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For My Brother Jesus
For over three decades the poetry of Irving Layton has won acclaim, each book generating new waves of enthusiasm, outrage, controversy, and vituperation. Never a poet to mince words, the tempestuous Layton is at his stinging best, his most concerned and explosive, in For My Brother Jesus. In it Layton reclaims Jesus for the Jews, scoring the "ignoble lie" of Christianity, a religion which, he claims, implanted the seeds of anti-semitism in Western civilization, leading directly to Hitler's gas chambers. Through the witty and provocative denunciation of Christianity's arrogance, hypocrisy, and anti-life bias, there speaks the life-affirming voice in familiar and boisterous celebration of sensuality, love, and the human condition. For My Brother Jesus brings together eighty new poems which radiate the boundless energy of the most popular, prolific, and honoured poet living in Canada today.
- GenresPoetry
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
21 people want to read
About the author
Irving Layton
85 books40 followersPoet, Teacher.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
Born as Israel Pincu Lazarovitch, author Irving Layton immigrated to Canada in 1913, as a baby, his family settling on the infamous St. Urbain Street in the city of Montreal. In the heavily French-speaking province of Quebec, some locals were weary of English foreigners and Jewish families, however, the Lazarovitches adapted to the city where a great Canadian literary scene flourished, producing several English (Canadian) authors such as Mordecai Richler, Leonard Cohen and Louis Dudek.
In the early 1930's, Irving Layton received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture from MacDonald College. In 1946, he received his M.A. in Political Science. He also began teaching English, History, and Political Science at the Jewish parochial high school, Herzliah, in 1949. He taught modern English and American poetry at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia) and worked as a tenured professor at York University in the 1970s. He lectured occasionally at McGill University in Political Science. He taught English and Literature at the Jewish Public Library.
Irving Layton often recited his works at readings and travelled the world doing so, gaining fame and popularity. Over the course of his life, Irving Layton received many awards and honours for his writing. In 1959, Irving Layton received the Governor-General's Award for "A Red Carpet for the Sun." He was titled an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1976. In 1981, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by Italy and South Korea. He also received the Petrarch Award for Poetry.
Well loved, Irving led a full life surrounded by students, friends and family. He was married four times - to Faye Lynch, Harriet Bernstein, Annette Pottier and Betty Sutherland. He also lived with a woman named Aviva Cantor for several years. He fathered four children during his life named Max, Naomi, David and Samantha Clara.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 2, 2017
For some time I've thought that a funeral done in avant-garde poetry would be the ultimate send-off. I suspect, however that many friends and family would regard it as incomprehensible, somehow offensive to their memory, or just perceive me as a prick or strange. Yet, I maintain that prose can do so much better at capturing the magic, pain, and sometimes sheer awkwardness of life than a conventional religious sermon or non-offensive memorial slideshow\atheist stumbling.
To this theme, Layton gave himself a massively early auto-eulogy in 1972 with L'envoi:
"World you old smelly cunt
it's been great knowing you;
knowing sun, moon, stars, beautiful women
waves and graves
I leave you now for one who has no smell
A Greek urn
Good-night, farewell"
Though this is my first time reading Layton, it wouldn't surprise if he hung it out there and was just as wild until the end. I guess I'll have so wait and see.
To this theme, Layton gave himself a massively early auto-eulogy in 1972 with L'envoi:
"World you old smelly cunt
it's been great knowing you;
knowing sun, moon, stars, beautiful women
waves and graves
I leave you now for one who has no smell
A Greek urn
Good-night, farewell"
Though this is my first time reading Layton, it wouldn't surprise if he hung it out there and was just as wild until the end. I guess I'll have so wait and see.
March 18, 2017
This is my first Irving Layton, but not my last. I've already ordered two more. I would have said that I never heard of him, but in reviewing my poetry notes of 30 years ago I find him mentioned and he sounded interesting. He definitely is. He rails against Christians for all they've done in the name of Christ. Who could blame him for that? He hails Jesus as a Jewish prophet, which he was. Along the way you'll find a few racy or raunchy (you decide) sex poems. If the job of a poet is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable then Layton has succeeded. This is a poet who should make you think and that, I think, is the highest praise.
December 31, 2017
Not for the delicate or easily offended but a good look at life, the world and history through one man’s eyes expressed in poetry.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews