| Title | : | Hijra (Crab Orchard Series in Poetry) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0809335409 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780809335404 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 84 |
| Publication | : | First published August 15, 2016 |
The reader sees war, diaspora, and immigration, and hears the marginalized voices of women of color. The poems use lyrical diction and striking imagery to evoke the weight of an emotional and visceral journey. They grow and build in length and form, reflecting the gains the women in the poems make in re-creating selfhood through endurance and strength.
In prose, narrative, and confessional-style poems, Alyan reflects on how physical space is refashioned, transmitted, and remembered. Her voice is distinct, fresh, relevant, and welcoming.
Hijra (Crab Orchard Series in Poetry) Reviews
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I read this book in one day, and it's a book I'll return to. It's hypnotic and visceral in its images, an incantation of marginalized women's voices in exile and in war, a praise song to brutalized resilience. I'm so enamored with this book that I feel dizzy and drunk on it.
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Words can't express my gratitude for poets like Hala Alyan. Hijra is phenomenal in every which way. As soon as one turns to the first page, one's back straightens, and breath expands into limbs with every turn. Through Hala's poems I have learnt that there is love even in melancholy.
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"...when dawn/ carves itself on trees,// it's enough to make you/tunnel across the sea,// the thousands who died/ smelling apples in the air." Hala Alyan's collection is a dark, reverential study of violence and oppression, and the woman's place between tradition and modernity, home and emigration.
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I'm not sure that I've ever read such an evocative collection of contemporary poetry. It was powerful and profound in every way imaginable, with haunting and visceral imagery that transported me across oceans to war torn homelands and made me humbly appreciate the sacrifices of women. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
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As I continue my read through of Hala Alyan's works, I think this might be my favorite of her poetry collections so far. The guiding theme was so clear throughout this story and these poems seemed at times almost to play off of each other; there was just a cohesiveness that I really enjoyed. There were many poems where I tabbed and annotated my thoughts and it's one I can certainly see myself returning to and finding even more to enjoy.
