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 Canadian Wendy Jewell writes: "Ilse Bing is my poet hero. Her life and her words have inspired me to follow my dreams.""When I first met Ilse, her husband, Konrad Wolff, was beseeching me to rescue her from the very strong undertow off the shore of Tobago. At the age of 80, she was diving for precious pieces of coral with the sea smashing around her undaunted will. We became fast friends. Ilse has given me and those lucky enough to discover her, a reason to believe, to hope and to expect miracles."
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POET HERO:
ILSE BING
by Wendy Jewell
The artistic photographer and poet, Ilse Bing, was born on March 23, 1899, in Frankfurt, Germany. She grew up in a family where arts and sciences were venerated. Known in Europe and New York in the 1930's and 40's as "The Queen of the Leica,"
her poetry and images stand the test of time. Ilse Bing died on March 10, 1998, just short of her 99th birthday, and celebrations in honor of her work took place throughout the year.
Some of the poems that are included in this tribute to Ilse were from a collection of poems entitled:
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Danseuse de cancan au Moulin Rouge 1931 |
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Motto
the invisible
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ILSE BING
wrote in the introduction of her book:
On the other hand, I found out that grown persons are no more secure, no more free than children. Fundamentally, even if in a different way, they confront the same problems, they are filled with the same hopes, the same anguishes and joys, ...their deepest possible insights go in the same direction...
WOMEN from the cradle to old age
When I was a little girl, children were looked upon as, "not yet"
- something not yet perfect. I resented this approach toward me. But I was no fighter, and I retreated into my own world.
This world was so colorful and so rich that I wanted never to become a grown-up.
Yet, I had to grow up. This childhood experience, however, stayed with me. It helped me see and understand life in a much greater variety and depth. It made me respect all children as persons complete in themselves, as persons who had to find their own way, with ideas and inner struggles as valid as those of grown-ups.
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Danseuses a l'ecole de laban' Frankfurt 1929 |
because it hurts |
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Written by
Wendy Jewell
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National Women's Caucus for Art |
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Kate Kemker from Ringwood, New Jersey, wrote about her hero, Ilse Bing: "...what a strong, creative force. Her passing will more than likely mark her spirit's last incarnation in this realm. She has gone on to loftier dimensions to accomplish even greater feats of love and creativity. She will be missed, but not forgotten. |
RECOMMENDED
READING | |
 Ilse Bing: Photography through the Looking Glass by Larisa Dryansky, Edwynn Houk |
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| A. Navoi wrote poetry over 500 years ago that has withstood the test of time. | Ada Aharoni works for peace between Israelis and Palestinians with poetry. | Alexander Pushkin is one of Russia's greatest writers. | Anna Akhmatova is considered one of Russia's best poets. |
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| Carl Sandburg wrote poems, stories and nonfiction about Americans and American life. | Chairil Anwar was a beloved Indonesian poet. | Christine de Pisan was a 15th century French poet. | Dante Alighieri contributed to Italian culture by his use of the Tuscan language instead of Latin. |
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| Doreen Van Lee writes about her Chicago childhood. | DuBose Heyward Wrote most of the lyrics to the famous musical, 'Porgy and Bess.' | Dylan Thomas : life will carry on, always with the same vigor. | Edgar Allan Poe was a renowned poet who overcame many hardships including depression. |
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| Edna St. Vincent Millay 's poetry was both popular and critically acclaimed. | Emily Elizabeth Dickinson wrote nearly 2,000 poems in her lifetime. | Emma Lazarus was an advocate for immigrants' rights and wrote the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. | Hadraawi, Beloved Peacemaker / Poet of Somalia is a powerful voice for peace in his country. |
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| Henry Rago was a Poet and Professor whose poetry stands the test of time. | Ilse Bing was a remarkable poet and photographer. Her works withstand the test of time. | Isaac Rosenberg was a poet of the Great War. | Jack Prelutsky is a beloved children's book author, and the first Children's Poet Laureate |
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| Khwajeh Shams al-Din Muhammad Hafez-e Shirazi is a renowned Iranian poet. | Langston Hughes was nicknamed the Poet Laureate of Harlem. | Li Bai is often referred to as the 'God of Poets' in China. | Maria Josephine Barrios Filipina poet and activist |
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| Mariama Khan writes poetry to champion the cause of the voiceless. | Mattie Stepanek is a hero to people of all ages around the world. | Maya Angelou is a beloved female author and poet. | Naguib Mahfouz was the first Arab to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. |
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| Ntozake Shange is the inventor of the choreopoem. | Pablo Neruda is the most widely read Latin-American poet. | Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet of the nineteenth century. | Phillis Wheatley was the first distinguished African-American poet. |
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| Robert Lee Frost was named 'the national bard.' | Robert Penn Warren was the first Poet Laureate of the United States. | Saul Williams is a Spoken Word Poet and Slam Champ. | Shel Silverstein was a poet, playwright, lyricist and good friend. |
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| Theodor Seuss (Dr. Seuss) Geisel | W.E.B. Dubois was a leading 19th century writer and scholar. | William Shakespeare wrote plays & poetry that continue to have a lasting effect on readers all over the world. |
Last changed on:7/17/2004 3:21:18 PM
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