“Orient Tavern” & “The Hungarian Hut”—fantasy by Azher Jirjees
“Orient Tavern” and “The Hungarian Hut,” from Azher Jirjees’ collection, explore post-2003 Iraqi struggles.
Iraq war
On Fathers, Daughters and the Genocide in Gaza
The war on Gaza and Hamas reminds Palestinian American poet Deema K. Shehabi of her father and stories of home and immigration.
“My Rebellious Feet”—a story by Diary Marif
A Kurdish boy in Sulemani province in northern Iraq, near the Iranian border, would do anything to own a proper pair of shoes.
“The Beggar King”—a short story by Michael Scott Moore
Michael Scott Moore channels veteran experiences through a wily cat as an Iraq war vet tries to readapt to life in Calaveras, California.
The Fall of Kabul: Parwan Detention Facility, Bagram District, Parwan Province
In his new book, Andrew Quilty relates some of the blowback after 9/11 brought about the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why Isn’t Ghaith Abdul-Ahad a Household Name?
Iason Athanasiadis reviews the Iraqi correspondent's new memoir on Middle East wars and asks questions.
The Yellow Birds Author Returns With Iraq War/Noir Mystery
Hamilton Cain reviews a police procedural that connects Norfolk, Virginia with the late Iraq War and the streets of Mosul.
Going Home—a photo essay by Jassem Ghazbanpour
These days, for Iranian photographer Jassem Ghazbanpour, who began shooting the Iran-Iraq war at age 16, home is where he points his camera.
“The Truck to Berlin”—Fiction from Hassan Blasim
This bleak and hyper real short story by Hassan Blasim is reminiscent of Ghassan Kanafani's novella "Men in the Sun."
Iraqi Diaspora Playwrights Hassan Abdulrazzak & Jasmine Naziha Jones: Use Your Anger as Fuel
Sparks fly when two UK-based Iraqi diaspora playwrights discuss how the art of theatre addresses Iraqi pain with both comedy and drama.
Lahib Jaddo—An Iraqi Artist in the Diaspora
Mischa Geracoulis interviews Texas-based multimedia artist Lahib Jaddo on her complex relationship with Iraq.
Film Review: Maysoon Pachachi’s “Our River…Our Sky” in Iraq
Nadje Al-Ali finds that Maysoon Pachachi’s film reflects her "long-standing commitment to highlight experiences of ordinary Iraqis, especially women."
Attack the Empire and the Empire Strikes Back: What 20 Years of American Imperialism Has Wrought
Omar El Akkad, author of American War and What Strange Paradise, looks at 20 years of blowback.
American Sniper—a Botched Film That Demonizes Iraqis
Is it too much to ask that a movie set during the Second Gulf War convey something meaningful about Iraq? Jordan Elgrably A week before the Oscars—on Valentine’s… Continue reading American Sniper—a Botched Film That Demonizes Iraqis