Khaled Mattawa creëert poëzie die de complexiteit van identiteit en cultuur onderzoekt. Zijn werk kenmerkt zich door rijke taal en diepe introspectieve inzichten. De thema's die hij verkent, omvatten vaak noties van ballingschap, herinnering en de zoektocht naar verbondenheid. Zijn verzen zijn muzikaal en suggestief, en creëren krachtige en resonerende beelden.
A critical study of Mahmoud Darwishs poetry throughout his career. Darwish (1941-2008), a Palestinian poet and author, was established as the national poet of Palestine and an important world literary figure. Mattawa brings together his detailed examination of Darwishs works and life to reveal the human side of one of the seminal figures in modern Arabic poetry.
Khaled Mattawa's collection offers a profound exploration of the dual roles of poet and citizen within the context of American imperialism. Departing from his earlier lyrical style, the work challenges the notion that mere artistic expression is enough in the face of contemporary crises. In this timely second edition, readers confront their own complicity and the fragile nature of privilege amid global political, economic, and ecological turmoil, making it a powerful reflection on the responsibilities of art and awareness.
Jahan Ramazani has written that “These dazzling lyrics and sequences create one of the most compelling portraits we have of a mind, a sensibility, a language emerging from the hybridization of cultures.”