Language at the Edge: Exploring Holocaust Poetry

February 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 2023
12:00–1:30 p.m. EST

Join us for an in-depth look at the poetry of the Holocaust, some of the most profound poetry of witness known to humankind. These poems are borne within the extremity of survival and they are, as such, evidence of what occurred. They are also poems about the limits of language itself to convey the unimaginable. In this immersion, we will read deeply from a selection of poets who wrote about the Holocaust and learn about their lives, their stories, their survival, and their language. At the same time, we will explore our own lives, our family histories, and what it means to live in a post-Holocaust world. From these stories we will begin to form our own poems of witness.

Rachel Neve-Midbar is a poet and essayist. Her first full-length poetry collection, Salaam of Birds, was chosen by Dorothy Barresi for the Patricia Bibby First Book Prize and was published by Tebot Bach in January 2020. She is also the author of the 2014 chapbook, What the Light Reveals. Her work has appeared in many journals and anthologies. A current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern California, Rachel is also editor of Stained: An Anthology of Writing about Menstruation for the AuntFlo2020 Project. More at rachelnevemidbar.com.

All sessions will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.