What Was Not Said
Echoes From The Holocaust
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A Pure Breath “What matters is that all this did happen.” – Janusz Korczak The boy pushed away sleep and, blinking his silent eyes in the candlelight, he listened to Korczak’s voice. Echoing above the soldier’s ash-muffled steps, the only sound in the camp was the doctor’s paper cracking like a stiff flag in a sharp breeze as he chiseled lead onto what once was white. Despite his arthritic fingers, he had written hundreds of pages in the ghetto; but these were the first curled letters of his Kaddish. This was his last leaf of script; the last journal entry which would never leave his hand. This was his voice that would rain down with his body and rest in the lungs of Treblinka.
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About the Book
The Holocaust is a subject all of us are aware of but there are countless accounts that are seldom heard. Based on the diaries, letters, and memoirs of Hertha Feiner, Janusz Korczak, and Filip Müller, these poems describe the life surrounding these writings. Every memoir has something missing. This is not a conscious decision by the author; it is the perspective of the writer filtered through the impermanence of memory. Sometimes it is a forgotten foreshadowing phrase said in passing or what is happening outside when their focus is on the room in which they are sitting. These are the aspects painted in this collection. “To feel and help others feel the suffering of others has always been the mark of a genuine talent. Teaford has it.” – Samuel Hazo, Former Poet Laureate of Pennsylvania “These are wonderful, haunting poems.” – Sandra Costich, The American Scholar “Teaford has the sort of power poets crave, the power to touch hearts, capture moments, and express the often inexpressible.” - Laurel Johnson, The Midwest Book Review “One can only marvel at the fine line of demarcation Teaford draws between compassion and craft in his moving work.” – James William Chichetto, Stonehill College “Teaford has taken a chance with material that is far removed from his experience, and has done an admirable job. The poetry is sober and understated, and reveals the tragedy without bombast.” – Doug Holder, Ibbetson Street Press “This collection is a must-read. It powerfully continues the historic admonition: “Never Forget!”” – Harris Gardner, Tapestry of Voices
About the Author
Sean M. Teaford has earned a reputation for creating hauntingly accessible and emotionally unforgettable images in his poetry. A convert to Conservative Judaism, Sean received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Rosemont College and his B.A. in English from Endicott College. A public relations professional, Sean lives in Morgantown, Pennsylvania with his wife and young son.