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 cafés, 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.