Memory and Fire

This book shows how ten important American Jewish poets (Ginsberg, Ignatow, Levine, Nemerov, Reznikoff, Rukeyser, Rothenberg, Shapiro, Simpson, Zukofsky) often use their artistry to express a personal identification with their Jewish heritage through a rich and complex dynamic of memory (history) and fire (prophecy).

Through careful analysis of key poems, the author demonstrates that these poets bear witness to a tradition of prophets and psalmists while grappling with the meaning of their American lives.