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REGION: North America
TOPIC: Arts & Entertainment
Online NewsHour
FORUM
Posted: April 20, 2007

Poetry of the Middle East

Forum Introduction
Jerusalem Poets Agi Mishol and Ghassan Zaqtan respond to comments and questions.
QUESTIONS
Multi-cultural Readings
Encountering the "Other"
Early Experiences with Poetry
Reading Recommendations
Traveling to the United States
Final Thoughts
 

Thank you for sharing your poetry. It has helped me to better understand the Middle East. I lived in South Africa for 11 years when democracy finally came to South Africa and have seen unreasoning conflict. Thank you for your insight.
William Cress, Memphis, Tenn.

I loved the two pieces this past week on Israeli and Palestinian poets. The poets were fascinating, and so were their physical surroundings. The excerpts from their poetry were lovely and what they said in the interview was powerful and moving.
Paul C. Rosenblatt, Roseville, Minn.

We were so moved by this segment. The poets tell the story we never hear. Taha Muhammad Ali says that poetry hides. Thank you for the care and time you gave these poets unfold quietly with out rushing.
Lucia Mudd, Cambridge, Mass.

NewsHour: Have you are do you have plans to give readings or travel in the United States?

ANSWERS
 

Agi Mishol: I have been to the states twice. Both times I appeared with my translator, the poet Lisa Katz. Once we read in the Minneapolis area, the home of my publisher Graywolf Press; I was a guest of the PEN World Voices Festival in New York on that trip too. The second time we made a journey of three weeks, going from New York to San Francisco; Charlottesville, Va.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Middletown, Conn. and Wellesley, Mass. If I'm invited, I'll happy to be visit again.

Ghassan Zaqtan: I was in the United States twice; once through the Iowa International Writing Program. I held several readings in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles.

Next Question and Answer

Main: NewsHour Poetry Series
Main: NewsHour Poetry Series
Main: Poetry of the Middle East
FORUM
Poetry of the Middle East
RESOURCES
Poet Profiles
    Eliaz Cohen
    Agi Mishol
    Taha Muhammad Ali
    Samih al-Qasim
    Aharon Shabtai
    Ghassan Zaqtan
Reporter's Notebook
RELATED INFORMATION
In-depth Coverage: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Poetry International Web
The Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature
Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center Foundation








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