Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha bears witness to war in 'Forest of Noise'

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4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 28 October 2024

⏱️ 8 minutes

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Summary

Since the war in Gaza began, Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha says he has not lived a normal life. He lost 31 members of his extended family in an airstrike and now, he checks the list of casualties every day. Still, he has continued to write poetry. Abu Toha's new collection of poems, Forest of Noise, aims to document what he's witnessed and deliver the emotional experiences of Palestinians living in devastation and fear. In today's episode, Abu Toha speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about what the news fails to recognize about the war in Gaza and about the U.S. government's role in the conflict.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Empiro's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. I've been thinking a lot lately about
0:07.5	the utility of art. In the middle of a war where lives are being lost, what is the use of
0:14.6	putting words together in a pretty order? Today's episode might contain an answer. It's an
0:20.1	interview with Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha,
0:22.8	who has a new collection called Forest of Noise. It's coming out at a time when Palestinian people
0:27.8	are facing massive casualties in the wake of the war in Gaza following Hamas' attack on October 7th last
0:33.9	year. And if you're a Palestinian writer, I can imagine writing a nonfiction account of the
0:38.8	conflict or even a bit of fiction trying to show what's going on. But NPR Scott, Simon, asks him,
0:44.8	why poetry? His answer after the break. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from
0:52.7	daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show,
0:59.1	Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people
1:03.5	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:07.5	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:13.1	We're going to ask Mosababu Toha to read the beginning of his poem Younger Than War.
1:20.0	Tanks roll through dust through eggplant fields.
1:24.3	Beds unmade, lightning in the sky, brother jumping to the window to watch warplanes, clouds of smoke
1:31.9	after airstrikes, warplanes, eagles searching for a branch on which to perch.
1:38.3	No need for radio. We are the news.
1:41.9	In the midst of war in Gaza following Hamas' October 7, 23 attack on Israel,
1:48.4	Mosab Abu Toha has a new book of poetry, Forest of Noise.
1:54.2	The Palestinian poet teacher and writer who recently won an overseas press club award
1:59.1	for his letters from Gaza and the New Yorker.
	...

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