Please join us for a Zoom poetry reading on Tuesday Aug. 25, 2020 from 7:30-9:00 p.m., Israel time. (12:30 p.m. EDT) (9:30 a.m. PDT). Jerusalem poets Steven Sher and Michael Dickel will be reading selections and discussing their new books. The event is hosted by IAWE. Click to sign up and to receive an invitation to join the event. I look forward to seeing you then.
Here is some material on my recent book from which I will be reading.
Blessings, Steven
Poems by Steven Sher (2019) Dos Madres Press
Jerusalem: city of white stone and winding alleys, the shining heights of the Judean Hills, a labyrinth of antiquity and hi-tech. This "city of sirens"—both ambulance and police any hour of the night or day—is the melting pot of Jews (and millions of visitors) from every corner of the Diaspora.
Brooklyn-born Steven Sher (aka Shlomo Yashar) was already in his 60s when his flight from the States touched down in 2012. Contestable Truths, Incontestable Lies chronicles his new immigrant reality, celebrates the city’s vibrant life and its inhabitants’ unwavering faith amid daily threats and tragic attacks.
Navigating spiritual as well as sociopolitical landscapes, Sher embraces the truths that are categorically denied, decries the lies that shape the hatred toward his people. With these poems, he gathers sparks of light, images that define this holy city. He reports on the effects of war and( unrelenting terror, but these are balanced by unexpected miracles and revelations. The poems bear witness to the mood on the Israeli street, the facts on the ground.
Though the current rage of “Pallywood” revisionism, “fake news” and political correctness may manipulate young minds, co-opt the narrative and spread extremism throughout the West, the world Sher would have us meet aspires to rest solely on the Truth. As one of Jerusalem’s religious residents, Sher has cast his lot with those who are passionate about the Bible and their love of the land.
Contestable Truths, Incontestable Lies reminds us of the challenges that they face amidst the sometimes brutal conditions and a profound religious standoff.
ISBN 978-1-948017-55-8 Order through Dos Madres here or through Small Press Distribution here
Copies are also available directly from the poet in Jerusalem. Contact him at steven.sher.poetry@gmail.com