OZ, AMOS

born May 4, 1939, Jerusalem original name Amos Klausner Israeli novelist, short-story writer, and essayist. Oz was educated at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and at the University of Oxford. He served in the Israeli army (195760, 1967, and 1973) and, in addition to writing, worked as a part-time schoolteacher and labourer. Oz's symbolic, poetic novels reflect the splits and strains in Israeli life. Locked in conflict are the traditions of intellect and the demands of the flesh, reality and fantasy, rural Zionism and the longing for European urbanity, and the values of the founding settlers and the perceptions of their skeptical offspring. Unable to share the optimistic outlook and ideological certainties of Israel's founding generation, Oz presents an ironic view of reality in which Israeli society is unapologetically scrutinized. His works of fiction include Artsot ha-tan (1965; Where the Jackals Howl, and Other Stories), Mikha'el sheli (1968; My Michael), La-ga'at ba-mayim, la-ga'at ba-ruah (1973; Touch the Water, Touch the Wind), Kufsah shehora (1987; Black Box), and Matsav ha-shelishi (1991; The Third State). He edited Siah lohamim (The Seventh Day), a collection of soldiers' reflections on the Six-Day War. Oz was also known for his controversial political essays.