Solmaz Sharif's book "Look", published by Graywolf Press, has received critical praise and numerous accolades. Connor and Jack dig into a work from the collection "Perception Management: An Abridged List of Operations" a found poem that takes the names of real military operations and recontextualizes them to draw out infinite meanings and connections.

Connor finds connections to a Das Racist song and draws out multiple ways to read the poem. Jack gets thinking about Edwin Starr, wrestlers, Georgetown University Law professors, and the Punisher. Strap in, it's a wild one.

For more on Sharif: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/solmaz-sharif

For more on "Look": https://solmazsharif.com/look/

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PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT

An abridged list of operations

BY Solmaz Sharif

ANTICA BABILONIA • BAGHDAD • BASTILLE • ABILENE • SUICIDE

KINGS • GUN BARREL CITY • GOD HELP US (ALA ALLAH) • ARMY

SANTA • CAVE DWELLERS • ROCK BOTTOM • PLYMOUTH ROCK •

RAT TRAP • COWPENS • BAGHDAD IS BEAUTIFUL • BACKBREAKER

• BLOCK PARTY • SWASHBUCKLE • SWARMERS • PUNISHER •

BEASTMASTER • FLEA FLICKER • FIRECRACKER • LIGHTNING

HAMMER • IRAQI HOME PROTECTOR • TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER •

BONE BREAKER • IRON REAPER • BELL HURRIYAH (ENJOY

FREEDOM) • SPRING BREAK • ROCKETMAN • GLADIATOR •

OUTLAW DESTROYER • DIRTY HARRY • GOLD DIGGER •

UNFORGIVEN • RAGING BULL • THUNDERCAT • MR. ROGER’S

NEIGHBORHOOD • SHADYVILLE • HICKORY VIEW • SCORPION

STING • EAGLE LIBERTY • WOLFHOUND FURY • FALCON SWEEP •

FALCON FREEDOM • SCALES OF JUSTICE • RAPIER THRUST •

RELENTLESS HUNT • WOLF STALK • SWAMPFOX • TOMAHAWK •

CRAZYHORSE THUNDER • GERONIMO STRIKE • PATRIOT STRIKE •

QUICK STRIKE • RESTORING RIGHTS • CONSTITUTION HAMMER •

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION • MONEY WORTH • RODEO • ALOHA •

FOCUS • FLOODLIGHT • HARVEST LIGHT • RED LIGHT • RED BULL

• PITBULL • BRUTUS • HERMES • SLEDGEHAMMER • GRIZZLY

FORCED ENTRY • VACANT CITY • RIVERWALK • IRAQI HEART •

RUBICON • RAMADAN ROUNDUP • GOODWILL • LITTLE MAN •

ALKAMRA ALMANER (MOONLIGHT) • SALOON • STALLION RUN •

LION HUNT • AL SALAM (PEACE) • JUSTICE REACH • ROCK REAPER

• DEMON DIGGER • RAIDER HARVEST • IRON JUSTICE • UNITED

FIST • WHITE ROCKETS • DONKEY ISLAND • BARNSTORMER • SOUK

JADED (NEW MARKET) • CHURCH • CHECKMATE • KNOCKOUT •

BACKPACK • SOCCER BALL • DOCTOR • THERAPIST • HELPING

HAND • SCHOOL SUPPLIES • COOL SPRING • OPEN WINDOW •

GLAD TIDINGS OF BENEVOLENCE