About This Blog (aka Relaunching My Blog)

Okay, so even though almost everything posted here is backdated to the date when I actually wrote it, in actual fact I put together this blog just now -- over the course of April 2017 -- from a myriad of sources (other abortive blogs I started over the years, electronic files that I'd saved, in some cases social media where I posted some of this stuff the first time around).

You'll find multiple categories of stuff here:

1.  A lot of poetry (which for the most part I have no idea where else to publish, since I know there are literary journals in the world but as far as I can tell no one reads them -- and I'm not sure I'd characterize my poetry as a "literary" pursuit in any case).

2.  A few academic / academic-style essays which aren't polished or original enough to publish in an academic setting but which I still think may carry some interest / point towards useful sources for folks who are interested in the topics I wrote about.

3. Short sermons, about Jewish liturgy, other Jewish texts, the Jewish year cycle, etc.

4. Some reflections on my own spiritual and mental-health journey, as well as lessons learned which I think might help others who wrestle with related challenges.

5. My reflections on life as a reader (and writer) -- reactions to specific works of literature and musings about bookworm-hood in general.

6. Interesting odds and ends that I encounter in my work as a graduate student in the field of Yiddish literature and culture, and in my study of Hebrew and other languages as well.

7. Tips and tricks for research, and (feminist) reflections on life in academia.

8. Here and there, thoughts about contemporary politics.

9. Last but not least, a bunch of music that I've written over the years.  I write quite a lot of music, but I'm not the greatest singer (or recorder!), so it's been a bit of a challenge to figure out how to get my music out into the world.  For now, I've decided that something is better than nothing, and putting it out there will allow "real musicians" to take what I've written and make it into something better than the forlorn recordings I'm posting here.

Happy reading!  Comments and emails are welcome.

Two more oldies but goodies (?)

Once upon a time I knew enough Latin to write Latin poetry... maybe.  You be the judge 😛

Interclusa

Numquam futuro lacrima-
tur sanguinem corpus meum.
Cum candet luna alvus mea
videtur esse ingens pirum.
Nitor genibus in nive ululo-
que frigido exanimique. Dum
capra parit infecunda sum.

Aestas

In herbis altis aridis
clandestinis duae fidis
confirmant amicitiam.
Ocellis pullioribus
et quasi aquam manibus
complexis spargunt gratiam.

My first ever poem

I've been going through a bunch of my old writing in order to put this blog together, and I found this poem which I apparently wrote at the tender age of 6 😉

FISH DOG CAT

A dog and a cat, especially a fish
Asleep by the fire
Awakened by a sound outside.
Ready for my meal!
That's what the dog says
Ready for some fish!
That's what the cat says
Don't eat me!
That's what the fish says
Neither the dog nor the cat had noticed the fish.
The fish! The fish!
That's what the cat says
I can chase the fish!
So the cat and the dog tried to chase the fish in its big glass case.