A River Dies of Thirst: journals [Paperback]

Mahmoud Darwish (Author), Catherine Cobham (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

“There are two maps of Palestine that the politicians will never manage to forfeit: the one kept in the memories of Palestinian refugees, and that which is drawn by Mahmoud Darwish’s poetry.”—Anton Shammas

This remarkable collection of Mahmoud Darwish’s poems and prose meditations is both lyrical and philosophical, questioning and wise, full of irony and protest and play. “Every beautiful poem is an act of resistance.” As always, Darwish’s musings on unrest and loss dwell on love and humanity; myth and dream are inseparable from truth. “Truth is plain as day.” Throughout the book, Darwish returns frequently to his ongoing and often lighthearted conversation with death.

Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was awarded the Lannan Prize for Cultural Freedom in 2001. He was regarded as the voice of the Palestinian people and one of the greatest poets of our time.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Darwish left behind an entire continent of poems whispering and singing inside Arabic and calling on us to reacquaint ourselves with its topography."
Sinan Antoon

"Many people in the Arab world feel their language is in crisis. And it is no exaggeration to say that Mahmoud is considered a savior of the Arab language."
Syrian poetry critic Subhi Hadidi, cited by Adam Schatz, The New York Times

"Darwish is the premier poetic voice of the Palestinian people … lyrical, imagistic, plaintive, haunting, always passionate, and elegant – and never anything less than free – what he would dream for all his people."
Naomi Shihab Nye

"Mahmoud Darwish is one of the greatest poets of our time. In his poetry Palestine becomes the map of the human soul."
Elias Khoury

"Darwish is to be read with urgency, in the night, when nothing else moves but his lines."
The Village Voice


"I want to find a language that transforms language itself into steel for the spirit - a language to use against these sparkling silver insects, these jets. I want to sing. I want a language … that asks me to bear witness and that I can ask to bear witness, to what power there is in us to overcome this cosmic isolation."
Mahmoud Darwish

About the Author

Poet, journalist, and advocate for the Palestinian people, Darwish was born in 1941 in Birwa (near Akko). He has written over four volumes of poetry and several books of essays, including "Memory for Forgetfulness" (U of Cal Press 1995). Catherine Cobham teaches Arabic language and literature at St Andrews University, Scotland, and has translated a number of Arab authors, including Naguib Mahfouz, Yusuf Idris, Fuad al-Takarli, Hanan al-Shaykh and Liana Badr.

Product Details

• Paperback: 153 pages
• Publisher: Archipelago Books; 1 Tra edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981955711
• ISBN-13: 978-0981955711
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,054,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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