Thank you for sharing this, and for the link to more. I am flinching from the horrors, too, but conscious that I must not look away completely, so (perhaps hoping to comprehend the incomprehensible) I am reading A Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall (2023, published only days before the outbreak of the present war), and planning to read Colum McCann's Apeirogon (2020) next. As you probably know, both are centred on fact — Thrall's a work of reportage, McCann's a novel about real people — and highly-regarded for their balance and nuance. But it's good to hear Palestinian voices at first hand, as with this intrinsically emotive poetry. Also, I believe McCann references Mahmoud Darwish (a name completely new to me) in his novel, and I appreciate the approaching symmetry of that.
I'm sorry to be so late in replying - the week rather ran away with me. I too appreciate these symmetries and I will look out for both Thrall's and McCann's books. Thank you for adding to the store of literature here that at least helps us, as you say, 'comprehend the incomprehensible'.
Don't worry about being 'late' in replying. I'm rather enjoying that Substack/Notes is so much less frenetic than other platforms, granting us the ability to respond at our own pace.
Thank you Avril, for an introduction to a writer whose name is new to me.
Was new to me too, Warren.
Thank you for sharing this, and for the link to more. I am flinching from the horrors, too, but conscious that I must not look away completely, so (perhaps hoping to comprehend the incomprehensible) I am reading A Day in the Life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall (2023, published only days before the outbreak of the present war), and planning to read Colum McCann's Apeirogon (2020) next. As you probably know, both are centred on fact — Thrall's a work of reportage, McCann's a novel about real people — and highly-regarded for their balance and nuance. But it's good to hear Palestinian voices at first hand, as with this intrinsically emotive poetry. Also, I believe McCann references Mahmoud Darwish (a name completely new to me) in his novel, and I appreciate the approaching symmetry of that.
I'm sorry to be so late in replying - the week rather ran away with me. I too appreciate these symmetries and I will look out for both Thrall's and McCann's books. Thank you for adding to the store of literature here that at least helps us, as you say, 'comprehend the incomprehensible'.
Don't worry about being 'late' in replying. I'm rather enjoying that Substack/Notes is so much less frenetic than other platforms, granting us the ability to respond at our own pace.