Hannah Kahn
Encyclopedia
Hannah Kahn was an American poet
, born in New York City
, and subsequently a long time resident of Miami, Florida
. She was known especially for her inspirational poem “Ride a Wild Horse.”
Hannah was also co-editor of:
, Harper's Magazine
, Saturday Review, Southwest Review
, Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall's
, and Saturday Evening Post.
She was also responsible for translating from Yiddish to English much of the poetry of Rajzel Żychlińsky
.
and the Poetry Society of Great Britain, where she won the International Sonnet
Competition. Her poems appear in a number of anthologies
.
for fifteen years. She remained actively involved in advancing poetry in the South Florida area and conducted workshops in poetry.
.” Hannah had been successful in bringing national poets, such as Anthony Hecht
, Gwendolyn Brooks
, Yehuda Amichai
, Dana Gioia
, Maxine Kumin
, John Haag, Carolyn Kizer
and others to read and lecture in South Florida, and the foundation continues that effort.
. Her papers, including correspondence with Conrad Aiken
, Pearl S. Buck
, Marjory Stoneman Douglas
, and others, are located in the archives of the University of Florida.
Hannah’s poetry was influenced and inspired by the memory of her husband Frank who died early in life. They had three children, two boys and a daughter Vivian, and eventually five grandchildren. Her daughter Vivian was handicapped with Down syndrome
and lived with Hannah until Hannah’s death, and Hannah dedicated much of her effort in the Miami area supporting the handicapped, including her association with the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC).
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and subsequently a long time resident of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. She was known especially for her inspirational poem “Ride a Wild Horse.”
Books of poetry
Hannah Kahn published two books of poetry, dedicating the first to her late husband Frank:Hannah was also co-editor of:
Individual poems
Hannah authored over 400 individual poems. Her poems were published in a number of American periodicals including American ScholarThe American Scholar (magazine)
The American Scholar is the literary quarterly of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded in 1932. The magazine has won fourteen National Magazine Awards from the American Society of Magazine Editors from 1999 to present, including awards for General Excellence...
, Harper's Magazine
Harpers
The Harpers are a fictional and semi-secret organization in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons...
, Saturday Review, Southwest Review
Southwest Review
The Southwest Review is a literary journal published quarterly, based on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas, Texas. It is the third oldest literary quarterly in the United States of America . The current editor-in-chief is Willard Spiegelman.The journal was formerly known as the...
, Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall's
McCall's
McCall's was a monthly American women's magazine that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-format magazine called The Queen in 1873...
, and Saturday Evening Post.
She was also responsible for translating from Yiddish to English much of the poetry of Rajzel Żychlińsky
Rajzel Żychlińsky
-Individual poems:Her poem God Hid His Face is one of her most famous and powerful about the holocaust. In the poem she writes of a mood darkening bit by bit with no hope of rescue.-Anthologies:...
.
Awards
Hannah received numerous awards for her poetry at both the national and local levels. Her major awards include those from the Poetry Society of AmericaPoetry Society of America
The Poetry Society of America is a literary organization founded in 1910 by poets, editors, and artists including Witter Bynner. It is the oldest poetry organization in the United States. Past members of the have included such renowned writers as Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent...
and the Poetry Society of Great Britain, where she won the International Sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
Competition. Her poems appear in a number of anthologies
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
.
Editor and teacher
Hannah Kahn was poetry editor at The Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald
The Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
for fifteen years. She remained actively involved in advancing poetry in the South Florida area and conducted workshops in poetry.
The Hannah Kahn Poetry Foundation
The Hannah Kahn Poetry Foundation was founded in her honor with its charter to “bring poetry events to South FloridaSouth Florida metropolitan area
The South Florida metropolitan area, also known as the Miami metropolitan area, and designated the Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area by the U.S...
.” Hannah had been successful in bringing national poets, such as Anthony Hecht
Anthony Hecht
Anthony Evan Hecht was an American poet. His work combined a deep interest in form with a passionate desire to confront the horrors of 20th century history, with the Second World War, in which he fought, and the Holocaust being recurrent themes in his work.-Early years:Hecht was born in New York...
, Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985.-Biography:...
, Yehuda Amichai
Yehuda Amichai
Yehuda Amichai was an Israeli poet. Amichai is considered by many, both in Israel and internationally, as Israel's greatest modern poet. He was also one of the first to write in colloquial Hebrew....
, Dana Gioia
Dana Gioia
-Poetry:It was as a poet that Gioia first began to attract widespread attention in the early 1980s, with frequent appearances in The Hudson Review, Poetry, and The New Yorker. In the same period, he published a number of essays and book reviews...
, Maxine Kumin
Maxine Kumin
Maxine Kumin is an American poet and author. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1981-1982.-Early years:...
, John Haag, Carolyn Kizer
Carolyn Kizer
Carolyn Ashley Kizer is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet of the Pacific Northwest whose works reflect her feminism.-Life and work:...
and others to read and lecture in South Florida, and the foundation continues that effort.
Hannah Kahn Poetry Award
The Hannah Kahn Poetry Award is presented through the Florida State Poetry Association.Archives
A collection of transcripts of poetry readings by Hannah Kahn is located at the George A. Smathers Libraries Special Collection archives of the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. Her papers, including correspondence with Conrad Aiken
Conrad Aiken
Conrad Potter Aiken was an American novelist and poet, whose work includes poetry, short stories, novels, a play and an autobiography.-Early years:...
, Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu , was an American writer who spent most of her time until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932...
, Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was an American journalist, writer, feminist, and environmentalist known for her staunch defense of the Everglades against efforts to drain it and reclaim land for development...
, and others, are located in the archives of the University of Florida.
Personal notes
Hannah quit school at the age of 16 and worked menial jobs in New York City before going on to obtain her GED and college education. She then obtained entry level work at a furniture manufacturer and eventually became showroom manager for the business until her retirement.Hannah’s poetry was influenced and inspired by the memory of her husband Frank who died early in life. They had three children, two boys and a daughter Vivian, and eventually five grandchildren. Her daughter Vivian was handicapped with Down syndrome
Down syndrome
Down syndrome, or Down's syndrome, trisomy 21, is a chromosomal condition caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome. It is named after John Langdon Down, the British physician who described the syndrome in 1866. The condition was clinically described earlier in the 19th...
and lived with Hannah until Hannah’s death, and Hannah dedicated much of her effort in the Miami area supporting the handicapped, including her association with the Association for Retarded Citizens (ARC).