Claire Weiner
Current City, State, Country
Birth City, State, Country
Biography
Claire Weiner was born in Chicago and raised in the Chicago suburbs. Except for a decade in Los Angeles, she has spent most of her adult life in Ann Arbor, Michigan and feels most at home in the Midwest. She spent her decades-long, non-writing career working as a clinical social worker in psychiatric settings, helping people make more sense of their life stories. She began writing in earnest when her children were grown. Her work has been published in After Hours Press, Burningwood Literary Review, Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, Peninsula Poets, and others. Her chapbook, For a Chance to Walk on Streets of Gold was published by Finishing Line Press in 2024.
What is the relationship between Judaism and/or Jewish culture and your poetry?
I grew up in the post WW2 boom in a Chicago suburb that was predominantly Jewish. All four of my grandparents emigrated from Eastern Europe escaping persecution of one sort or the other, and my parents saw the world as divided into two Jewish and Gentile. Participation in the life of the reform synagogue was a major part of the rhythm of my family. When I began writing I was surprised at how much my Jewish upbringing showed up in my poetry. I have intentionally begun to nurture that part of myself and in April of 2024 organized a Celebration of Jewish Poetry at my reform congregation in Ann Arbor.
Published Works
For a Chance to Walk on Streets of Gold (Finishing Line Press, 2024)
Author Site
Links to Sample Works
after hours: a journal of chicago writing and art, “Changing my Mind about Beets”
Michigan Jewish History Journal, “Aubade at Masada”
Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, “What Adults Say and Do When Your 12 yo has Cancer”
Video Reading
Current Title
Education
University of Illinois, Urbana B.A. 1972 Social Work, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa
University of Chicago, 1974 AM Social Work,