University of California, Berkeley
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary
2018 Translation and commentary 3000 pagesA three-volume translation and commentary of the Hebrew Bible completed after 24 years, emphasizing literary features of the original to convey rhythm and diction.
Biblical literatureTranslation theoryNarrative technique
The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary
2004 Translation and commentaryA literary translation and commentary on the Torah, with attention to vocabulary and stylistic choices.
TorahLiterary reading
The Art of Biblical Narrative
1981 Scholarly studyA seminal study analyzing the narrative techniques of the Bible, introducing concepts like the 'type scene'.
Narrative analysisBiblical studies
The David Story: A Translation with Commentary of 1 and 2 Samuel
1999 Translation and commentaryA literary translation and commentary on the books of Samuel, focusing on the story of David.
KingshipEpic narrative
Bibliography
- Rogue's Progress: Studies in the Picaresque Novel (1965)
- Partial Magic: The Novel as a Self-Conscious Genre (1975)
- The Art of Biblical Narrative (1981)
- The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary (2004)
- The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary (2018)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Careful, stylistically oriented readings and translations of biblical textsFocus on rhythm and diction in narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- Introduction of type-scene analysisAnalysis of narrator and narrative techniquesEmphasis on the literary aspects of religious texts
Legacy
Robert Alter transformed biblical studies and translation by reading the Bible as literature. His translations and commentaries have been influential among scholars and general readers, renewing modern approaches to biblical literary study.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- American Philosophical Society
Archives
- University of California, Berkeley-related archives (details unspecified)
Quotes
-
The Bible can and should be read as literature.
Source: The Art of Biblical Narrative (1981)
Trivia
- His complete translation and commentary of the Hebrew Bible took about 24 years to complete.
- Known for introducing the concept of the 'type scene' in The Art of Biblical Narrative.