The Prophetess
Class | Registration opens 8/5/2026 12:00 PM EDT
“In this amethyst,
the Night Ages are kept…” (Nelly Sachs)
What is the role of a prophet? It involves foretelling and forth-telling: speaking not only of the future but also of the present and the past. The purpose is often to challenge people to slow down in the midst of politics and daily routines in order to think carefully about ethics, spirituality and personal volition.
“Lay upon the field the weapons of revenge,
that they grow quiet,
for even iron and grain are brethren
in the lap of the earth.” (Nelly Sachs)
Come dip into the poetry of Nelly Sachs. Her writing was well-known in Europe in the twentieth century, and she won the Nobel in literature. Participants will read a short book written by the study leader. The book focuses on 18 of Sachs’ poems in translation. English translations are accompanied by helpful context and discussion prompts.
- Participants will explore how they might find the writing relevant to current events.
- Participants will be encouraged to express what is meaningful to them — there are no wrong answers.
- The final week will culminate in synthesis of the material through an activity of personal artistic expression re: one of the 18 poems, chosen by each individual.
Required text:
Weavings of Departure: Rediscovering the Poetry of Nobel Laureate Nelly Sachs
Shoshana J. Coté
ISBN: 978-1-5323-9290-0
Copies of the book are available for purchase at Main Street BookEnds of Warner (Warner, NH) and Morgan Hill Bookstore (New London, NH).
Newbury Public Library (Newbury, NH) and Richards Free Library (Newport, NH) also have limited copies on loan.
Shoshana Coté
It was in her high school fourth-year German class taught by a native speaker that Shoshana Coté was bitten by the translation bug. This experience was followed by immersion for a summer in Germany. Translation came up again while a student at a community college. She read some poetry by Nelly Sachs and was unimpressed — until it occurred to her that perhaps it was the translation that was mediocre. She obtained a book of Sachs’ original poems from Germany and subsequently found herself itching to translate Sachs’ poetry herself. It was this quest that led to her earning a master’s degree in poetry/creative writing, with a concentration in poetry translation. In 2019, she published Weavings of Departure: Rediscovering the Poetry of Nobel Laureate Nelly Sachs. Shoshana taught English Composition and successful study strategies for students at River Valley Community College. This is her first adventure as a study leader with AIL.