By
– October 18, 2011
This volume combines poetry about women by women and poems about women by men. To quote an unrelated critic, it has many “small, satisfying surprises.” Its layout — recto page has the Yiddish original at the right margin; verso, English is on the left margin — leaves contemplative space for the bilingual reader. In 12 topical sections — love, mother, art, children, Holocaust, religion, etc. — poets of lesser reputations are sequenced alphabetically with luminaries such as Grade, Sutzkever, Raisen, Molodowsky, Dropkin, serving all well.
For the casual reader, short paragraphs about each writer are included. The translations read satisfyingly, and are somewhat free; in a few cases, however, translation of an entire Yiddish stanza has been omitted. Songs will raise interest in Yiddish as a written language.
Arlene B. Soifer earned degrees in English, and has had many years of experience as a freelance writer, editor, and public relations professional.
