I wanted to share a collection with this group that I think deserves more readers.
Wordsongs of Jewish Thought by Martin Bidney. 108 poems written in 13 days in response to Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary on the Tanya — each one what the poet calls a wordsong, a musical composition that uses words rather than pitches.
Bidney is a lifelong violinist, klezmer fiddler and classical chorister. His colleague, the German literature scholar Katharina Mommsen at 100 years old, described the collection as having a lightness, jauntiness and melodious flow that made serious religious material feel entertaining.
4.91 average on Goodreads with 19 written reviews. For anyone here who loves poetry where craft and spiritual meaning are treated as the same concern — this one is worth discovering.
Wordsongs of Jewish Thought by Martin Bidney. 108 poems written in 13 days in response to Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's commentary on the Tanya — each one what the poet calls a wordsong, a musical composition that uses words rather than pitches.
Bidney is a lifelong violinist, klezmer fiddler and classical chorister. His colleague, the German literature scholar Katharina Mommsen at 100 years old, described the collection as having a lightness, jauntiness and melodious flow that made serious religious material feel entertaining.
4.91 average on Goodreads with 19 written reviews. For anyone here who loves poetry where craft and spiritual meaning are treated as the same concern — this one is worth discovering.