Charles reznikoff was born in the jewish neighborhood of brownsville in brooklyn, new york, to nathan and sarah yetta wolvosky reznikoff, immigrants from russia fleeing the pogroms of the 1880s. Focusing on three volumes published by the objectivist press in 1934charles reznikoffs testimony, george oppens discrete series, and william carlos williams collected poems, 19211931the book examines both photographic and linguistic images, along pdf with criticism, correspondence, transcripts of interviews and lectures, contemporary. Testimony the united states 18911900 annotated copy paperback book 1968. Charles reznikoff was a jewish american poet best known for his long poetry work, testimony. Its first volume appeared in 1934, and the last appeared posthumously in 1978.
Charles reznikoff was born in the jewish neighborhood of brownsville in. Charles reznikoffs 1934 testimony and the idiom of american. Available again for the first time since 1978and complete in one volume for the first time evercharles reznikoffs testimony is a lost masterpiece, a legendary book that stands alongside louis zukofskys a and william carlos williamss paterson as a milestone. This article examines charles reznikoffs work testimony in light of theories of documentation and witness. Charles reznikoff s testimony may be one of the most influential obscure works of poetry produced in the twentieth century. Testimony, by charles reznikoff, eliot weinberger pdf testimony, by charles reznikoff, eliot weinberger epub testimony, by charles reznikoff, eliot weinberger doc. Of all the poets loosely gathered under the objectivist label coined by zukofsky for harriet monroes poetry magazine in 1931, none. Poets are always finding ways to write poetry on the job. He began his career as a poet, however, as an imagist. His father was in the millinery business and the family moved several times during reznikoffs. The languages of charles reznikoff journal of american. The sales of all the volumes summed together cannot have reached one thousand copies. Each volume is one of a hundred copies handbound by earle gray, with an original page of reznikoffs corrected manuscript bound in. Charles reznikoff august 31, 1894 january 22, 1976 was the poet for whom the term objectivist was first coined.
These recitatives, as he called them, tell the stories of some five hundred court cases from all over this country and deal with a broad segment of the american population, urban and rural. Reznikoffs testimony american association of law libraries. Recitative a documentpoem drawn from the voices of witnesses, victims, and perpetrators discovered by the author in criminal court transcripts, charles reznikoff s booklength objectivist work sets forth a stark panorama of late 19th and early 20th century america. Charles reznikoffs testimony grass is the only way out henry miller miller and fraenkel, 105 provides us with the trajectorymap of reznikoffs testimony, and that map is one of serial splinters, grass, growth cuboseriality in bernsteins phrase reznikoffs idea, a poem of 450 segments or stems, systrophy grown against possible unity. He is remembered as a kind of new york saint, an urban emily dickinson. Charles reznikoffs testimony may be one of the most influential obscure works of poetry produced in the twentieth century. Charles reznikoff was trained as a lawyer, though he practiced law for only a short time. Charles reznikoffs 1934 testimony and the idiom of. Charles reznikoffs testimony is a lost masterpiece, a legendary book that stands alongside louis zukofskys a and william carlos williamss paterson as a milestone of modern american poetry. Grass is the only way out henry miller miller and fraenkel, 105 provides us with the.
His father was in the millinery business and the family moved several times during reznikoff s childhood, often to nonjewish neighborhoods, where he experienced the virulent antisemitism that. Richard hyland, distinguished professor, rutgers law school, camden, new jersey, has compiled the fullest account of the sources of a charles reznikoff poem, together with a detailed commentary on the amelia kirwan case and the poem reznikoff wrote based on this case. Testimony is perhaps reznikoff s most important achievement as a poet. He lets the terrible history lay itself bare in historys own tongue. Born in the brooklyn jewish community of the 1890s, charles reznikoff earned a law degree but did not practice for long. As objectivists, their work has been said to be patterned after jewish culture, judaism, jewishness, and other denominations for that denomination. Testimony by reznikoff, charles and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. In 1920, charles reznikoff, the son of jewishrussian immigrants, published the following short, untitled poem. Editing corpus juris, charles reznikoff became obsessed with the stories of suffering preserved in published cases of the national. Testimony paperback by charles reznikoff, eliot ed. Charles reznikoff american translator and poet britannica.
Quartercloth and illustrated paper over boards, in acetate dustjackets, as issued. Recitative is a compilation of case summaries, a sequence of selfcontained pieces. To my mind, these works are amongst the greatest by an american poet, yet he is hardly known. Culled from decades of actual courtroom transcripts, reznikoff poeticizes and reframes the testimony of victims of crimesparticularly african americans and the poorto provide an innovative epic of america. Originally published on the guardian books blog 11 january 2011. Ideally, the identity of the artist and his personal loyalties and attachments should be as unobtrusive in a work of art as the bond watermark in paper, which becomes visible only when held up to the light of analysis. When asked by harriet munroe to provide an introduction to what became known as the objectivist issue of poetry, louis zukofsky provided his essay sincerity and objectification. The lost origins of the essay the making of the american essay the next american essay. The languages of charles reznikoff volume 45 issue 2 ian davidson.
Similar confusion arises between testimony, a collection of prose narratives. Charles reznikoff august 31, 1894 january 22, 1976 was an american poet best known for his long work, testimony. Back in november, books blog readers were asked to name their favourite book of 2010. Recitative reznikoff, charles, weinberger, eliot on. He wrote narrative poems based on old testament sources. Charles reznikoff reads from holocaust, new york city, december 21, 1975 recorded by filmmaker abraham ravett.
Studies in testimony, issue one, volume one, 2018 the testimony of a poet. Recitative a documentpoem drawn from the voices of witnesses, victims, and perpetrators discovered by the author in criminal court transcripts, charles reznikoffs booklength objectivist work sets forth a stark panorama of late 19th and early 20th century america. Transcription, witness, and poetic documentation in charles reznikoff s testimony trevor laurence jockims in his introducon to against expression 2011, craig dworkin designates echo as the. Reznikoff, charles 18941976 an american poet, novelist, translator, and legal editor, reznikoff was primarily known as an. Essays and criticism on charles reznikoff critical essays. These poems are based on law reports, focused through the ear and eye of a master poet. Essays and criticism on charles reznikoff reznikoff, charles. He did work at a legal publishing firm in the 1930s, which proved a major inspiration in his writing. Charles reznikoff, american translator and poet affiliated with the objectivist school of poetry, who wrote poetry based on actual documents and events that was moral in purpose. A major work by an essential american poet, published in full for the first time. Charles reznikoff s testimony is a lost masterpiece, a legendary book. Charles reznikoff 18941976, the son of russian garment workers, was an american original.
Charles reznikoff created two unique works of poetic art of the 20th century. With special reference to the work of charles reznikoff. Objectivist poet, used for holocaust a documentary technique he had perfected in his twovolume. Charles reznikoff charles reznikoff poems best poems.
Scott fitzgerald the crackup 4 g 1939 g james agee brooklyn is 429 g 1940 g walter abish what else 455. While hart crane worked at a new york advertising firm, he wrote lines of poetry on scraps of ad paper. Now, im pretty sure most of you have never heard of either. Kenneth burke, permanence and changeit is testimony, if anything, that founds the possibility of the poem. Her work was to count linings the days seconds in dozens. C harles reznikoff may be the most elusive poet in american poetry and his booklength testimony the most elusive long poem of modernism. The audio recording and accompanying photographs were made on december 21, 1975 in charles reznikoffs nyc apartment. Weinberger and a great selection of similar used, new and collectible books available now at. Reznikoff trained as a lawyer but never practiced law, choosing. This summer i read charles reznikoffs long poem testimony. The multivolume testimony was based on court records and explored the experiences of immigrants, black people and the urban and rural poor in the united states in the late nineteenth and early. Charles reznikoff charles reznikoff poems poem hunter.
It draws comparisons between reznikoffs accounts of the lives of immigrants to america in his work, and jacques derridas. Available again for the first time since 1978and complete in one volume for the first time ever. What is missing from testimony is the customary idealistic hero, the one last encountered in walt whitmans leaves of grass who doesnt avert his eyes from suffering and sordidness, but who nevertheless is full of hope for a better future. In holocaust poet charles reznikoffs subject is peoples suffering at the hand of another.
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