Nautilus and Bone chronicles the life and work of the radical, passionate Russian-Jewish American poet Anna Margolin on her path toward self-determination. Blending myth, surrealism, historical fact and fiction, this collection of persona poems brings to life one of the most celebrated Yiddish poets of her generation.
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Nautilus and Bone
Discussion Questions
In Nautilus and Bone, Lisa Richter races around the life and work of Yiddish-language poet Anna Margolin (1887 – 1952) until her “words are wilding.” The poetry supersedes the mere biographical and showcases the triumphs of the genre: in forms including sonnet crowns, centos, and homophonic translations, Richter keeps up with Margolin’s escapades from Brisk to the Lower East Side. Poems such as “Flew the Peacock Off-Golden” combine iconic themes of Yiddish poetry with Richter’s exuberant syntax: “above sleep I became the peacock/my restless eye flew away you bow.” Language flaunts itself across history — with epigraphs ranging from Lorca to Lizzo, the collection memorializes Margolin’s legacy across time. Richter’s exhilarating achievement doesn’t merely bring Margolin to life — it dares the reader to live as fully as Margolin.
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