Muslim Poetry (Suheir Hammad)

I love Suheir Hammad. I love her voice (on the page). She strikes the right tone, or at least one I would like to emulate in my own writing. The famous Muslim writers of the past, like Rumi and Hafiz seem to have written from the top of the mountain. They have walked the path and reached the destination and now they are showing us the slide show. (Not that they didn't come back with gorgeous pictures, but still it's hard to relate if you haven't seen the Grand Canyon yet.) And much of modern religious Muslim poetry is quite pietistic, and comes out more like rhymed sermons. (Not that we don't need to hear more sermons but they don't really satisfy a distinct need for poetry). But Suheir is different. She's experienced much, but takes us with her. Her words aren't so much sermons, but quiet night-time conversations on a porch. She has the most beautiful 9/11 poem called "first writing since" and an amazing collection of other pieces called "Born Palestinian, Born Black" which is out of print last time I check but might be available in used bookstores.

What I like about her writing is that it is current, casual, colloquial, spiritual but not preachy, politically engaged but also human and concrete. Alot of the material reflects her Arab/Muslim family background but it doesn't beat you over the head with it.

To be honest, I'm not sure where she is exactly in terms of her individual religious commitments. In fact, I'm not sure that she does either. but at the same time, her honest doubt and self-reflection is something which the Muslim community (whether poetic or otherwise) could use some more of.

It will at least be interesting when there are more Muslim poets who get down from the pulpit and find multiple vantage points from which to speak. Even if its the bedroom as in Mohja Kahf's love poem "More than one way to break a fast" (I just love the title)

That's it for now