Course Details

Joshua November is a Rabbi in New Jersey and Marge Piercy is a political activist from Cape Cod. Both have published books of collected poems about their Jewish traditions, including God’s Optimism (November) and The Art of Blessing the Day (Piercy). We will read and discuss some of their poems, inquiring what they reveal about their “Jewishness” and how their poetry relates to our own lives and religious/philosophical inclinations, whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim, other, or none. While the emphasis will be on discussion, participants will be encouraged (not required) to keep a diary, or write notes, or write poems to share with the group.