{"title":"Kazim Ali","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"216\" data-end=\"934\"\u003eKazim Ali is the recipient of the 2025 Poetry Foundation Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism for \u003cem data-start=\"320\" data-end=\"403\"\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman: An Introduction to the Poetry and Poetics of Lucille Clifton\u003c\/em\u003e. His poetry collections include \u003cem data-start=\"436\" data-end=\"449\"\u003eInquisition\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem data-start=\"451\" data-end=\"461\"\u003eSky Ward\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry; \u003cem data-start=\"507\" data-end=\"523\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003eThe Far Mosque\u003c\/em\u003e, winner of the Alice James Books’ New England\/New York Award; \u003cem data-start=\"586\" data-end=\"604\"\u003eThe Fortieth Day\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"622\"\u003eAll One’s Blue\u003c\/em\u003e; and the cross-genre works \u003cem data-start=\"650\" data-end=\"664\"\u003eBright Felon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem data-start=\"666\" data-end=\"683\"\u003eWind Instrument\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem data-start=\"689\" data-end=\"720\"\u003eSukun: New and Selected Poems\u003c\/em\u003e. His novels include \u003cem data-start=\"741\" data-end=\"776\"\u003eThe Secret Room: A String Quartet\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-start=\"781\" data-end=\"796\"\u003eIndian Winter\u003c\/em\u003e, and his hybrid memoirs include \u003cem data-start=\"829\" data-end=\"872\"\u003eSilver Road: Essays, Maps \u0026amp; Calligraphies\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem data-start=\"877\" data-end=\"931\"\u003eFasting for Ramadan: Notes from a Spiritual Practice\u003c\/em\u003e. An accomplished translator, editor, and critic, Ali is the founding editor of Nightboat Books and serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Literature at the University of California, San Diego. He lives in San Diego, California.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-fortieth-day","title":"The Fortieth Day","description":"\u003ch5\u003eSigned copies available in limited supply\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Fortieth Day\u003c\/em\u003e takes its title from the various incarnations of that chronologically symbolically event: if after forty days and forty nights the deluge receded, if Jesus and Moses both wandered in the desert for forty days, if after forty days—according to the Quraan—God’s breath enters an embryo and imbues it with a spirit, then the fortieth day must be the last moment before deliverance, a moment in time when a supplicant or prophet or storm-beaten passenger knows there is no state “after,” but finally accepts the present state as a permanent one. Throughout the four sections of\u003cem\u003e The Fortieth Day\u003c\/em\u003e, a supplicant writes letter after letter that is unanswered, an old man pauses on the street unsure of which direction lies his home, silence deafens, and prayers of various orthodox and unorthodox kinds are constructed and offered. Where does inspiration to live come from? Why is it important to think about the spiritual condition of the world? These poems can’t answer these questions or perhaps won’t, because it’s the process of thinking about them that is privileged in this richly layered text. \" In his second book, \u003cem\u003eThe Fortieth Day\u003c\/em\u003e, Kazim Ali has created a cross between a poetry collection and a sacred text...Ali's lyrics are crafted with a controlled, delicate quality that never stops questioning, never stops teaching, never stops astounding.\"--\u003cem\u003eAmerican Poet \u003c\/em\u003e\"Ali (Far Mosque) continues his task of creating a rejuvinated language that longs to be liberated from the weight of daily routine and the power of dogmatic usage...writing in the tradition of Wallace Stevens, Ali is clearly the poet of ideas and symbols, yet his words remain living entities within the texture of the poem...The result is a new and ambitious poetry that should be considered for all poetry collections.\"--\u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e   \"These poems by Kazim Ali are gorgeous, each phrase a breath of prayer, the words presented as humble offerings, each one a deep bow.\" –\u003cem\u003eThe Rumpus  \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Rope\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The wintered plot concludes in a chapter he refuses to translate\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The lyre is a liar, a string of gut pulled taut \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e As a newborn his father whispered into his ears the call to prayer\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Each strand of his father’s voice is a shaft of light from Heaven\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e A rope thrown down to rescue him \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e He wants to grab hold, climb up, disappear\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e © BOA Editions, Ltd 2008\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Available editions: \u003cbr\u003e -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \u003cbr\u003e Paperback ISBN: 978-1-934414-04-0\u003cbr\u003e Price: $16.00\u003cbr\u003e Publishing Date: May 2008\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":null,"offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":8419114245,"sku":"978-1-934414-04-0","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback (Signed)","offer_id":12467871973457,"sku":"","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/0178\/products\/THE_FORTIETH_DAY.jpg?v=1527683370"},{"product_id":"the-oasis-of-now","title":"The Oasis of Now","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Oasis of Now\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis the first U.S. book publication of the works of Sohrab Sepehri (1928–1980), one of the major Iranian poets of the twentieth century. Well-versed in Buddhism, mysticism, and Western traditions, Sepehri mingled Western concepts with Eastern ones, creating a poetry unsurpassed in the history of Persian literature. In Iran, his Persian verses are often recited in public gatherings and lines from them were used as slogans by the protesters in 2009. This first full-length American volume collects poems from three of Sepehri\u003cspan\u003e’\u003c\/span\u003es most important books, including the highly acclaimed\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eWater\u003cspan\u003e’\u003c\/span\u003es Footfall\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“\u003c\/span\u003eBright Existence\u003cspan\u003e”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003e Sky, blue.\u003cbr\u003e Water, even bluer!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eI am on the veranda, Rana by the pond in the garden.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eShe is washing clothes.\u003cbr\u003e Leaves are trickling down.\u003cbr\u003e “What a sad season,” my mother said this morning.\u003cbr\u003e I responded, “Life is an apple best eaten unpeeled.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eOur neighbor weaves at her window, humming a soft tune.\u003cbr\u003e I am reading the Vedas,\u003cbr\u003e sketching pebbles, birds, clouds—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eFull sun.\u003cbr\u003e Starlings flock,\u003cbr\u003e nasturtiums burst into blossom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eAnd me, cracking open a pomegranate I think to myself,\u003cbr\u003e “If only the seeds of the heart could be so transparent,”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003ewhen the juice spurts out and splashes into my eyes,\u003cbr\u003e vermilion tears trickling down.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000;\"\u003eMy mother bursts out laughing\u003cbr\u003e and Rana too.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"color: #a52a2a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"availOrange\" style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch6\u003ePublication Date: November 5, 2013\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-938160-22-6\u003c\/h6\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e© BOA Editions, Ltd. 2013\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BOA Editions, Ltd.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":8420281669,"sku":"9781938160226","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/0178\/products\/THE_OASIS_OF_NOW.jpg?v=1527683598"},{"product_id":"black-buffalo-woman-an-introduction-to-the-poetry-poetics-of-lucille-clifton","title":"Black Buffalo Woman: An Introduction to the Poetry \u0026 Poetics of Lucille Clifton","description":"\u003cdiv itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Product\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-single\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cdiv itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Product\" itemscope=\"\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv itemprop=\"description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the 2025 Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism, t\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ehis long-awaited and much-needed volume shines new light on one of America’s most beloved, and profound, poets—Lucille Clifton.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman\u003c\/em\u003e is a deep, comprehensive dive into Clifton’s work through the eyes of celebrated poet and scholar, Kazim Ali. Collecting chapters of Clifton’s early manuscripts, late drafts, and integrating her books of children’s literature, Ali’s meticulously researched volume provides a brilliant and fresh perspective on Clifton’s life and work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVarious chapters examine \u003cspan\u003eClifton’s treatment of the body as a site of both joy and danger, spirituality, and \u003c\/span\u003ean\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003einterrogation of American history, politics, and popular culture.\u003c\/span\u003e The result of Ali’s scholarship and care highlights a \u003cspan\u003edazzling array of Clifton’s poetic techniques and forms that will continue to inspire poets, \u003c\/span\u003ereaders, and Lucille Clifton fans—past, present and future—for decades to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“There are few joys as authentic as witnessing one poet praise and honor another. Lucille Clifton is one such poet that deserves all the praise from those of us who attempt to wander in her wake. In \u003cem\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman\u003c\/em\u003e, Kazim Ali allows for not only the elucidation of Clifton's poems, but for their illumination. Each thoughtful essay lifts her poems to the light and returns you to Clifton's brilliance and power.” \u003cstrong\u003e—Ada Limón, 2022 Poet Laureate of the United States, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Carrying\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In Kazim Ali’s \u003cem\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman\u003c\/em\u003e, Lucille Clifton’s poetic craft is given the microscope it deserves. Her scope and reach are often forgotten; here, illuminated and celebrated, her heartwork and mastery go hand-in-hand, as she has created her own syntax, metered music, decadent elegies and infinite memory. Ali understands that Black language is myriad, so Clifton creates unparalleled nuance, moving language inside out of itself, reinscribing history. Her poems are fearless, funny, sexy, lush, biting, spiritual while political, reverent and indignant, rune and rumination—she contains multitudes. In her hands, the body is an opening, a pathway to divinity, no matter how broken, how willful or wild and dark. In \u003cem\u003eBlack Buffalo Woman\u003c\/em\u003e, Lucille Clifton’s spirit goes on, words transcend, and her craft is a collage of blooming, ‘a perpetual asking,’ insisting we re-examine each realm of our ever-difficult, ever-miraculous living.\" \u003cstrong\u003e—Remica Bingham-Risher, author of \u003cem\u003eSoul Culture: Black Poets, Books, and Questions that Grew Me Up\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"BOA Editions, Ltd.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46270497161445,"sku":"","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback (Signed)","offer_id":46270497194213,"sku":"","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46724698603749,"sku":"","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Ebook","offer_id":48876452217061,"sku":null,"price":5.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/0178\/files\/9781960145352_FC.jpg?v=1713292061"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0982\/0178\/collections\/Kazim-Smaller.jpg?v=1760038075","url":"https:\/\/shop.boaeditions.org\/collections\/kazim-ali.oembed","provider":"Boa Editions","version":"1.0","type":"link"}