Ansina by Myriam Moscona: Science, Magic, and Visionary Poetry

Abstract Ansina, the 2015 collection of poems by Myriam Moscona (Mexico, 1955), drew attention for being composed predominantly in Ladino. It is often categorized along with the same writer’s 2012 novel Tela de sevoya and 2013 anthology (with J. Sefamí) of Judeo-Spanish writing. All three feature Ladino as a vehicle for literary expression. Taking a different perspective, I propose an examination of Ansina as a continuation of Moscona’s longtime project of creating a visionary poetry in tune with the present literary era. I look especially at the poems that allude to such spellbinding scientific phenomena as fractals. The speaking subject and their close companion regard the contemplation of these occurrences as a gateway to occult knowledge; they exemplify the mystic’s belief that, to cite Joseph Dan, “[o]nly nonlinguistic means can glean some aspects of the hidden divine truth” (2002, 3). While Ansina has links to the Jewish mystical tradition, it reveals a broader concept that includes also magic.