Jacob Isaac Segal (1896-1954): A Montreal Yiddish Poet and His Milieu

The writing of J. I. Segal, one of the first Yiddish writers in Canada, embodied both a rich literary tradition and the modernism of his day. Born in the Ukraine in 1896, and settling in Montreal in 1910, Segal made a major contribution to the emergence of Yiddish literature in the Quebec metropolis. The author of twelve poetry collections as well as numerous essays and articles, he achieved renown in the Jewish world of both Eastern Europe and New York. Infused with lyricism and mysticism, his poetry paved the way for a major literary movement within the North American Jewish diaspora.In this book, anthropologist Pierre Anctil traces the literary trajectory of J. I. Segal and his milieu. By introducing the reader to the poet’s work through previously unpublished translations, he demonstrates that in many respects it reflects the history of the Jewish immigrants who arrived in North America from Russia, the Ukraine and Poland at the beginning of the 20th century.