Venus Khoury-Ghata Reading
Julie Englander hosts the reading and Christopher Merrill introduces Lebanese poet and novelist Venus Khoury-Ghata. Venus Khoury-Ghata was born in Lebanon, but has lived for over 30 years in France. Khoury-Ghata writes in French so, for the purpose of the reading, Cole Swensen, visiting professor of Poetry in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, first reads the English version of the poems from Khoury-Ghata’s works: She Says and Here There Was Once a Country and then Khoury-Ghata reads the French version of each poem. Some of the poems read include “Words,” “Borderlines,” and “The Dead Man’s Monologue.” Much of Khoury-Ghata’s poetry deals with topics such as death, grief, and barrenness, which refer to the loss of Khoury-Ghata’s husband and mother and the troubles that the Arabic people have had living in a war-stricken country. Khoury-Ghata takes questions from the audience during the last five minutes of the recording.
In: "Live from Prairie Lights" Audio Archive | International Writing Program Archive | Poetry
Authors: Venus Khoury-Ghata
Date Recorded: September 15, 2003
Program: Live From Prairie Lights
Format: reading
Contributors: Julie Englander, Christopher Merrill, Cole Swenson
Topics: Power of words; sex; grief; death; war; barrenness; human rights; Lebanon