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Counterturn


Jun 30, 2022

Nelson and Peter continue their discussion of poetry, and Jewishness. How do Jewish poetry and mysticism balance ironic scepticism with religious feeling? And what the hell's wrong with rhyme anyway?

This conversation took place between Nelson Rufatt, and poet, teacher, and translator of Hebrew and Arabic, Peter Cole. Cole's riveting books of poetry include 'Rift', 'Things On Which I've Stumbled', 'Hymns and Qualms', and 'The Invention of Influence'. He has written celebrated translations of medieval and Kabbalistic Hebrew poetry, as well as of works by Hebrew and Arabic-speaking poets such as Aharon Shabtai, Yoel Hoffman, and Taha Muhammad Ali. Among his many prizes are a MacArthur Fellowship, the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, and an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He teaches Comparative Religion at Yale University, and lives sometimes in Jerusalem, sometimes in New Haven, Connecticut.

His books can be purchased at http://ibiseditions.com/petercole/

The theme song is 'Zaftik' was composed and performed by Nelson Rufatt.