Rodger Kamenetz
Poet, author, founder and practitioner of Natural Dreamwork, Professor Emeritus Louisiana State University
Biography
Rodger Kamenetz is a poet, author, professor emeritus of English and Religious Studies. He is best known for The Jew in the Lotus, an international best-seller now in its 40th printing. He’s published fifteen books of poetry and prose, among them Stalking Elijah which won the National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought and The History of Last Night’s Dream which was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Soul Series. His other books of Jewish interest include Terra Infirma and Burnt Books a dual biography of Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav and Franz Kafka. His recent books of poetry include Yonder and Dream Logic. His latest book, The Missing Jew: Poems 1976-2022 represents a forty-six year project in Jewish poetry.
Rodger founded Natural Dreamwork and leads an international group of practitioners. He lives in New Orleans with his wife artist and novelist Moira Crone.
Published Works
Poetry
The Missing Jew: 1976-2022 (Ben Yehuda Press, 2022 In press)
Dream Logic (PURH, 2020)
Yonder (Lavender Ink, 2019)
To Die Next To You (Six Gallery Press, 2013)
The Lowercase Jew (Northwestern, 2003)
Stuck: Poems Midlife (Time Being Books, 1997)
The Missing Jew: New and Selected Poems (Time Being Books, 1992)
Nympholepsy (Dryad Press, 1985)
The Missing Jew (Dryad Press/Tropos Press, 1979)
Prose
Burnt Books: Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and Franz Kafka (Schocken/Nextbook, 2010)
The History of Last Night’s Dream (HarperOne, 2007)
The Jew in the Lotus (PLUS) With an afterword by the author (Harper San Francisco, 1994; reprint: HarperOne, 2007)
Terra Infirma: a memoir of my mother’s life in mine (U. of Arkansas Press, 1985; reprint: Schocken, 1999)
Stalking Elijah (Harper San Francisco, 1997)
Links to Sample Works
- Academy of American Poets, “The Broken Pieces”
- Ayin Press, “Turkey Talk for Reb Nachman”
- The Allen Ginsberg Projetct, “Allen Ginsberg Forgives Ezra Pound on Behalf of the Jews”
