Thank you so much for this, Anne. I knew her name too but only as the writer behind the title of that very influential women's poetry collection The World Split Open, and as an influence on Adrienne Rich. I'm so glad there's a biography now. Let's hope she'll become better known. It is amazing, and rather exhausting, to see over and over again how women's work, whether in literature, art or other areas, gets 'lost' along the way. It takes enthusiasts like her biographer and people like you to keep the flame alight.
This was so interesting. Female poets are not the only ones who dial themselves down to fit in, but I appreciate you are writing from a literary perspective. I have never heard of her and am going to find more to read; will happily take some suggested starting points. The "Poem" is staggering.
Thanks for this post, Anne. I had to return Savage Coast to the library before I finished reading it (upon your recommendation). This gives me more context when I get it back again. I like the phrase unpublished, unfinished, unseen. Sounds like a good title for your next book.
I have never heard of her though I have heard that well known quote. Thank you for sharing I will look her up. A note in The Feminist Press, where I was once an intern, their promise is to keep these titles in print. I discovered so much amazing work here. An invaluable resource to our communities, The Feminist Press. Support them, they are amazing!
I haven't read much of her work, but am newly interested to find her books--thanks so much for writing about her. How often the people who are marginalized in society are labeled difficult if they dare to claim space in public....it's such a reliably frustrating history for so many women writers, particularly....
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Ruckeyser is revered among all of the women poets I know. I was using her Book of the Dead a year ago, to work on a piece I am writing about antisemitism, using original documents.
You mentioned:" Her poetry is known for its themes of equality and social justice, feminism, anti-racism, anti-war, support for workers, and Judaism". I would suggest an edit - she wrote in light of antisemitism, and religious aspects of Judaism. As a Jewish writer, that distinction is important . In fact, Jewish women poets, who are very distinct from Jewish male poets in their writing, and Jewish American women poets even more so........as feminists.... are more likely to value Ruckeyser's poetry than the "conventional?" poetry crowd. These days, I see her "Letter to the Front" quoted often by Jewish women writers:
"To be a Jew in the twentieth century
Is to be offered a gift. If you refuse,
Wishing to be invisible, you choose
Death of the spirit ...
Accepting, take full life."
I take it for granted that everyone knows history of WWII and its effect on writers in US. That poem was written in 1944, and the war ended in 1945. By that time, some news - but not much - was circulating of the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews in Europe. 1944 was the year of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, and as a communist, she might have known about it. Also, knowing how American writers were responding to the "underground" news about the war , and Ruckeyser, a Communist - might have believed that with the Russians as allies Jews might have more freedom after Nazis were defeated. Not so -
OK - thanks for listening.
anecdote:
I did meet Ruckeyser when I lived at Kay Boyle's house in the 1970's. We had drinks in the living room, and I was very honored to meet her. She was very kind, and down-to-earth, but I do remember there was a moment when she asked Kay something about her hair - whether it looked OK. It was such an odd moment to me. Here I was, a lowly graduate student and this wonderful poet is here, and she's worried about her hair?
Another aspect of this is I'm technologically inept; no intuition; my husband used to practice thigs with me. He's been dead 11 years. I'm 77. Iam hoping through Kaiser (though I doubt it) and trying these phone numbers I'll find someone or an agenc, I tell enough people with these clumsy missives that it seems typing is a skill difficult to recover and many do not,
Vey unfortunately since I last wrote on this substack newsletter, I had a stroke (Jan 30th, 20240) andnow find myself painfully trying to recover. Among the abilities I seem to have lost is typing. I have many " side" problems like this (insomnia, constipation); centrally I cannot walk w/o a walker and am in danger of falling. I'm physically weak. Where I was for many years unti lJan 29, a rapid touch typist I cannot get my left hand to type anything but slowly and inaccurately. I have been trying to get access to therapy for typing, and as yet have failed. I discover Kaiser might not have such a service. I am again waiting too see -- now next week. It is a kind of death for me. I'm told of complicated software I probably cannot operate. I discover I don't have medicare but medicare advantage paid to Kaiser-- and nothing else. I find nothing on the Net; if this new offer by Kaiser is another sham, I shall try AARP, but feel I will again confront no living services. Ellen Moody
Thank you for this information/introduction, Anne. I have read bits and pieces about Rukeyser in student essays and in anthologies. It is quite helpful to have your essay put her life and works within a larger context.
Anne, thank you for this information about Rukeyser. I would like to read the new biography. She was bold. And boldness will get you judged. I know many women writers and poets who have, perhaps unconsciously, dialed down their inclination to boldness in order to be more accepted by the literary establishment, the gatekeepers, hell, the neighbors. But she did not. I admire that from a deep place of solidarity.
Thank you so much for this, Anne. I knew her name too but only as the writer behind the title of that very influential women's poetry collection The World Split Open, and as an influence on Adrienne Rich. I'm so glad there's a biography now. Let's hope she'll become better known. It is amazing, and rather exhausting, to see over and over again how women's work, whether in literature, art or other areas, gets 'lost' along the way. It takes enthusiasts like her biographer and people like you to keep the flame alight.
This was so interesting. Female poets are not the only ones who dial themselves down to fit in, but I appreciate you are writing from a literary perspective. I have never heard of her and am going to find more to read; will happily take some suggested starting points. The "Poem" is staggering.
Thanks for this post, Anne. I had to return Savage Coast to the library before I finished reading it (upon your recommendation). This gives me more context when I get it back again. I like the phrase unpublished, unfinished, unseen. Sounds like a good title for your next book.
I have never heard of her though I have heard that well known quote. Thank you for sharing I will look her up. A note in The Feminist Press, where I was once an intern, their promise is to keep these titles in print. I discovered so much amazing work here. An invaluable resource to our communities, The Feminist Press. Support them, they are amazing!
NB: https://murielrukeyser.emuenglish.org/rukeyser-biannual-no-1-winter-2024/
Newsletter
I haven't read much of her work, but am newly interested to find her books--thanks so much for writing about her. How often the people who are marginalized in society are labeled difficult if they dare to claim space in public....it's such a reliably frustrating history for so many women writers, particularly....
Hi Anne,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Ruckeyser is revered among all of the women poets I know. I was using her Book of the Dead a year ago, to work on a piece I am writing about antisemitism, using original documents.
You mentioned:" Her poetry is known for its themes of equality and social justice, feminism, anti-racism, anti-war, support for workers, and Judaism". I would suggest an edit - she wrote in light of antisemitism, and religious aspects of Judaism. As a Jewish writer, that distinction is important . In fact, Jewish women poets, who are very distinct from Jewish male poets in their writing, and Jewish American women poets even more so........as feminists.... are more likely to value Ruckeyser's poetry than the "conventional?" poetry crowd. These days, I see her "Letter to the Front" quoted often by Jewish women writers:
"To be a Jew in the twentieth century
Is to be offered a gift. If you refuse,
Wishing to be invisible, you choose
Death of the spirit ...
Accepting, take full life."
I take it for granted that everyone knows history of WWII and its effect on writers in US. That poem was written in 1944, and the war ended in 1945. By that time, some news - but not much - was circulating of the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews in Europe. 1944 was the year of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, and as a communist, she might have known about it. Also, knowing how American writers were responding to the "underground" news about the war , and Ruckeyser, a Communist - might have believed that with the Russians as allies Jews might have more freedom after Nazis were defeated. Not so -
OK - thanks for listening.
anecdote:
I did meet Ruckeyser when I lived at Kay Boyle's house in the 1970's. We had drinks in the living room, and I was very honored to meet her. She was very kind, and down-to-earth, but I do remember there was a moment when she asked Kay something about her hair - whether it looked OK. It was such an odd moment to me. Here I was, a lowly graduate student and this wonderful poet is here, and she's worried about her hair?
Regards
Another aspect of this is I'm technologically inept; no intuition; my husband used to practice thigs with me. He's been dead 11 years. I'm 77. Iam hoping through Kaiser (though I doubt it) and trying these phone numbers I'll find someone or an agenc, I tell enough people with these clumsy missives that it seems typing is a skill difficult to recover and many do not,
Thank you. Rukeyser is shamefully underappreciated. And the fact she was "surveilled by the FBI for decades" is even worse. Who are these people?
The left, rightfully so, always hated the FBI. Now they like them. What?
Vey unfortunately since I last wrote on this substack newsletter, I had a stroke (Jan 30th, 20240) andnow find myself painfully trying to recover. Among the abilities I seem to have lost is typing. I have many " side" problems like this (insomnia, constipation); centrally I cannot walk w/o a walker and am in danger of falling. I'm physically weak. Where I was for many years unti lJan 29, a rapid touch typist I cannot get my left hand to type anything but slowly and inaccurately. I have been trying to get access to therapy for typing, and as yet have failed. I discover Kaiser might not have such a service. I am again waiting too see -- now next week. It is a kind of death for me. I'm told of complicated software I probably cannot operate. I discover I don't have medicare but medicare advantage paid to Kaiser-- and nothing else. I find nothing on the Net; if this new offer by Kaiser is another sham, I shall try AARP, but feel I will again confront no living services. Ellen Moody
Thank you for this information/introduction, Anne. I have read bits and pieces about Rukeyser in student essays and in anthologies. It is quite helpful to have your essay put her life and works within a larger context.
I wrote one of my foremother pet blogs on Rukeyser
https://reveriesunderthesignofausten.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/foremother-poet-muriel-rukeyser-1913-1980/
Ellen Moody
Anne, thank you for this information about Rukeyser. I would like to read the new biography. She was bold. And boldness will get you judged. I know many women writers and poets who have, perhaps unconsciously, dialed down their inclination to boldness in order to be more accepted by the literary establishment, the gatekeepers, hell, the neighbors. But she did not. I admire that from a deep place of solidarity.
Fascinating. I know very little about Rukeyser and was glad to read this. Thanks for writing about her, Anne.