Critique of the Literary Work: 'I Pen to Escape Bestiality'
Title: Speak for Yourself: Voices from the Heart of Gaza
In a world that's gone haywire, Letters from Gaza stands out - a 200-page cocktail of short prose, poetry, memoirs, creative non-fiction, reportage, memory fragments, treatises, and even snippets of dialogues. Mohammed Al-Zaqzooq and Mahmud Alshaer, the sensitive editors, add an introduction by Atef Abu Saif. Penned and recorded "by the people, from the year that has been", this book delivers an undiluted account of the ravaged landscape of a nation destroyed by endless bombing, hatred, and apathy.
Eyes that Sob - Al-Zaqzooq himself penned one of the heart-wrenching pieces in this book, a moving prose narrative from the 106 days in 2023. Writing after a struggle between acceptance and denial, he questions the effort's worth. This is one of the many pieces in this book that thumbs its nose at genre and form classification. The authors here have chosen a fluid and sometimes fragmented style to reflect the brokenness around them - broken lives, livelihoods, and properties.
Voice Unsilenced - Any attempt to suppress a nation through oppression, violence, or war will only lead to a backlash. Like a shout from the rooftops, the voices of the oppressed echo with raw emotions and words. In the long run, we witness the power of words pitted against guns and vested interests, standing as a means of resistance, dissent, and hope.
Fragmented Truths - Instead of traditional narrative structure, you'll find 'fragmentation' as the key unifying style or motif in this book - prose, poetry, dialogue, hallucination, diary entries, or whispered dialogues cutting short to monologues and then to annihilation and silence. It is a testament to the fact that individual and collective human voices cannot ever be muted.
Gaza, A River of Blood - My own poem, "Gaza", appears in this collection called "Fractals". It's a severe indictment of the situation, painted with grim scenes of violence and despair:
Soaked in blood, children,their heads blown outeven before they are formed.Gauze, gauze, more gauze -interminable lengthsnot long enough to soakall the blood in Gaza.A river of blood flowing,flooding the desert sandswith incarnadine hate.
Living in this war-torn land, the people are unshakable, steadfast, providing a model for resilience and humanity. As Elias Khoury writes, "Gaza and Palestine have been brutally bombarded for almost a year now, ... [yet, the people] are steadfast. Unshakable. They are the model from which I learn, every day, to love life." Where there's love, there's always hope, and a book like Letters from Gaza offers and affirms that in all of us.
Sudeep Sen, award-winning poet and critic, pens the back cover
Letters from GazaEdited by Mohammed Al-Zaqzooq and Mahmud AlshaerPenguinpp. 250; Rs 599
[1] Al-Zaqzooq, M., Alshaer, M., & S. Sen (eds.). (2023). Letters from Gaza: Voices from the heart of Gaza. Penguin.[2] Al-Zaqzooq, M. (2023). Palestine: An open wound. Al-Shabaka.[3] Yaqub, M. (2023). Poetry as resistance: The Gaza strip. The Guardian.
- Despite the turbulent lifestyle in Gaza, one can still find solace in books that offer a glimmer of hope, such as the collection "Letters from Gaza", which is a treasure trove of heartfelt prose and poetry, offering a poignant commentary on the human condition amidst hardship.
- In a world where entertainment often trivializes important issues, books like "Letters from Gaza" serve as a powerful reminder of the role of literature in shedding light on the struggles of people in various regions, offering insights into their lives, their dreams, and their unwavering resilience in the face of adversity.
