Hallelujah! Interviews with American Christian Poets as read in Church of England Newspaper, London

About the Book

In this collection of interviews with American Christian poets, published on the web by Church of England Newspaper, London, the ongoing series represented here includes Susan Wheeler, Philip Kolin, and Peter Cole, among others. Though a Christian collection, the secular Jewish poet and translator of note Peter Cole is included. Susan Wheeler teaches at Princeton, and Philip Kolin at University of Southern Mississippi. Each was interviewed in this ongoing series, still going on, by Religion Writer Peter Menkin. This is a living series. Philip Kolin has once again heard the whisper of God’s word with the ear of his heart and given poetic expression to the timeless value of that word. From: Interview: Christian poet Philip Kolin of Mississippi, USA lives his faith, telling readers here of his work–everything you ever wanted to know ...Just this transpired. Against a tree I swooned and fell, and water seeped into my shoe, and a dream began to grow in me. Or despair, and so I chose the dream. And while I slept, I was being fed, and clothed, addressed — as though awake with every faculty, and so it went. Then: blaze, blare of sun after years uncounted, and synesthesia of it and sound, the junco’s chirp and then the jay’s torn caw... Susan Wheeler From: Interview: Poet Susan Wheeler of New York City and Princeton University The mystic, poet, secular Jewish married man of letters who is a scholar is reticent to use the word “God” in an interview, and even reticent to admit to a belief in the Almighty. Yet this religious and spiritual scholar and poet has a recent book of translations of works from the Kabbalah in the book titled The Poetry of Kabbalah: Mystical Verse from the Jewish Tradition. This ancient discipline of understanding the Almighty in the Jewish tradition is a mystical and mysterious exercise in religious practice that continues into our own day–this 21st Century. Peter Cole From: Interview: Peter Cole, Jewish poet/translator gives his stark answers to questions in this ongoing series

About the Author

Peter Menkin, Obl Cam OSB, has been a Religion Writer for eight years, as of 2013. His work appears Church of England Newspaper, London; Religious Intelligence, London; and, San Francisco Examiner.com. Mr. Menkin is an Oblate of Immaculate Heart Hermitage, Big Sur, California and has been associated with the monastery for 16 years. He can be addressed as Brother. He attends religious services regularly as a member of Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Mill Valley, California where he is parish poet. He attended the Episcopal School for Deacons in Berkeley, California. At 66 years of age, Peter Menkin thinks the series illuminates the lives, but mostly the work, of selected Christian poets, both male and female., It includes some examples of their poetry. Though he is not a critic, the interviews in the book titled, Interviews with American Christian Poets as Appeared Church of England Newspaper, London is a work of journalism by him. Those interest in Christianity, poetry especially, and even students will find the book interesting and maybe special in its unique way of interview.