I welcome Hayan Charara’s INCLINED TO SPEAK as a major anthology by a leading poet. I feel honored to be included in this work. Developed over many years, it witnesses the judicious and respectful dedication of the compiler. The collection has breadth as well as depth, reminding us of brilliant poets who may not have received their just due, while it introduces us to promising voices of great talent. Charara and his publisher should receive our grateful kudos for the quality of the poetry, and for its span of diversity which underlies the “Americanness” of Arab American poets.

The interview itself is fascinating. Though meditative and deliberate, Charara is not afraid to think aloud. He avoids dogmatic pronouncements. Thank you for providing this opportunity to share his useful insights with us.

Sincerely,
D. H. Melhem, Ph.D.
www.dhmelhem.com

Dear Mr. Wecker:
Recently, I came across your review in “Arab News” of INCLINED TO SPEAK ED. by Hayan Charara. As both a retired professor from Princeton University and an avid reader of your Iconia blog, I feel that you missed one of the seminal poems, and a poet who was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, Sam Hamod, PhD with “Dying With the Wrong Name.” This landmark poem has been translated into over twenty different languages for what it says about Arab American, Jewish American and all others who lost their names upon arrival at Ellis Island in the early 1900’s. The poem communicates the dramatic affects of loss and identity for the immigrants, their children and grandchildren. “Dying With the Wrong Name” is a classic poem that I taught in many of my graduate seminars in Contemporary American Poetry as it was the first notable work by an Arab-American. Sam Hamod has been a mentor for the poets you honor such as Naomi Shihab Nye, and has received praise from Pablo Neruda and Borges. It is a travesty that he has been overlooked by both you and others in literature when he should be at the forefront of your reviews and anthologies.

Sincerely,

Kristen D. Pierce, PhD