Plague Lands And Other Poems

Fawzi Karim is one of the most compelling voices of the exiled generation of Iraqi writers. The first of his poetry to appear in English, this collection includes an elegy for the life of a lost city--a chronicle of a journey into exile, haunted by the deep history of an ancient civilization. Memories of Baghdad's alleys, smoke-filled cafes, and mulberry-shaded squares are recalled with painful intensity. Karim's defiant humanity, rejecting dogma, and argumentative nature underscore his importance during fractured times, and the comprehensive notes and explorations of Karim's life heirein illuminate the context of his best works.

Fawzi Karim is a well-known Iraqi poet, writer, and painter. The Ivory Tower, his column on poetry and European classical music, has appeared in a number of influential Arabic newspapers. He has published more than 14 books of poetry, including The Foundling Years and Night of Abel Alaa, and eight books of prose, including Diary of The End of a Nightmare and Gods the Companion: On Music. Anthony Howell is a poet and translator. He is the author of The Ogre’s Wife and the cotranslator of Silvae: A Selection. Abbas Kadhim is a scholar and translator.