Khaled Mattawa verfasst Lyrik, die sich mit den Komplexitäten von Identität und Kultur auseinandersetzt. Seine Arbeit zeichnet sich durch eine reiche Sprache und tiefe introspektive Einblicke aus. Die von ihm erforschten Themen umfassen oft Vorstellungen von Exil, Erinnerung und der Suche nach Zugehörigkeit. Seine Verse sind musikalisch und evokativ und schaffen kraftvolle und eindringliche Bilder.
A critical study of Mahmoud Darwishs poetry throughout his career. Darwish (1941-2008), a Palestinian poet and author, was established as the national poet of Palestine and an important world literary figure. Mattawa brings together his detailed examination of Darwishs works and life to reveal the human side of one of the seminal figures in modern Arabic poetry.
Khaled Mattawa's collection offers a profound exploration of the dual roles of poet and citizen within the context of American imperialism. Departing from his earlier lyrical style, the work challenges the notion that mere artistic expression is enough in the face of contemporary crises. In this timely second edition, readers confront their own complicity and the fragile nature of privilege amid global political, economic, and ecological turmoil, making it a powerful reflection on the responsibilities of art and awareness.
Jahan Ramazani has written that “These dazzling lyrics and sequences create one of the most compelling portraits we have of a mind, a sensibility, a language emerging from the hybridization of cultures.”