Avshalom Halutz in Haaretz: ‘Born in 1881, [Jacob Israel] De Haan moved throughout his life between extremes, dancing his way through groups and ideas that seemingly contradicted one another. Born into a religious Jewish family in the Netherlands, he published explicit homoerotic poems and is considered by many to be the first Dutch man to live openly as gay. (…) Disappointed with the practices and ideals of Zionism, he ended up as a vocal critic of the movement and a contentious figure in Jerusalem. In 1924, he was shot dead by a member of the Haganah.’

And: ‘In another short story, wonderfully translated by Ran Hacohen, a character encounters both Satan and Jesus in Parisian hotels, kissing them both while showing contempt for Christianity's most important figure – treating Jesus rudely.’

In Parisian hotels, you can find anything. De Haan’s Dutch is not always easy to read, but a renaissance he deserves.

(a sf 2205)