The Far Mosque

By Kazim Ali

Book Overview

"The Far Mosque by Kazim Ali is a book in which the author has managed to render into the English language the universal inner voice. These poems talk to the reader from the realm in which we are all human. What a poet to be able to define spirit using the American vocabulary These poems, so very different from my own, speak clearly to me. What a gift "--Lucille Clifton

"There is an intricate interweaving of themes, symbols, and allusions and leitmotifs that makes The Far Mosque, resonate with a sense of great drama... Ali's strength lies in that inner music, where meanings reveal their deeper power." -Painted Bride Quarterly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1882295536
• ISBN13: 9781882295531
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: Alice James Books
• Length: 80 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

a jewel

Kazim Ali not only indulges in painful minimalism but also somehow creates vivid images in abstract forms. His works are like conceptualist paintings--each one definable yet cryptic in its own oxymoronic sense. Never have I been blessed to read such poetry, never have i seen technique that resembles a whisper. His verses, sometimes italisized, sometimes not, have sound to them like almost all his "musical" pieces in the book. He is clearly an observer of traditionalist forms, and at times uses the ghazal or other schemes to diversify, angle, and deepen the already stunning affect of his 'lyrics'. The meter and the unique breaks in his poetry resemble his meaning: stripping everything to the raw, essential core. The poems seem choppy--but the whole anthology is a story---and they are all circular, returning to themselves, individually and holistically. Not once did I detect any cynicism, nor did I notice any intended romanticism. It just is. It is comfort food for my heart. EAch reading renders me breathless--every time, (And I am an impatient woman). Excellent work. Worth many, many reads.