No Song and Dance: Holocaust Poetry
Lou helped me create the slide show for next week's panel in Chicago. He's tech-savvy, this blessed husband of mine. This morning we put together the Power Point slides for the poetry presentation at AWP. Technology is not my friend, and I cried while we sat composing the slides of Horb, Rexingen, of Hedwig Schwarz, the lone survivor from my family; Theresienstadt, and Riga. I cried honest tears for those lost and thankfulness for those saved.
Our panel, "Reentering the Black Forest in Poetry, Prose, and Drama," includes prose writer Mimi Schwartz, scholar Gilya Schmidt, and me, poet Marilyn Kallet. It takes place at 3 p.m. in the Boulevard Room at the Chicago Hilton, on February 12th. It would be heartening to find Red Roomers there!
I hope to have a few more poems from this set by heart before Thursday. It's harder to memorize poems that are somber and full of facts. But not impossible.
This is my first powerpoint poetry presentation with slides. The one attached here is of the gate to the "small camp" at Theresienstadt, 40 km from Prague, where many of my family members died of starvation and illness, 1941-42. You'll recognize a smaller version of the sign from Auschwitz. The small camp has not been prettified for tourists, and it is an evil place.
Please wish me luck.
Marilyn
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Matthew Biberman says:
good
luck and safe travels
Marilyn Kallet says:
Thank you, dear! Same to you on your motorcycle and in yr words
Thanks I hold the wishes close.
Hope things are going well in beautiful Louisville. Send my cheers to Jeffrey Skinner and Sarah Gorham if you ever see them.
x Marilyn
Evelyn Sharenov says:
mazel
this is powerful - all luck to you
my husband is doing a presentation at Yeshiva U's law school on the genocide in Rwanda - the photos and words from his journey will be on his blog within the next couple of weeks and I'll keep you posted
on a lighter note - one must have a tech savvy spouse
Marilyn Kallet says:
Thanks again, all the more--
Mishpokah?
I hope your hub's presentation goes well, and yes, yes, I do want to see what he's doing. Genocide is genocide. Alas.
Keep up the good work, both of you! Warmly, Marilyn
Evelyn Sharenov says:
is that how it's spelled?
mishpokah? of course
I must find that dictionary I've got packed away somewhere: Yiddish Schmiddish
Marilyn Kallet says:
Well, no matter how you spell it, we're all connected!
That makes me happy! And your words about the poem really cheered me up. I've been working on a series about Dante and Beatrice, Orpheus and Euridice--and they're stuck in East Tennesee!
All cheers and thanks, Marilyn
Marilyn Kallet says:
tech-savy spouse
Definitely. He gave me a GPS for Chanukah--a poet should be able to find her way once in awhile! But now I have to learn how to program it...
oy! :) Marilyn
Sue Glasco says:
Lest We Forget
It is difficult for us to deal with evil in the world. So much misery. One person alone can cause such chaos and pain. And so can all of us together. Sometimes deliberately and sometimes unintentionally. We can usually correct the unintentional through education. But we don't yet know how to deal with the deliberate evil. Nevertheless, I do think it important that we recognize past and present genocides and other cruelty, lest we let down our guard against it. Thank you for your work to help us remember.
Marilyn Kallet says:
Thanks for your encouragement, Sue.
Not everyone feels as you do. There's an article in today's NYTimes, the Week in Review, about a war crimes trial in Germany--and how the Germans are now "over it." They want to "move on."
Argh.
Thanks again, Marilyn
Lisa Angell says:
Thinking of you
Marilyn,
I first met you when you had just returned from Germany, processing this very difficult work. I am amazed at how much you have done in this time. You are the perfect person to be the voice of the past, changing the future. I send you much strength and courage in your presentation. I'd like to see some of your visual images sometime.
I wish I could be there for your new book release party.
Much love and hope, Lisa
Marilyn Kallet says:
How lovely and timely to hear from you!
Lisa,
I consider this very good luck! I'll post a photo of the lone survivor from Horb/Rexingen in my next blog. Thanks and love, Marilyn
Debra Dylan says:
Is there any chance that you
Is there any chance that you and Dr. Schmidt will make this reading/slide show available in Knoxville? I read your post about Hedwig Schwarz and it was amazing. She was a beautiful woman, too.
I hate that I missed your launch party/reading on Feb. 2nd. :( I'm happy is was such a success. (With regard to the Local echo from mom, if it's in Knoxville, that's saying something!!!)
Marilyn Kallet says:
your kind query
Debra,
Just found your kind note and the query about doing the panel in Knoxville. I'll mention it to Gilya. The problem is that the third panelist, Mimi Schwartz, lives in New Jersey--we'd have to find a way to pay her. But that may be doable.
Anyway, thanks for asking! Marilyn