Shirley Kaufman
Author of The Defiant Muse: Hebrew Feminist Poems from Antiquity to the Present
About the Author
Works by Shirley Kaufman
Associated Works
About Women: An Anthology of Contemporary Fiction, Poetry, and Essays (1973) — Contributor — 26 copies
In'hui, No.9 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Kaufman, Shirley
- Gender
- female
- Awards and honors
- Shelley Memorial Award (1990/1991)
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Reviews
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Statistics
- Works
- 10
- Also by
- 8
- Members
- 104
- Popularity
- #184,481
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 16
- Languages
- 2
I collect these words
like coins
in the bowls of beggars
they add up to
just enough to
keep going
Originally from the United States, Kaufman has lived in Israel for the past thirty years. The poems in Threshold also range from Seattle to Jerusalem in its subjects and concerns, from the "projective verse" style poems of its opening movement to later sections dealing with family and long-term love, Biblical figures (Adam, Rachel, Jacob) and the poet's role as historian and witness. While there is a love of life and the things of this world in her work, there is always sadness, a haunted sense lurking behind Kaufman's poetry. Even a New Year's celebration at the millennium causes her to reflect:
the twenty-first century
nothing
but sparks and flashes
collapsed
into dust
too many zeros
ending with smoke
Quietly political, Kaufman's work does not take sides in the conflicts in Israel or anywhere—"good guys / bad / what's the difference / if everyone fights" she writes—her work comes down very strongly in support of humanity, and the lives of those caught up in the meshes of violence. Resonant and deeply satisfying, Threshold is a solid, serious and ultimately moving work by a consummate and compassionate professional.… (more)