The Broken String

One of the finest poets writing today, Grace Schulman finds order in art and nature that enables her to stand fast in a threatened world. The title refers to Itzhak Perlmanâs performance of a violin concerto with a snapped string, which inspires a celebration of life despite limitations. For her, song imparts endurance: Thelonious Monk evokes Creation; John Coltraneâs improvisations embody her own heartâs desire to get it right on the first takeâ; the wind plays a harp-shaped oak; and her immigrant ancestors remember their past by singing prayers on a ship bound for New York. In the words of Wallace Shawn, When I read her, she makes me want to live to be four hundred years old, because she makes me feel that there is so much out there, and itâs unbearable to miss any of it.â