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In eighty-four short, intermingling essays, Gerald Stern moves nimbly between the past and the present, the personal and the philosophical. Creating the immediacy of dailiness, he writes about what he’s reading at the moment, be it Spinoza or John Cage, Maimonides or Lucille Clifton, and then seamlessly turns to memories of his student years in Europe on the G.I. Bill, or early family life in Pittsburgh, or his political and social activism.
Stern meditates on the Lamb in Christianity and Judaism. He explores the mysterious life of the dragonfly in all its permutations and examines the comedy of the Marx Brothers and the idea of adultery in Noel Coward’s film Brief Encounter. Interwoven with his formidable recollections (Stern, it would seem, forgets nothing) are the author’s passionate discussions of his lifelong obsessions: issues of justice; his identity as a secular Jew who has strong objections to Israel’s political positions; and the idea of neighbors in various forms—from the women of Gee’s Bend who together make astonishing quilts to the Polish inhabitants of the small town of Jedwabne, who on a single day in 1941 slaughtered 1,600 Jews. Revealing a poet engaged with imagination, memory, and witness, and written in Stern’s signature, associative style, Stealing History is a significant literary achievement by one of our most celebrated poets.
Price: $17.95
Pages: 314
Publisher: Trinity University Press
Imprint: Trinity University Press
Publication Date:
06 November 2012
Trim Size: 8.00 X 5.00 in
ISBN: 9781595341419
Format: Paperback
“Gerald Stern is one of those writers whose style insinuates itself into your consciousness like a catchy tune, so that you find your thoughts echoing its rhythms, bopping from one to another, back and forth, like thought and language doing a jitterbug.” — Philadelphia Inquirer
BR>“There is no warning as to where Jerry, as his many friends call him, will strike next as he roams about his long and productive life.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“It is patient and wise, but also frenzied, angry—kind of wild. It’s loose and free, but also elegantly written. The work is a trip, full of humor, wit and wisdom. The kind of thing you read in slow, measured sips. It's your grandfather on Sunday afternoons, after his scotch, plunked down on the beat-up old armchair that became his honorary pedestal.” — San Antonio Express-News
“By turns Talmudic and profane, unsentimental and heartbreaking: the poet transforms himself in these essays into a Tristram Shandy for our times, a Montaigne who finds in the intricate unspooling of experiences, outrages, and joys a perspective that is generous, wise, and cut through with wit.”— Walter Mosley
BR>“There is no warning as to where Jerry, as his many friends call him, will strike next as he roams about his long and productive life.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“It is patient and wise, but also frenzied, angry—kind of wild. It’s loose and free, but also elegantly written. The work is a trip, full of humor, wit and wisdom. The kind of thing you read in slow, measured sips. It's your grandfather on Sunday afternoons, after his scotch, plunked down on the beat-up old armchair that became his honorary pedestal.” — San Antonio Express-News
“By turns Talmudic and profane, unsentimental and heartbreaking: the poet transforms himself in these essays into a Tristram Shandy for our times, a Montaigne who finds in the intricate unspooling of experiences, outrages, and joys a perspective that is generous, wise, and cut through with wit.”— Walter Mosley
Gerald Stern’s recent books of poetry are Early Collected Poems: 1965–1992, Save the Last Dance, This Time: New and Selected Poems, which won the National Book Award, Odd Mercy, and Bread without Sugar. His collection of essays What I Can't Bear Losing was published by Trinity University Press in trade paper in 2009. His honors include the Award of Merit Medal from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Paris Review’s Bernard F. Conners Award, the Bess Hokin Award from Poetry, the Ruth Lilly Prize, four National Endowment for the Arts grants, the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Jerome J. Shestack Poetry Prize from the American Poetry Review, and fellowships from the Academy of American Poets, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. In 2005 Stern was selected to receive the Wallace Stevens Award for mastery in the art of poetry. For many years a teacher at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Stern now lives in Lambertville, New Jersey.
1. Park Bench, Chinese Poet, Bob Summers
2. Dragonfly, Insects, Famous Deaths p. 5
3. Chance Writing, Meister Eckhart, Jewish Saints, Ahmadinejad p. 11
4. Lamb, Seders, Elijah, the Last Supper, Gospel of Mark p. 13
5. “Christ,” The Lamb p. 19
6. Diary of the Mind, Santa Maria de Popola, Campo de Fiori p. 24
7. Amalfi Coast, Dogs p. 25
8. Tyler Art School, Louise Fishman, Boris Blai p. 28
9. Rome, Pope, Jews p. 31
10. Fanny Howe’s The Winter Sun, “God” p. 33
11. “Christians” in Haiti, Haiti p. 34
12. Fanny Howe, Education of the Poet p. 36
13. Straddling, Publishing Late p. 37
14. My Mother and Father p. 39
15. The Pennsylvania RR in Pittsburgh p. 40
16. Back pain, Rome, Athletes, Joe Louis, Billy Conn p. 41
17. Jack Gilbert p. 44
18. Haiti, the Long History p. 45
19. Stan Barret p. 46
20. Comedy, Leipzig, Germany, Bach, Terry Gross, MOVE, My Humor
21. Rugby and Business, Quaker Interview, Sports p. 59
22. Papacy, Deicide p. 61
23. Work for Government During the War, Movies in Indiana p. 63
24. Learning Poetry, Living Cheap, Workshops, Iowa p. 65
25. Dragonflies and Being p. 70
26. Robin and Uncle Harry p. 70
27. Lucille’s death p. 72
28. Robin, Crises, Pianist at Zaks, Kenneth Gabura p. 75
29. Redbud, Late Spring, 50 more pages, Marie Ponsot p. 80
30. Alana Rose p. 84
31. 26 Vandam, William Merwin, John Gardner, lost girl p. 85
32. Kamps, Signs Over Gates p. 91
33. Dragonflies p. 91
34. My Big Mouth, Tourettes, Karis, Birth Mothers p. 93
35. Trip to New York With Poet-Potter p. 95
36. James Schuyler p. 97
37. Dragonflies, Dog Eat Dog p. 99
38. Medal at Academy of Arts, Pearlstein, Levine p. 100
39. Meister Eckhart p. 103
40. Larry Levis, Caravaggio p. 105
41. Angela Hazley’s Death p. 110
42. Haiti, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Aristide, AIDS p. 114
43. New Zealand Poet, Broadsides, Creeley p. 119
44. Demystification, Gilgamesh, Spinoza p. 120
45. Hank Evans, Remorse, Gilgamesh p. 124
46. Etheridge Knight p. 127
47. McChrystal, Pruning Hooks, Chris Hedges, Israel p. 135
48. Charlie I p. 141
49. Israel p. 142
50. Nut-Death, Grandfather, Transit Cop p. 144
51. Marie Ponsot p. 148
52. Again Haiti p. 148
53. Charlie and Elvira II p. 148
54. McChrystal p. 149
55. Robert Bernat p. 150
56. Montpellier, Carmen, Bill Basnight p. 153
57. Diane Freund p. 156
58. Atlantic City p. 157
59. Charlie III p. 157
60. Libby p. 158
61. Bialystock, 1906 p. 161
62. Poland I p. 163
63. Poland II p. 164
64. Neighbors I p.166
65. Lev Going p. 171
66. Lev Not There p. 172
67. Neighbors II p. 174
68. Neighbors III p. 176
69. Neighbors IV, John Cage p. 181
70. Atlantic City p. 186
71. Childhood in New York, p 187
72. Henry James on NY p. 189
73. Henry Miller, Air Conditioned Nightmare 191
74. Miller, New York p. 193
75. Simone de Beauvoir, New York p. 195
76. Atlantic City p. 199
77. Turkish Restaurant in Paris p. 199
78. Paul McCartney p. 200
79. Yom Kippur Pear p. 201
80. Betty Cray, p. 203
81. Hole in Forehead p. 204
82. Port Authority Bus Terminal p. 210
2. Dragonfly, Insects, Famous Deaths p. 5
3. Chance Writing, Meister Eckhart, Jewish Saints, Ahmadinejad p. 11
4. Lamb, Seders, Elijah, the Last Supper, Gospel of Mark p. 13
5. “Christ,” The Lamb p. 19
6. Diary of the Mind, Santa Maria de Popola, Campo de Fiori p. 24
7. Amalfi Coast, Dogs p. 25
8. Tyler Art School, Louise Fishman, Boris Blai p. 28
9. Rome, Pope, Jews p. 31
10. Fanny Howe’s The Winter Sun, “God” p. 33
11. “Christians” in Haiti, Haiti p. 34
12. Fanny Howe, Education of the Poet p. 36
13. Straddling, Publishing Late p. 37
14. My Mother and Father p. 39
15. The Pennsylvania RR in Pittsburgh p. 40
16. Back pain, Rome, Athletes, Joe Louis, Billy Conn p. 41
17. Jack Gilbert p. 44
18. Haiti, the Long History p. 45
19. Stan Barret p. 46
20. Comedy, Leipzig, Germany, Bach, Terry Gross, MOVE, My Humor
21. Rugby and Business, Quaker Interview, Sports p. 59
22. Papacy, Deicide p. 61
23. Work for Government During the War, Movies in Indiana p. 63
24. Learning Poetry, Living Cheap, Workshops, Iowa p. 65
25. Dragonflies and Being p. 70
26. Robin and Uncle Harry p. 70
27. Lucille’s death p. 72
28. Robin, Crises, Pianist at Zaks, Kenneth Gabura p. 75
29. Redbud, Late Spring, 50 more pages, Marie Ponsot p. 80
30. Alana Rose p. 84
31. 26 Vandam, William Merwin, John Gardner, lost girl p. 85
32. Kamps, Signs Over Gates p. 91
33. Dragonflies p. 91
34. My Big Mouth, Tourettes, Karis, Birth Mothers p. 93
35. Trip to New York With Poet-Potter p. 95
36. James Schuyler p. 97
37. Dragonflies, Dog Eat Dog p. 99
38. Medal at Academy of Arts, Pearlstein, Levine p. 100
39. Meister Eckhart p. 103
40. Larry Levis, Caravaggio p. 105
41. Angela Hazley’s Death p. 110
42. Haiti, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Aristide, AIDS p. 114
43. New Zealand Poet, Broadsides, Creeley p. 119
44. Demystification, Gilgamesh, Spinoza p. 120
45. Hank Evans, Remorse, Gilgamesh p. 124
46. Etheridge Knight p. 127
47. McChrystal, Pruning Hooks, Chris Hedges, Israel p. 135
48. Charlie I p. 141
49. Israel p. 142
50. Nut-Death, Grandfather, Transit Cop p. 144
51. Marie Ponsot p. 148
52. Again Haiti p. 148
53. Charlie and Elvira II p. 148
54. McChrystal p. 149
55. Robert Bernat p. 150
56. Montpellier, Carmen, Bill Basnight p. 153
57. Diane Freund p. 156
58. Atlantic City p. 157
59. Charlie III p. 157
60. Libby p. 158
61. Bialystock, 1906 p. 161
62. Poland I p. 163
63. Poland II p. 164
64. Neighbors I p.166
65. Lev Going p. 171
66. Lev Not There p. 172
67. Neighbors II p. 174
68. Neighbors III p. 176
69. Neighbors IV, John Cage p. 181
70. Atlantic City p. 186
71. Childhood in New York, p 187
72. Henry James on NY p. 189
73. Henry Miller, Air Conditioned Nightmare 191
74. Miller, New York p. 193
75. Simone de Beauvoir, New York p. 195
76. Atlantic City p. 199
77. Turkish Restaurant in Paris p. 199
78. Paul McCartney p. 200
79. Yom Kippur Pear p. 201
80. Betty Cray, p. 203
81. Hole in Forehead p. 204
82. Port Authority Bus Terminal p. 210