Teller of yarns to spin

Author Howard Schwartz will bring an ancient tradition to the Cat in the Cream Friday night when he shares stories from his book Gabriel's Palace: Jewish Mystical Tales.

A professor of English at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, Schwartz has long devoted himself to the study of Jewish literary tradition. He has been extensively published as an editor and author of fiction, poetry, and children's books.

In Gabriel's Palace, Schwartz collected a wide range of stories representing different facets of Jewish mystical tradition. Some of the more ancient stories, dating as far back as fifth century Babylon, are reminiscent of Greek mythology, relating acts of heroism and magic.

"The Magic Flock," for instance, tells of Jacob's encounter and struggle with a magician disguised as a shepherd. Other tales recount the mystical experiences of eminent rabbis, bringing the reader or listener into a world where, as Schwartz writes, "the boundary between the living and the dead, between earth and heaven and hell, between spirit and body, is a fluid one."

In his reading at the Cat, Schwartz will guide his audience through this mysterious world and introduce them to the "highly charged spiritual environment" in which these stories originated. He will interweave six stories from Gabriel's Palace with bits of his own scholarship and interpretation.

Even those unfamiliar with Jewish tradition should be enticed by Schwartz the "master storyteller," as he is described in the Jewish Book Guide, from Jason Aronson Publishers. Writer Michael Fishbane has also praised Schwartz for his ability to "weave wonders with the threads of Jewish legends."

Sponsored by Hillel, Schwartz's presentation should prove to be a compelling tour of the world of Jewish mysticism.

Howard Schwartz will read Friday, September 11 at 9 p.m. at the Cat in the Cream. Admission is free.