It is the time
of the year where the weather suddenly goes from summer to
winter, even though there should be some sort of autumn, but
never is, here in Israel. Submissions to the 2008 Voices
Israel Anthology are now closed and we have over 480
poems to consider. Most scores of the editorial board are in
and it is interesting to see how different poems speak to
different people. This year there are five members on the
editorial board and myself, the humble editor-in-chief.
Johnmichael is doing the technical part of getting the book
into printable form.
For us this past year has been quite strenuous. As you know,
we moved up to the northern-most town in Israel, Metulla, at
the end of January. We are right on the border with Lebanon
and see houses, vehicles, from our kitchen and bedroom
windows. It is a most amazing place. Johnmichael Simon won
first prize in the Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for a poem on
this subject, On the Border, and I won a high distinction
award in the same contest for a poem entitled Night in the
North. Johnmichael's health was not the best this year and he
had to have surgery in July. He is doing very well now, so
well that we spent two weeks in South Africa in mid-October in
the Capetown area. He was raised there and it was pleasant and
exciting to have him as a guide. We also had two books
published this year: Cyclamens and Swords and Other
Poems About the Land of Israel, poems by both of us,
illustrated throughout in colour with my paintings and
drawings, and John's book, Sonatina, with poems
mostly touching the topic of music in its different forms—a
few of my illustrations here too; both books were published by
Ibbetson Press, Somerville, Ma, USA and may be ordered from us
for US$18.00 including shipping, and also through Lulu.
When time and health permit we continue to attend monthly
meeting of Voices Israel in Haifa. The group varies in size
from 10-15 poets. We sit around a table, each person reads two
poems and a critique is given. One or two poems are chosen to
appear in the monthly newsletter Voices publishes. Just a week
ago we attended our first bi-monthly meeting of poets in the
Upper Galilee region, which is closer for us than Haifa but
still takes a bit over an hour. This is a group which has been
meeting for ten years at the home of Lila Julius, originally
from Canada and a wonderful poetess. Each person reads one
piece and the rest comment verbally and in writing on the copy
of the poem/short story and pass it back to the poet. It is
very professional and we are very happy indeed to have been
included in this group. There are about ten members.
For now that is all. The exciting news next month will be the
announcement of the winners of the Reuben Rose annual contest,
of which Doug Holder is the judge this year. There will be
several workshops, one a two day workshop in a hotel in
Netanya, lectures in two different Universities, the Awards
Ceremony of course, in Tel-Aviv, and an evening of poetry
reading in Jerusalem. Doug Holder will also be here one day
and we will have people over to read their poetry and hear his
critique. I shall report it all next month, tho all this takes
place at the end of the month and we may not make it for
publication by then.
All the best and a very happy holiday season to all, Helen
Helen Bar-Lev, Artist, Poet
Editor-in-Chief,
Voices Israel Anthology
www.helenbarlev.com
Read
free verse by Helen Bar-Lev
