A multi-channel video, Souls and Sonnets: Rita Dove Responds to Sarra Copia Sulam is installed in the Jewish Museum of Venice, July 15th-Aug. 14th, 2016.
On Thurs. June 16th, 2016, 6:00 pm, Palazzo Fontana, Cannaregio 3830, Venice, Italy, PEN/Open book winner Meena Alexander, Jewish Book Award winner Esther Schor, Venetian poet Laura Luzzatto and former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove (in video), shared their poetic responses to the compelling life of Sarra Copia Sulam as part of the 500-year anniversary events marking the creation of the Jewish ghetto in Venice, 1516. Also presented, Souls and Sonnets, a multi-channel video with recorded poetry readings celebrating the life of seventeenth century Jewish poet, Sarra Copia Sulam and writing by Rita Dove.
Filmmakers and media artists Elizabeth Coffman, Ted Hardin and Mat Rappaport, assisted by filmmaker Kevin Jerome Everson, theatre director George Drance, S.J. and the Magis Theatre company performers have produced "Souls and Sonnets" from the original texts written by Copia Sulam and Catholic monk and writer Ansaldo Ceba as well as the contemporary poetry of Rita Dove. The media and poetry reflects on the compelling life story of Sarra Copia Sulam, her role in the Jewish ghetto and its artistic, theological and political history.
The program is supported by Beit Venezia, Ca Foscari university, the Helen W. Drutt English and H. Peter Stern through the Maurice English Poetry Award, USA.
Please donate below to help these events take place in New York City in 2017. You can also check out rehearsal footage from NYC's Magis Theatre company & aerial camera footage of the Venetian ghetto nuovo.