Hindi speaker here. Nothing said was antisemitic. Among the chanting: “Shout it, say it while dancing, sing it, say it with love: Freedom.”

We’re dangerously close to post-9/11 “brown person using scary words I don’t understand = terrorism” thinking. Let’s nip this in the bud.

Our team spent long hours reporting on and around Columbia’s campus on Thursday & Friday. I want to clear some stuff up. I didn’t see a single instance of violence or aggression on the lawn or at the student encampment. The student-led protest was peaceful and often very quiet…

An incredible figure in US and international poetry, who made translation (and editing) central to his practice, and who treated translation as a transformational art. A totally different model. Also, a super nice guy.

It’s ironic (or unironi) so many non Native US poets write about this land & “the environment” but can’t connect it back to genocide & Palestine, & to literal lands they thrive on. Yeah, you are here but “if you are where you are then where are those who are not here? Not here.”

Jewish safety is the excuse for subjugation, displacement & murder of Palestinians. Jewish safety is the excuse for arrests & expulsions of students. None of this makes Jews safe or is truly about Jewish safety. Call it what it is: supremacy, imperialism, censorship, control.

Biden is an idiot. He needs to act fast and cease fire now. He was probably hoping people would forget Gaza and move onto the next news cycle. But Gaza will be for him what Vietnam was for LBJ.

Nothing is so good it lasts eternally/perfect situations must go wrong./but this has never yet prevented me/ from wanting far too much for far too long. '

New poem up, thanks to Roberto Tejada who got me to it. I've been writing this one off and on for nearly 25 years.

Shard have this ember
rendered member of the body whose
urge surged swerve and shine
ocean opens shone hours
ours to contrail pretends
to sketch a shape of a flower against
infinite information of the sky

Crumpled Up
✍️ A poem by Kazim Ali

hcn.org/issues/april-2…

the only poem that matters right now is this one by Ibrahim Nasrallah.

'I died and lived. I lit myself on fire. I put myself out with my own ashes,
and nothing came of it.'

proteanmag.com/2024/03/24/pal…

Later this March, Notre Dame Creative Writing will host Kazim Ali! Mark your calendars!

english.nd.edu/news-events/ev…

#NotreDame #CreativeWriting

as for we who love to be astonished-- lyn hejinian

What are we even watching? Mangled bodies of blown up children? Live executions of mothers? Brothers being shot? Parents killed in front of their kids?

None of this makes sense. Leave your book promo tweets & ‘delighted to announce’ posts & use your voice where it’s most needed

Friday evening, I’m doing an offsite reading with fellow Wesleyan poets Book #5 out February 2024 & Kazim Ali. We’ll be at Bliss Books & Wine, 3502 Gillham Rd., starting at 7 pm! Come for the poetry, stay for the wine (or vice versa)! [“vice”—lol!]
#AWP24
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It's OK to critique a poem or a poet. It's OK for opinions to be passionate. It's OK to come out of nowhere with a vociferous take. Why do we always have to agree on who is brilliant and who is uninteresting. Stay unschooled, be lost in the possible.

Hi everyone, you have until Feb 16 to submit to this AMAZING press-- hands down one of the most compelling indy presses in the country! Omnidawn Publishing publishes beautiful books and has a great team -