Backlit

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How do literature and poetry help sustain individuals and society through times of oppression? What can we learn from the literary work of Afghan women writers and poets? In this episode of Backlit, scholars Diana Arterian and Marina Omar join me in exploring literature's role in developing humanity and resilience, inspired by their translation of Nadia Anjuman's poetry collection, Smoke Drifts, winner of the Northern California Book Award in Translation. Illuminating and empowering, Arterian's and Omar's work introduces us to the beauty and power of Afghan women's poetry and invites us to imagine new possibilities for advocacy in literature and life.

Topics discussed:

• Afghan women writers as voices of resistance
• Family support for engaging with literature
• The role of literature in sustaining individuals and society
• The tradition of poetry in Persian cultures
• Literary translation and bringing Anjuman's poetry to a global audience
• Sticking with a long-term project
• Literary and intellectual activism
• Finding the words and voice to express frustration and anger
• Humanity, agency and advocacy in contemporary society

Links:

• Episode webpage
• Purchase Smoke Drifts by Nadia Anjuman, translated by Diana Arterian and Marina Omar
• Author Website: Diana Arterian

Other literature by Afghan women:

• My Dear Kabul: A Year in the Life of An Afghan Women’s Writing Group
• Hair on Fire: Afghan Women Poets
• My Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women
• Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi
• The Mirror of My Heart: A Thousand Years of Persian Poetry by Women

More information on women's literary activism in Afghanistan:

• “Daughters of Afghanistan, Literary Voices of Change” by Aria Fani on PBS
• "The Last Torch: The Sisters Who Defied the Taliban by Singing" from BBC (26 minutes)

Ways to advocate:

• Sahar Education nonprofit

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

How does hybridity shape identity and culture? What new possibilities arise when we connect across languages, cultures, time and space? In this episode of Backlit, poet and scholar Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss joins me in imagining possibilities for the future, inspired by his latest poetry collection Hybrid Heaven and Other(ed) Poems. Imaginative and liberating, Moss’s work examines how the blending of cultures, languages, ideas, time, and space creates new possibilities for literature and life.

Topics discussed:

• Hybridity and literary influences
• Afropean influences in music, fashion, and literature
• Bricolage and growing up with a hybridity of cultures
• Afrofuturism in contemporary culture
• Global and extraplanetary exploration
• Building your own “library for liberation”
• Connecting with people across languages and cultures
• Crafting a third thing

Links:

• Episode Webpage
• Purchase Hybrid Heaven by Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss
• Purchase Japanapandon by Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss
• Author Website: Andrew Geoffrey Kwabena Moss

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

What happens when reality becomes surreal? How do we draw the line between fiction and nonfiction? In this episode of Backlit, Egyptian novelist and poet Mohamed Kheir joins me in exploring surreal situations, inspired by the English translation of Sleep Phase. Blending past, present, and future in scenes that evoke the chaotic beauty of a changing city, Mohamed’s work examines how monumental shifts influence our understanding of ourselves and our world.

Topics discussed:

• Surrealism and artistic influences
• Inspiration from history and culture of Cairo
• Challenges in literary translation
• Drawing a line between fiction and nonfiction
• Deconstruction and reconstruction in urban landscapes
• Navigating mass media in an age of misinformation and fake news
• Inspiration from observing your surroundings

Links:

• Episode webpage with transcript
• Purchase Sleep Phase by Mohamed Kheir
• Purchase Slipping by Mohamed Kheir

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

How can we turn gaps into opportunities for imagination and creativity? What does it take to have meaningful human connection? How can writing help us articulate our ideas and values? In this episode of Backlit, writer and visionary Jennifer Eli Bowen joins me in exploring personal growth through literary writing and human connection, inspired by her essay collection, The Book of Kin. Examining love and absence through both personal and social lenses, Jen’s work honors both the beauty and difficulty of being present. Topics discussed:

• Embracing gaps and fragmentation in writing and life
• Blending imagination and nonfiction
• Life lessons learned through writing
• Personal growth and learning to articulate yourself through writing
• Human connection versus isolation
• Learning to be present
• Counteracting burnout culture

Links:

• Episode Webpage
• Purchase The Book of Kin: On Absence, Love, and Being There by Jennifer Eli Bowen
• Author Website: Jennifer Eli Bowen

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

How do we navigate complexity and tension in our daily lives? What happens when we hold complexity, rather than resolution, at the center of our understanding of cities, people, and art itself? In this episode of Backlit, poet and editor Wayne Miller joins me in exploring the city’s impact on individuals and society, inspired by his poetry collection The City, Our City. Balancing history and modernity, Wayne’s work examines how the city—real or imagined—shapes not only where we live, but who we become as individuals and as a society.

Topics discussed:

• Tension between city and small town/rural areas
• Tension between literature/art and violence
• What publishers looks for in a literary work
• Complexity and tension
• Complexity and simplicity
• Idealism and pragmatism
• Optimism and pessimism

Links:

• Episode Webpage
• Purchase The City, Our City by Wayne Miller
• Author Website: Wayne Miller

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

What can literary translation teach us about life? How does our attention to language generate hope and lead to new opportunities? In this episode of Backlit, writer and translator Marguerite Feitlowitz joins me in generating ideas for deepening understanding and stimulating creativity, inspired by her translation of Ennio Moltedo’s groundbreaking collection, Night. Brimming with imagination, humanity, and hope, Marguerite’s work embodies the creative potential present in our use of language as a way to connect with one another across cultures.

Topics discussed:

• Challenges of literary translation
• What one learns from translating poetry
• Paying attention to language
• … and what it teaches us about paying attention
• How careful attention and serendipity lead to opportunities
• Documentary surreal
• Using literature as a springboard for learning about history and culture
• Triangle of hope — history, present, and creativity

Literary Translation Publishers & Resources:

• World Poetry
• Open Letter Books
• Words Without Borders
• Asymptote
• American Literary Translators Association
• PEN America Translation Committee

Links:

• Episode Webpage
• Purchase Night by Ennio Moltedo, translated by Marguerite Feitlowitz
• Other books by Marguerite Feitlowitz
• Author Website: Marguerite Feitlowitz

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

How do we define and redefine ourselves as individuals? As a society? How do dialogue and correspondence move us toward real freedom and growth? In this episode of Backlit, poets Donnelle McGee and Synnika Lofton join me in generating ideas for exploring and revising ourselves and our world, inspired by their poetry collection, American Reverie.

Topics discussed:

• Inspiration from music and poetry
• Exploring and shaping identity through writing
• What’s next for American philosophy & culture
• Tips for writing and revision
• Correspondence as communication & art form
• Inspiration & growth through writing and conversation
• Literary practice & freedom

Links:

• Episode Webpage with Transcript
• Purchase books by Donnelle McGee, Synnika Lofton
• Author Website: Donnelle McGee, Synnika Lofton

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Use the record button below to send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The Industrial Age has come to a close, and we are now in the midst of the Information Age—or are we past it? In this episode of Backlit, poet Laura-Gray Street joins us in a brainstorming conversation inspired by her recent poetry collection, Just Labor. Weaving together gender, industrialization, ecology and work, Laura-Gray’s work sparks new insights as we approach literature and life as an opportunity for discovery.

Topics discussed:

• Writing as a journey of discovery
• Impact of AI & gender issues on work
• The silence of privilege
• Writing ecopoetry & addressing environmental justice
• Teaching writing & the case for small classes
• Humanity & the work of caring for one another
• Writing inspiration & weaving together ideas

Links:

• Episode Webpage with Transcript
• Purchase books by Laura-Gray Street
• Author Website: Laura-Gray Street