The Lost Arabs

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Jan 14 2020 | Archive Date Jan 13 2020

Talking about this book? Use #TheLostArabs #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Award-winning Arab Australian poet Omar Sakr presents a pulsating collection of poetry that interrogates the bonds and borders of family, faith, queerness, and nationality.

Visceral and energetic, Sakr’s poetry confronts the complicated notion of “belonging” when one’s family, culture, and country are at odds with one’s personal identity. Braiding together sexuality and divinity, conflict and redemption, The Lost Arabs is a fierce, urgent collection from a distinct new voice. 
 
Award-winning Arab Australian poet Omar Sakr presents a pulsating collection of poetry that interrogates the bonds and borders of family, faith, queerness, and nationality.

Visceral and energetic...

A Note From the Publisher

We regret that this electronic galley is not available for Kindle viewing.

We regret that this electronic galley is not available for Kindle viewing.


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781524854010
PRICE $16.99 (USD)
PAGES 112

Average rating from 13 members


Featured Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an arc of this collection!
Some favorites from this collection:
Self-Portrait as Poetry Defending Itself
The Exhibition of Autobiography
Extermination
At the Site of the Future Memorial
Every Day
A Beautiful Child

This was a very solid collection, although I think it would have been better had the poems been grouped thematically. They totally could have been and I just missed the connections. But it just felt like emotional whiplash every now and again. Some of my favorite poems from this collection had to do with the author's queerness and his relationships with his family members.
I enjoyed more poems than I did not, and would highly recommend to anyone that is interested in poetry.

Was this review helpful?

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book of poetry.*

Omar Sakr is a bisexual Australian-Arab poet and his poetry deals with queerness, politics, love, family, and being Arab. I was surprised how fragile and concise the short poems were, I loved that he meantioned the djinn American Gods episode, and how fluent and natural all the poems sound. Not all poems worked for me, but they do not have to. If you want to experience what it means to be a bisexual poet with a diverse background.

One of my favourite poems was this one:
"You are not as tired of diaspora / poetry as I am of the diaspora. Sometimes // I thank God that I was born inside an American / -made tank. Sometimes I weep within // the beast. My uncle works on the railroads / and goes home to his nuclear family loathing // my queerness from afar." (A Beautiful Child, 40)

4 Stars

Was this review helpful?

The publisher kindly offered me a reader copy via NetGalley. Yet, this is an honest review of the book expressing my unbiased opinion.

First of all, what an illustrious, vivid imagery and heartbreak this poetry book elicits. It evoked my anger, my tears, helplessness, and yet, it also made me feel less alone. I'm not Arab so I'm not the targeted audience, but the emotions of the poet resonated with me because I often share them, too. Torn between countries and languages, queer and not completely seen and understood.

The poems have this story-telling quality like they narrate a story. I loved that aspect. However, some of their wording didn't resonate with me as much as I'd like to rate it with 5 stars. But that doesn't negate how fantastic and visceral this poetry book is. I truly believe my lack of 100% connection to the book is due to this unexplained personal, subjective intangible aspect, and not due to the quality of the poems.

I also loved how the poet infused his queer identity, language, overall sense of identity, religion, culture, and history. It was done masterfully, and it's this personal sense that sets this poetry book apart from others. It is visceral. It is personal. It is authentic. It is real. And for me, that's where the best poetry emerges from. I'll definitely read more from Omar Sakr and the publisher.

4 stars – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Author: Omar Sakr
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Was this review helpful?

I've been looking forward to this for a while and I'm glad I enjoyed it! The poetry style was different from what I'm used to, but I enjoyed how unique it was. Some of my favourite poems from this title are:
- Ameen
- Out on the Way to Melbourne
- A Beautiful Child
- Every Day
- Self Portrait of What Graces the Night
- In Order to Return

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: