By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California — The poetry of two academics and one prize-winning journalist will be featured at the next “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16. One may register here for this free program is co-sponsored by the JCC and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture.
David Brin, acclaimed author of science fiction novels, will read the poetry of his father, the late Herb Brin. Herb was a courageous journalist, publisher and poet, a tireless fighter for his people and for justice. Born in 1915 to a poor Chicago family of immigrants from Poland and Russia, Herb became a gangland reporter in 1930s Chicago, served as an army reporter during World War II, then covered top stories for the Los Angeles Times, including international reporting at the Eichmann Trial in Jerusalem before starting the Heritage Jewish Press, a chain of weekly community papers spanning Southern California. The San Diego Jewish Press Heritage was later purchased by Don Harrison, the current editor and publisher of San Diego Jewish World. Herb was a world-renowned poet, publishing five books of poetry, several with forewords by Nobel prize winner, Elie Weisel.
Amelia Glaser is currently the chair of Judaic Studies at UCSD. She serves as professor of Slavic and Comparative Literature. Last year, she was honored as one of the JFest’s six Women of Valor.
Amelia received her BA degree in Comparative Literature from Oberlin College, her Maser’s of Studies in Yiddish from Oxford University and her PhD in Comparative Literature from Stanford University. After fellowships at Harvard’s Ukrainian Research Institute, and the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, she became a lecturer at Stanford in Judaic Studies and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies before joining the UCSD faculty in 2006.
Among her research interests are transnational Jewish literature and translation theory and practice. She has written and translated Yiddish poetry and also writes poetry in contemporary Ukraine.
Adam Deutsch is a faculty member in the English Department of Grossmont College, where he teaches composition and hosts poetry workshops. He grew up in Long Island and developed his love of poetry while in college. He received his BA from Hofstra University and his MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His recently published poetry collection, Every Transmission, garnered a full-page article in the Arts section of the Union-Tribune. He is also the publisher of Cooper Dillon Books, which specializes in publishing poetry.
The first hour of featured poetry will be followed by a half-hour of open mic, during which audience members may read their original works. The evening will conclude with a reception, at which the audience can intermingle with the poets and light refreshments are served.
The final two evenings of “Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices” will feature the poetry of Gloria Gervitz, Phyllis Schwartz and Jim Lewis on March 5 and Jewish Poets of the Past, Abraham Sutzkever and Dalia Rabikowitch on May 7. The Poets of the Past program does not include an open mic segment.
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Eileen Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts.