Slight faith - by Risa Denenberg (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"The beauty of faith isn't so much about paradise as it is
the absence before, the gap we must leap in order to land.
In her meditative and profound book slight faith, Risa
Denenberg plants her feet before the divide, wrestles with
the angels of loss and doubt. 'There is nothing, ' Denenberg
writes, 'on the other side for certainty to dine on.' Yet,
there is so much in this book that nourishes.
'These are days of awe, ' she writes and while reading
these poems I too am opened up to a sense of fear and
wonder. These poems speak to the sacred within and
outside of us. There is death and pain but inevitably there
is 'the slipperiness of hope.' There is an almost reluctant
acceptance of pleasure. 'I've grown passably / fond of
rain, ' she says and I can't help but smile as she tries for
something 'more pastoral.'
Despite the scope of Denenberg's poetry, which spans
generations and religions and loves, her talent for restraint
offers the subtle power and influence of a musical score.
It is a difficult and fine balance to strike. Although she
may write from and for the perspective of those who only
praise or lament, she recognizes the very different silences
that come after. We are given invaluable moments of
introspection. Tightly crafted, wise with a quietly passionate
heart, slight faith will make a reader leap and marvel."
--Michael Schmeltzer, author of Blood Song

Review Quotes

"slight faith is what we need in these extraordinary
times and Risa Denenberg offers us this and more in her
personal how-to manual for survival: 'train for comedy
and calamity, ' she urges. From Babylon to New York
City, these luminous poems travel via polished lines and
prescient language. Yet, the voyage is never easy. The poet
keeps vigil alongside the dying and the dead but these
poems exist in service to the living. It's as if Denenberg
has split open her life and scraped out the interior fruit.
Judaism, Buddhism, yoga, and all night car rides--
the speaker scours each for answers. Across decades,
families, and the names of trees, we experience 'this
double helix called love.' This is a collection that I plan
to return to, to read again the music of 'sozzle, ' 'trundle, '
and 'roil;' to revel in the alchemy of 'everyday clouds that
amaze.' As a Jewish woman poet, I am especially excited
to welcome this book into the world."
--Susan Rich, author of Cloud Pharmacy

"slight faith is not an easy read, but one infused with
intelligence, a questioning mind, a deep sadness that
offers to the reader a kind of solace, an invitation to join
hands with, together to appreciate the curves and stresses
of life. There are glimpses of peace too, a respite in the
meditative 'Fifty Breaths, ' a prescription for tranquility
in 'How to Be Sad' ('May you hear the stillness between
breakers'). My favorite poem, perhaps, is 'Famous'--a
tour-de-force plummeting through a life, its long lines
reflecting its rant-like tone and sweep, its power grabbing
us, pulling us in. I admire the honesty and straightseeing-
ness of Denenberg's journey, her courage to look
deeply into the 'ordeal of living, ' to share boldly a world
in which, Job-like, we find a mirror of ourselves."
--Laura Foley, author of Night Ringing