Devious Route

We often judge remarkable achievements by the rarity in which they are performed. Itis no exaggeration to place that judgment on these provocative poems by Helen Kanevsky. Thesewritings are something special and rare, from a poet who only began to learn English as an olderadultbringing into her new-lettered world the life experience of a native to Russian Jewish culture,with its deep literary tradition intertwined with the complex history of a country that not so long agostood at the crossroads of world events and the forefront of social revolution.Reading these poems by Helen Kanevsky makes me think of the power of words thepower to evoke, the power to lead the mind through new avenues of hitherto unknown realities.Helen is very conscious of this power and rejoices in their potential when she proclaims her adamantfaith in the superpower of words.Helen has emerged as a new person, in a new world. And it occurs to me that the wordshave formed the woman as much as the woman has formed the words. There is in this a gift to thereader: As a foreigner brought on to the shores of English expression, she brings a unique framework.As she directs her verbal lens we see the world in a different way.Bruce Neuburger, author of Lettue Wars