-Ten Austrian Jewish Women Poets

von am 9. Juli 2021 um 12:48
Veröffentlicht in: Poetry, Translations

Zehn österreichische jüdische Lyrikerinnen
Ten Austrian Jewish Women Poets

Donnerstag 15 Juli – 19 Uhr
Werkl im Goethehof
Schüttaustraße 1-39/6/R02
1220 Wien

Werkl: selbstverwaltete kulturelle Freiräume

Schriftführer
www.werkl.org
mailto:info@werkl.org
von der U1-Station Kaisermühlen/VIC 2. Gassenlokal im Goethehof

Gelesen von/Read by
Angelika-Ditha Morosowa
& Herbert Kuhner

 *  *  *  *  *

 

Ilse Aichinger
Rose Ausländer
Else Keren
Gertrude Krakauer
Anna Krommer
Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger
Mimi Grossberg
Tamar Radzyner
Stella Rotenberg
Rita Seliger

 

 

PROverbis: bilingual, Band 2
Wände …/Walls …
österreichisch-jüdische Lyrik/
Austrian Jewish Poetry
Translated by Herbert Kuhner

WÄNDE…/WALLS… H.Kuhner

The first edition of this collection was published in 1992 by Verlag der Apfel and was promptly sold out.

The collection presented poetry by Austrian Jewish poets at home and abroad and conveyed a retrospective view of the Holocaust, as well as impressions of social and political conditions in Austria in particular and Europe in general.

The collection was termed by Klara Köttner Benigni as “the most important collection published in Austria since the war“.

Konstantin Kaiser of the Theodor Kramer Society commended it as “one of the most interesting poetry anthologies I have encountered.”

Dr. Alexander Giese, Austrian PEN-President wrote: “These authors deserve to be read attentively, very attentively. This is one of the landmarks of Austrian publishing history.”The new edition has been enhanced by new poets and new poetry.

Exillyrik von österreichischen Frauen
Poems by Austrian Exile Women Poets

Deutsch/English

 

 

aus DIE WÄNDE STEHEN NOCH

Ein Großteil der Gedichte in dieser Sammlung widerspiegeln Eindrücke aus dem öffentlichen und politischen Leben, und manche stellen eine Verbindung zwischen Vergangenheit und Gegenwart her. Es ist kaum möglich, die Vergangenheit in der Vergangenheit zu belassen, weil diese immer allgegenwärtig ist. Die Regenbogen-Revisionisten versichern tagtäglich in ihren Blättern, dass wir sie in Erinnerung behalten. Deren Meinungsspektrum reicht von einer Verharmlosung der Barbarei des Dritten Reiches bis zur Verleugnung von Auschwitz als Todesfabrik.

Im Zusammenhang mit der Shoah kann es nur Fragen geben, nicht jedoch eine Antwort. Erlebnisse und Verzweiflung aber können sehr wohl festgehalten werden. Vielleicht lässt sich doch durch die Sprache das Unaussprechliche aussprechen – die vorliegende Lyrik legt dafür Zeugnis ab. Jetzt sind diese Gedichte unterwegs.

 

from THE WALLS ARE STILL STANDING

Many of the poems in our collection reflect the past as it relates to the present. It is impossible to leave the past behind since it is omnipresent. Just to make sure it isn’t forgotten, racism and revisionism are dished out on a daily basis by the yellow sheet press. The spectrum ranges from trying to minimize the criminal barbarity of the Third Reich to disputing that Auschwitz was a death factory.

There can only be questions and no answer concerning the Shoah. Perhaps that which cannot be said can be best expressed in the unique medium of poetry. Let these poems forge ahead to their destination!

– Herbert Kuhner

 

 *  *  *  *  *

 

 

Das Deutsche war eben nicht nur die Sprache der Mörder,
sondern auch die der Ermordeten.
– Elazar Benyoëtz

The German language was not only the language of the murderers,
it was also the language of those who were murdered.
– Elazar Benyoëtz

Kunst kann aus Zorn entstehen,
aber es gibt keine Kunst ohne Liebe.

There can be art with anger,
but there cannot be art without love.

-TANGO-KONTINUUM (Edition Tarantel)

von am 6. Juli 2021 um 2:45
Veröffentlicht in: Translations

Edition Tarantel

Lidio Mosca-Bustamante
Tango Kontinuum
Von Machos, Malevos und Vermaledeiten

Manfred Chobot : Der Tango

 

Der Tango ist nicht nur ein argentinischer Tanz, sondern zugleich auch eine Lebenseinstellung, ein Lebensgefühl, das sich vor einem kulturellen Hintergrund entwickelt hat; so manche Möglichkeit ist vorgegeben, um sein Leben zu gestalten, damit zurecht, ins Reine, zu kommen. „Das Leben ist ein Weg, den wir immer weitergehen. Hindernisse zwingen uns dazu anzuhalten, einen Schritt zur Seite zu tun, zurückzugehen, sich zu drehen, um eine andere Richtung einzuschlagen, hie und da eine Firulete zu machen – eine Tangofigur, bei der die Tänzer vorgeben, eine bestimmte Bewegung zu machen, um dann eine andere auszuführen.“
Und schon zeigt sich: „Das Leben ist ein Tango“, schreibt Lidio Mosca-Bustamante…

Manfred Chobot: The Tango

 

*  *  *  *  *

 

The Tango is not only an Argentine dance, but also an attitude towards life, an attitude that has developed before a cultural background; many opportunities confront us, presenting us with choices to shape our future and come to terms with life. “Life consists of a path we always have to travel. Obstacles cause us to stop, step aside, move back, then pivot, going in another direction. We feign to make a certain movement and then seem to make another, changing course again.”
Thus: „Life is a Tango“, says Lidio Mosca-Bustamante…

Translation: Herbert Kuhne

Edition Tarantel

Wien 2021

ISBN-978-3-9504898-3-5

 

 

 

 

-Off Limits for European Pizza-Lovers

von am 13. Juni 2021 um 0:06
Veröffentlicht in: Poetry, Polemics

Off Limits for European Pizza-Lovers

Listen, you, European pizza-lovers,
you must avoid New Jersey!

If you don’t follow my advice
and find yourself in the Garden State,
in which I spent 14 years of my life,
stay away from Pizza Parlors!
Otherwise you will be fated to enjoy
their tomato and cheese delights.

Pizza is the Ambrosia of the Garden State.
And get this – there’s no soft underbelly
in the center – It’s crisp all the way around.

So better bypass New Jersey,
and if you do find yourself there,
avoid Italian restaurants and pizza parlors!
For after having ingested the spherical delights
served up in these venues, you’ll never be able
to ingest the soggy European variety again.

New Jersey, Pizza Capital of the World!

– Herbert Kuhner

 

 

-Don and Ron – Polly-Andrews

von am 4. Mai 2021 um 15:19
Veröffentlicht in: Poetry, Polemics, Politics

Don and Ron – Polly-Andrews

We need a male equivalent
of Pollyanna!
I just concocted one:
“Polly-Andrew”

Here’s Senator Ron Johnson:
“Jan. 6th didn’t feel like an armed insurrection
to me. I knew those were people that loved this country,
that truly respect law enforcement
and would never do anything to break a law,
and so I wasn’t concerned.”

Here’s our man Don
“It was zero threat, right from the start,
it was zero threat…Some of them went in,
and they are hugging and kissing
the police and the guards, you know,
they had great relationships,
and a lot of the people were waved in,
and then they walked in and they walked out.”

 

All for Show

A gallows may have been set up,
and there may have been shouts of
“Hang Mike Pence!”
but this was all for “show!”

 

Our Guys

Our guys may be a bit
on the scrungy side,
but we’ll take care of that!

Barbers are on the way
to trim matted hair
and shave mangy beards,
and we’ve ordered
suits, shirts and ties
from haberdashers
to spruce them up.

Some of our guys
may have failed to vote
last time around,
but at the next go,
we’ll have advisors
show them
how to cast a ballot,
and if need be,
how to fiddle a bit
with the voting paraphernalia.

 

 

– Herbert Kuhner

-Don the Don and His Gal

von am 2. Mai 2021 um 14:36
Veröffentlicht in: Polemics, Politics

Don the Don and His Gal

“Don may no longer be in the saddle
of the House that’s White, but he’s still
galloping for our Party on his steed.

Here’s the rub: “He egged our brothers on
to invade the Big Building, which is anything
but treason, since we’re in the Right.

“We may not be able to tip the scales,
the next  time around on our own,
but we can do that and more with
our QAnon brother and sisters,
and their ilk.

We’re off to a good start with Marjorie,
the QAnon-gal, who’s taking care of
education in our learning venues.

Our invaders may be a bit
side,on the scrungy side,
but we’ll take care of that!

A bunch of barbers are on the way
to trim matted hair and to shave
mangy beards, and we’ve ordered
suits, shirts and ties to spruce up
our shabby brood

Our right-wing nerds failed to vote,
but we’ve got instructors to tach them
what to do with a ballot, and an advisor
go with them to cast a ballot, and if need be,
to fiddle a bit with the voting machine.

Now as for Don, he may favor the Klan
and our homegrown brown-brood.
His family may not quite be Simon-pure
But so what?! There’s a simple solution:
We’ll cleanse them of all impurities
and welcome them into the fold!

The next time around, our Don
will have it in the bag. And if
if there’s a snag our gal Marjorie
will have it in the bag.

 

 

Mad or Bad

Does Trump really believe that he won the election?
That is a moot question. Is he mad or bad?
Or mad and bad? (In my view the latter is valid.)

 

 

“Fine People”

During a Klu-Klux-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, August 11 to 12, 2017,
civil rights activist Heather Heyer was killed when a Klu-Kluxer
rammed his car into anti-fascist demonstrators.

Donald Trump comments:
“You had people that were very fine people
on both sides.” [1]

Why be “soft” on the “very fine” people
on the far right? You don’t want to upset
sure-fire voters, do you, Don?

They may have chanted “Jews will not replace us!”
as they marched. They may be a bit put off
by the fact that Don’s family is not Simon-pure,
but then nobody’s perfect.

“You know what I am? I’m a nationalist,
OK? I’m a nationalist.” says our man. Thank you Don!
At last a true word! – actually ten words.
We’ve been waiting, but we have not been waiting in vain.

On January 6th some “very fine people”
took over the nation’s Capitol.
At who’s behest? Trump in a nutshell:
“Looking out at all the amazing patriots
here today, I have never been more confident
in our nation’s future.”

“We’re going to walk down to the Capitol
We’re going to cheer on our brave senators
and Congressmen and women,”
Trump told the crowd, speaking
with the Capitol as a backdrop.

 

– Herbert Kuhner