Palestinian Music and Song: Expression and Resistance since 1900

The Mindful Bard Wanda Waterman Volume 22 Issue 12 2014-03-21 Book: Palestinian Music and Song: Expression and Resistance since 1900 Editors: Moslih Kanaaneh, Stig-Magnus Thorsén, Heather Bursheh, and David A. McDonald Publisher: Indiana University Press Reflecting and Shaping a National Identity Palestine’s struggle is, to some extent, the story of every nation. So rare is it to find a country or ethnic group with no memory of ever having been colonized . . . (Read the review here.) Continue reading Palestinian Music and Song: Expression and Resistance since 1900

The Unbearable Beauty of the Open, Hurting Heart

Letter from Brooklyn Poems by Jacob Scheier Publisher: ECW Press Yes, there is joy, fulfillment and companionship—but the loneliness of the soul in its appalling self-consciousness is horrible and overpowering. – Sylvia Plath I don’t normally like postmodern confessional free verse, but this tome caught my attention because of the sheer density of its “aha” moments. You know how that feels; it’s when you hear something new and you say to yourself, “I never thought of it that way, but now that you mention it, it really is true.” Another remarkable aspect of this work is the story arc behind … Continue reading The Unbearable Beauty of the Open, Hurting Heart