Reviews for Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond

The average rating for Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-02-03 00:00:00 Rory Kingerley I don't want freedom gram by gram, grain by grain. I have to break this steel chain with my teeth! I don't want freedom as a drug, as a medicine, I want it as the sun, as the earth, as the heavens! Step, step aside, you invader! I am the loud voice of this land! I don't need a puny spring, I am thirsting for oceans! Khalil Reza Ulutruk - The Voice of Africa This collection is essential to anyone with even the slightest inclinations towards poetry. This is a collection that transcends all boundaries, be them political boundaries, race, religion, gender, et al. and delivers poetry like the blood that pumps through the veins of humanity and not individual classification. Collecting poems and poets from across the globe, though focusing on those centered in the Middle East and East Asia, Language for a New Century is precisely what the title implies: a powerful cry of voices long unheard for the freedom and love of all. These are potent voices that are relatively unheard of in the Western world and remind us to look beyond our comfort zone, to look beyond our borders and feel the love and frustration and sheer determination of will for the goodness of humanity that beats in the hearts of those around the world. Instead of diving the book by region, which would ultimately oppose the intentions of worldwide acceptance and unity that this book so wonderfully delivers, the poems are divided into segments of ideas. Each segment is introduced by heartfelt and heartwrenching essays by the editors that emphasize globalization and the pains inflicted upon those subject to those who view the world by race or creed instead of accepting us all as worthwhile human beings. It is a plea for peace and understanding in a modern world where ignorance of others and foreign cultures and the fear that brings can have hurtful or even deadly consequences. Each poem is a window into the world and allows one to walk in the shoes of another that may be quite different from them, and this is a worthwhile an important notion we should all pay heed to. In the modern day of social media and instant worldwide news, it is essential that we respect others and try to understand one another before we pass judgement. We live in a world where the borders are vague, as is exemplified in the breathtaking poem Two Voices by Diana Der-Hovanessian. In what language do I pray? Do I meditate in language? In what language am I trying to speak when I wake from dreams? Do I think of myself as an American, or simply as a woman when I wake? Or do I think of the date and geography I wake into, as woman? ..... Do I think of myself as hyphenated? No. Most time, even as you, I forget labels. Unless you cut me. Then I look at the blood. It speaks Armenian. A particularly moving section of the book begins with an essay on 9/11 in America. Americans are reminded that this was a critical modern attack on American soil but that millions around the world exist in violent periods of aggression and war throughout their daily lives in their 'entrails of cities.' Those of us living in the seemingly-safe suburbs or regions free of daily conflict forget that the loss of loved ones at the bite of a bullet are commonplace for others.Coming Home at Night - Joko Pinurbo (Indonesia) We arrived late at night. The bed was burnt and the flames, which had spread throughout the room continue to roar. Upon the wreckage of dreams and ruins of time our bodies char and disintegrate, as fire turns them into smoke and ash. We are a pair of corpses wanting to hold each other forever and to sleep at peace in the bed's embrace. For any lover of poetry, or any lover of humanity, this collection of poetry is essential. It reminds us that we are all part of the human race and that it is imperative to see beyond our personal boundaries, to understand and love one another. The range of poets is very impressive and spans many countries (India is represented the most, and ex-patriots living in America second, though there is an astonishing collection of otherwise unheard of poets from the Middle East and East Asia, and translated by wonderful well-known names such as W.S. Merwin), knocking down the boundaries and reminding us that we are all not so different from one another. We all live, love, desire and die, and all these are represented in gorgeous prose across this thick volume of poetry. We live in a world where people are persecuted for their race or religion, chastised for their differences, and murdered for their beliefs; this collection reminds us to treat one another with respect and urges us to understand others before we judge them. We all must share this planet, lets please do so with love and goodwill towards all. 5/5 Blowjob - Amir Or In the beginning there was only desire, they say. And then some. The lips that clung to this dick suckle now, blind with rapture, a live dildo, a hard-on Truth, the deeper the more blessed, the more the deeper. Later, blue as well. The hand that was tied with the black stocking between the legs, the groin tucked in flayed hide (dressed and dyed), the whip up the ass will leave nothing but doubt. And primarily the grip. The involuntary gagging motions take a small death first before begging for more only more deeper: heat up the blue rim. Pull the trigger.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-06-15 00:00:00 Louis Ramey How does release from what you love become "unequivocal freedom" Twenty-seven dollars and ninety-five cents; that is a cost of a world. Not including tax or later library accommodation, a gleam of the best and brights save for some reason, some how, someone withdrew the world, setting the place to the path where I would pick it up for a buck. The world is most easily accessible through the kills of propaganda, less accessible through quiz quests of geography, even littler so in immigration of their lives. If real is the bottom and classic's the top, there's also defensive measures for the latter. Specialization, appropriation, grants, funds, pride, socioeconomic survival of forlorn linguistics made only so by contrast of heart and hate crimes. Singapore. Beirut. Philippines. Taiwan. These are the poems that spoke to me. Indonesia. Japan. Armenia. Turkmenistan. What do you recognize as worth your time? Korea. Lebanon. Israel. India. Drone strikes make a small world smaller. I do not read for expertise, I do not read for fact. I do not read for rhyme nor reason Least not for ones I've known. Not oft drowned in poetry, but from what I've seen in class one nation one language one gender aspired complacency is death. Food and sex and violence sprung farther than eye can see. How do you pick your comfort zone for resting mind and heart? Many a canon you do not know, will never know in fact. Translation's a beast, or so they say a shame for Bible-bound. I refuse to wait for humanity to be served up on a plate. Fresh and pressed, Anglophized, your money or your life. Will you wait to seek your bload soaked hands when all the grinding stops? Here's a hint: it never ends not here not there not now. Babies born beyond our ken sainthood's never shown. Shy away from piercing soul cupidity of ebola. You can no longer laugh at this or that, the commerce of my soil. Whether it is the same for you I cannot tell, a variation on the theme of this. No simplicity of blood bone and flesh, no demographic sum. Come, you previous generations, deriders of my patience. Try your hand at history you've wrought on this the online land. Love's a belittled word for it lest you grip your throat and cry. Find a grasp of frozen sea, this lovely work of life. Hold the heart. Imagine it is yours. But do not take my word for it.