Muriel Rukeyser, American poet and activist (b. 1913)
Muriel Rukeyser (December 15, 1913 – February 12, 1980) was an American poet and political activist, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice, and Judaism. Kenneth Rexroth said that she was the greatest poet of her "exact generation."One of her most powerful pieces was a group of poems titled The Book of the Dead (1938), documenting the details of the Hawk's Nest incident, an industrial disaster in which hundreds of miners died of silicosis.
Her poem "To be a Jew in the Twentieth Century" (1944), on the theme of Judaism as a gift, was adopted by the American Reform and Reconstructionist movements for their prayer books, something Rukeyser said "astonished" her, as she had remained distant from Judaism throughout her early life.
1980Feb, 12
Muriel Rukeyser
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Events on 1980
- 26Jan
Egypt
Israel and Egypt establish diplomatic relations. - 2Feb
United States Congress
Reports surface that the FBI is targeting allegedly corrupt Congressmen in the Abscam operation. - 10Jun
Nelson Mandela
The African National Congress in South Africa publishes a call to fight from their imprisoned leader Nelson Mandela. - 29Jul
Islamic Revolution
Iran adopts a new "holy" flag after the Islamic Revolution. - 9Oct
14th Dalai Lama
Pope John Paul II shakes hands with the Dalai Lama during a private audience in Vatican City.