Ilana Haley takes her literary inspiration from an Israeli childhood--- as a child of early kibbutz pioneers. These stories an poems reflect values and conflicts that helped to make the Nation of Israel. She left her kibbutz and spent two years in the army; from there to her life in Tel-Aviv as dancer with the Israeli Ballet, and then to America with a grant from The Martha Graham School. She found inspiration as a fashion designer, studying at the Chicago Art Institute, and as a Yoga teacher at the Yoga Circle in Chicago. After she finished her BA in Hebrew literature at the Spertus College in Chicago, she went back to Israel for few years and received her MA at Bar- Ilan University in Tel-Aviv. She came back to America to teach in high school (her favorite occupation-- as she says). After many years of writing and reflection she has finally, after the death of her mother, decided to publish this small volume of prose and poetry that begins to tell the stories that give words to her history and hopes. She is working now on other books of prose and poetry and plans to do very little else.
Three young people go to the woods after the war and what happens to them
THE KISSING STONE (ALYA) ...And when the silence was at its deepest, the stillness so complete that even the crickets ceased their shouting, and the watchman on duty was dozing off somewhere. Alya arose from her bed as if obeying a command and, dressed in her nightclothes, went to the door and opened it. For a long moment, she stood at the open door listening, then closed the door behind her and walked into the night. The...
