The Weekly Digest: Hind Shoufani, Terrance Hayes, Paul Mennes, Allaa Abdel Fattah

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Poet Hind Shoufani

Two Unpublished Poems by Hind Shoufani
Enjoy these two poems by Palestinian poet Hind Shoufani: “Curls” and “The ineptitude of my education in dealing with loss.” Shoufani, author of two volumes of poetry (More Light Than Death Could Bear and Inkstains on the Edge of Light), was a featured poet at this year’s City of Asylum Pittsburgh’s annual Jazz Poetry Concert.

Dear Paul, Dear Terrance
Read a letter exchange between Pittsburgh poet Terrance Hayes and Flemish novelist Paul Mennes. The writers were the inaugural authors in a new city-to-city “writer residency exchange” between City of Asylum Pittsburgh and Het Beschrijf of Brussels.

A Return to Mubarak’s Prison: A Letter from Blogger Allaa Abdel Fattah
In this letter smuggled out of prison, prominent Egyptian blogger Allaa Abdel Fattah details his treatment in jail and accuses the military of hijacking the government. Fattah was arrested for his coverage of clashes between military forces and Coptic Christians nearly a month ago at the state television building, Maspeero.

“I did not expect that the very same experience would be repeated; after five years and a revolution in which we have ousted the tyrant, I go back to jail?” – Allaa Abdel Fattah

Syria: More Arbitrary Arrests and Disappearances of Journalists and Bloggers
Reporters Without Borders reiterates its concern about the fate of journalists and bloggers who have disappeared or who have been kidnapped over the course of the past nine months of protests against Bashar Al-Assad’s government. Here are the latest names in an ever expanding list.