Sacred Voices: Women of Genesis Speak [Paperback]

Sherri Waas Shunfenthal (Author), Judybeth Greene (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2000

This book breathes life into the heroines of Biblical times. These women of Genesis tell their own stories in lyrical poetry. Understand their innermost thoughts, actions, feelings, and motivations. Presented in order of appearance are Lilith, Eve, Mrs. Noah, Sarah, Hagar, Lot's Wife, Rebekah, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah, Dinah, and Miriam of Exodus. Contains Explanation and Commentary, Bibliography, artist contact information, and illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In so many ways, these poems set the record straight. -- Donald R. Gallehr, George Mason University

[Ms. Shunfenthal's]...approach has the dual effect of making these legendary women accessible, while simultaneously elevating all women's lives to the mythic realm. -- Sandra Kammann, Anthropologist

[Ms. Shunfenthal] is truly an artist of words painting long narratives into pictures of great feelings. -- Rev. Dr. Beth P. Braxton

About the Author

Sherri Waas Shunfenthal is a free-lance writer/poet whose work has appeared in magazines, books, and artwork. She has a BS in English and a MS in Speech Pathology. She hopes to fill the whole world with poetry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Pocol Pr; 2nd Rep edition (March 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929763077
• ISBN-13: 978-1929763078
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,349,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Reflection on These Reflections, August 25, 2001

By 

Skylar Hamilton Burris "Skylar" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Voices: Women of Genesis Speak (Paperback)

In Sacred Voices: Women of Genesis Speak, Sherri Waas Shunfenthal examines, through numerous poems, the thoughts, emotions, and actions of the women who inhabit the pages of the first book of the Pentateuch, fleshing out "the silence / between words." She writes also of the extrabiblical character Lilith, who has in this age become a sort of poster girl for the modern feminist movement. And, despite the title of the book, she also presents the voice of Miriam (of Exodus fame). Noticeably and regrettable absent from the montage of tales is that of Tamar, daughter-in-law to Judah. Although I have some very serious theological objections to the book, for the purposes of this review, I would like to focus on the finer points of the collection. (If you wish to read the details of my objections, you can search for my website.) It may be a small press publication, but Sacred Voices is impressively presented, complete with appropriate drawings by Judybeth Green, which complement the poems nicely. The author has obviously put a great deal of thought into her portraits, having been informed by Scripture, Midrash, and her own creative passions. Perhaps the most insightful work in the collection is "Lot's Wife," in which the unnamed woman's fatal action of looking back is depicted with compassion. The series of Leah poems are also well-developed. The author's poetry is not defined by any meter or particularly outstanding rhythms, and it is differentiated from prose primarily by line division and the brevity of its sentences. But the poet's very simplicity succeeds in creating a feminine voice (or third person perspective) that seems both sincere and innocent, almost naive. When the poet employs imagery, she is not just following workshop conventions or attempting to impress the reader with obscure associations. Although not miserly with regard to her use of images, similes, and metaphors, Shunfenthal is economic. This economy can make a single, unpretentious line of comparison stand out from a poem with power. When Sarah stands "rooted like a tree," for instance, an image immediately leaps to the reader's mind, despite the simplicity of the simile. However, I must confess that despite these positives, sometimes the overall simplicity of the poetry is a bit too stark for my taste. As a bonus, Shunfenthal adds to the tail end of her book some prose discussion of each of the characters, and much of this is as informative as it is interesting. I was edified to learn, for instance, that the story of Lilith may have originated because of what appears to be the two separate creation accounts in Genesis. These prose sections demonstrate the same simplicity of form as the author's poetry.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable, original poetry., June 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Voices: Women of Genesis Speak (Paperback)

Edited by J. Thomas Hetrick and illustrated by Judybeth Greene, Sacred Voices: Women Of Genesis Speak showcases the life of Biblical heroines though Sherri Shunfenthal's lyrical, memorable poetry. From Lillith and Eve to Rachel and Zilpah, the poetry is distinctive, individualized, and melodious. Dinah Speaks: Hear the silence,/between the words./Here the voice pleading for love,/attention. Listen to your daughter./Hear her story./Do not let her vanish/Into history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treat for the soul, the mind, and the eye, May 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sacred Voices: Women of Genesis Speak (Paperback)

I received this special little book as a gift, and each time I browse through it, I thank the person who thought to give it to me. In word and picture both, it is beautiful, original, and inspiring. The artist, Judybeth Greene, has managed not just to illustrate Sherri Waas Shunfenthal's thoughts but to carry their meaning into another dimension, to give them artistic life. Give this book to the special women you know. They will be as grateful as I am.