Welcome to Litsy!

I included Toha‘s biography in this pic so people realize that when I say these poems are brutal, they get a sense of how brutal I mean.

It seems inappropriate to judge the overall style, or lack thereof, of this collection. These are not meant to simply be poems. They are documents. Rapid fire snapshots of war-torn lives.

These poems don‘t need to prove themselves; they only need to be.

Poem Title:
TRUE OR FALSE: A TEST BY A GAZAN CHILD

I‘m glad I read this after The Hundred Years‘ War on Palestine. Chomsky & Pappe provide the understanding that I felt that Khalidi‘s book did not. However, without reading Khalidi first I would‘ve been lost throughout much of On Palestine.

I now feel that I can justly have an opinion. & while I choose to not voice that here, the one thing I will say is that the United States has exacerbated this war from nearly the beginning & it NEEDS to stop.

I know this is a contentious issue so I‘ll keep it simple.

Despite this war having gone on my whole life I was unaware until recent events.

This is a pertinent overview. One-sided, sure, but Khalidi doesn‘t shy away from criticizing the Palestinian‘s actions either.

I‘m not sure if I have a better understanding, but I at least feel I can add to a conversation if need be.

I would like to learn more about the prewar history.

You know how sometimes you‘re reading a book and thinking: Is this a waste of my time? Well, this felt like it. I just couldn‘t get where this story was going…And don‘t get me wrong, I don‘t mind reading about a character‘s day to day, but this just felt like it was leading nowhere.

Bailed at 25%

I was into this audio at the beginning but I found it to drag on the middle—so much so that I found myself skipping and I NEVER do that. I could have missed something vital, so take this with a grain of salt. I know theater doesn‘t work for me in literature so it‘s my fault. I loved the MC‘s backstory and the set up: Sonia returns to her home to discover so much has changed: grandparents have passed, houses sold. Timely: Palestinian experiences.

This new book of essays by David Grossman just breaks my heart. Will there ever be peace in this troubled area of the world?

A complicated novel about a complex topic - lots of characters and identities in the Middle East. A great reflection on identity and resistance.