I say: chosen for this
tenacious language,
to be the we
who get to say this word
and live forever,
and it makes me pity Handel,
gospel singers, televangelists—
belting out their hearts for a borrowed word—
when I have the whole thing
one hundred and fifty psalms
every single syllable a hallelujah
Excerpt from Scatter Psalms: XI
(Dead Men's Praise)
by Jacqueline Osherow, 1999
Poetry Fans
Save this date!
Sunday June 10
2pm
Hilda Raz and Jehanne Dubrow will present poetry by Jewish writers from a special issue of the prestigious national literary quarterly Prairie Schooner.
Four Session Mini-Course
What is Jewish about
Jewish American Poetry?
- With Eric Murphy Selinger
- Mondays, April 16, 23, 30, May 7
- 12 noon–1:30 pm
- Kosher lunch included in each session.
- $125 | $100 for Spertus members
- Advance registration is required by April 12. Call 312.322.1743 or email rsvp@spertus.edu
From Emma Lazarus to Allen Ginsberg to Robert Pinsky, Jews have written great American poems. But is there such a thing as "Jewish American Poetry?" What makes it Jewish? What makes it American? What are its traditions, its obsessions, and its future? Reading a handful of poems each week, this course will introduce you to a wide range of engaging, accessible, and sometimes provocative texts. No previous experience with poetry required!
Eric Murphy Selinger teaches American poetry, popular literature, and Jewish American writers at DePaul University. A graduate of Harvard University and UCLA, his publications include Jewish American Poetry: Poems, Commentary, and Reflections (2000) and regular reviews for Parnassus and other journals. Selinger has worked with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Poetry Foundation to promote the teaching of poetry to young people. He leads a poetry group at the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston and his blogs on teaching and literature draw readers from around the world.