Successive generations of Israeli writers have charted the hopes of peace and the pain of conflict. What does the nation's writing reveal about the challenges of today?

"The process of saying goodbye to these two authors, who had been a visible presence in Israeli society for decades, is far from over." -Nir Baram The Pen and the Sword explores the efforts by successive generations of Israeli writers to grapple with their nation's difficult political questions. In a probing essay, Israeli novelist Nir Baram examines the remarkable friendship between two giants of Israeli literature - Amos Oz and A.B. Yehoshua - whose lives, writing and passionate disputes reflect their country's recent turbulent history and divides. And leading critic Arik Glasner surveys a younger generation of Israeli writers, whose disparate voices and stories provide a crucial glimpse into Israel today. The issue also includes Steven Nadler's new insights into the excommunication of Spinoza, Michael Vatikiotis's portrait of the Jewish community of pluralist Singapore and book reviews by Irris Makler, Benjamin Balint and Catherine Taylor.