Maxim D. Shrayer
Kinship

Kinship

Kinship, the new collection of poetry by the bilingual author, Boston College professor Maxim D. Shrayer, weaves together some of the principal themes in modern Jewish history: ancestry in Eastern Europe, the Shoah, antisemitism, exile, displacement and immigration, Zionism and Israel. Shrayer's richly orchestrated and formally elegant verse captures with poignancy and passion what it feels like to be a Jewish poet with Soviet roots, living in America during Russia's brutal war in Ukraine. Kinship is, ultimately, a pained and inspiring meditation on writing between languages and cultures.
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Reviews

Photo of Seher Mohsin
Seher Mohsin@bookstagramofmine
2.5 stars
Apr 9, 2024

As a collection it's just okay; not particularly outstanding but has some good lines here and there. I think other people may like this collection more, but it just wasn't for me, which is fine as poetry is deeply subjective.

I don't know, I was hoping for a bit more, but as a brown person, white people crying about Ukraine but ignoring everything else in the world is a bit much and uncomfortable; I was hoping the author would surprise me.

Thank you NetGalley and Finishing Line Press for the chance to read and review this book.