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jiujensu's reviews
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Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense by Marcello Di Cintio
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I'm going to be honest: there are big pros and big cons. Big CN or TW for Orientalism. There are very good stories here, but the lens he's looking through will annoy the crap out of you if you're familiar with the history of the region or of resistance to occupation or international law.
Let's start with the good aspects. Di Cintio was a writer in residence in Palestine at one time - you can tell he loves literature and includes Palestinian literature in that. He highlights gay authors and meets and talks to so many poets and writers I can't list them all. He was able to tell their stories and draw out details I'd never heard them say elsewhere. If nothing else, you'll get a ton of titles and authors (&movies) for your to-read list!
When he gets into the storytelling, there's the Khalidi library, theft of books during the Nakba.(&movie called thre Great Book Robbery), intricate smelly details of how books are smuggled out of prison, role of Tamer Institute for Community Education, stories of collecting info for All That Remains - book of erased Palestinian villages, I enjoyed descriptions of the places he goes inside 48, the West Bank and Gaza, he has a detailed description of a humiliating checkpoint, there's the story of Jamal Abu Qumsan and the Gallery Café where artists meet, Kashabi Theater Company, the story of a salon for women authors, meeting Anni Kanafani, Mohammed El-Kurd, Atef Abu Saif, Abbad Yahya, khulud khamis, Dalia Taha, Adila Laïdi, Salha Hamdeen, Anahid Mlikian, Suha Arraf, Asmaa Azaizeh, Mona Abu Sharekh, Asmaa al-Ghul, Mayy Nayef, Sumaiya al-Susi, Rana Mourtaja and more.
Di Cintio seems to be sympathetic to Palestinian pain and injustices, but when confronted with negative things about Israel, he can't seem to wrap his brain around it - he puts things Palestinians tell him they've experienced in quotes, it's all "he claims," "allegedly," and never allows a Palestinian permission to be angry or advocate for freedom by any means necessary. They must be unarmed and nonviolent in his opinion. He doesn't have such requirements for Israel or Israelis, like the Western country he comes from.
A few examples:
He said of the Israeli policy of blackmailing gay Palestinians to become informants that the person he spoke to suggested this was the case. He could've verified this with books, journalism and human rights organizations in 2018. It's a fact. He doesn't seem to be able to believe this about Israel, though.
He repeats some easy false history, the US/Canada summary, of the "conflict" as he calls it - Jews accepted partition, Palestinians rejected it. I hope he reads Khalidi's Hundred Years War or Ilan Pappé's work with Said or Khalidi. They can help him out of that with what actually happened.
In his meeting with Anni Kanafani, Di Cintio shares his view that Ghassan Kanafani was assassinated in retaliation for planning the Lod airport attack with the Red Army (he labels them terrorists). Anni corrected him that Israel's plan was to liquidate intellectuals. (You can see this in the recent 2023 Israeli assault too - they called Refaat Alareer, taunted him, then leveled his building. Anyone good at communicating the struggle to Americans/Westerners is a target. It's repeated with journalists, professors, doctors.) Di Cintio still struggles for pages as he looks at photos of Kanafani, whose work he loves, with the possibility that he also could've killed someone. First, his widow said his weapon was a pen and Israel knew he was dangerous with that weapon. Second, under the daily violence Israel inflicts on the captive population, if he did plan an attack or kill someone - that would not invalidate his literary genius or the fact that Palestinians deserve equality, a life, self-determination, freedom as much as he does, as much as Israelis do. If he did plan an attack or kill someone, it certainly wouldn't in any way justify Israel's actions, occupation, collective punishment, attacks on occupied people, disproportionate violence, being THE CAUSE of the entire situation, cycle, conflict, etc - 75 years of genocide. I got really annoyed with the author at that point - just on page 21!
He loves talking to the Israeli curator of stolen Palestinian books now absorbed into their collection and also in a separate room. They say it's destruction and conservation, demolition and salvage - as though there's beauty or confusion there, but why isn't Di Cintio as mad as I am, as mad as one might be if a Nazi with a museum full of Holocaust victims' belongs looted from their house or taken from them at concentration camps from jewelry to furniture to teeth and saying, wow, aren't you glad I was there to save all these artifacts? It's obscene! A shrine to the massive continued injustice. It's not conservation. It's gloating over mass murder and large scale theft.
One of his interview subjects said her relative suffered intestinal illness brought on by his Israeli captors treatment of him - he used the word "claimed" as though he doubts seriously Israel caused such a thing. He hasn't read up on Israeli prisons, clearly. In the sae conversation, he couldn't believe a militant Marxist could write a sweet sappy letter to his mother. He doesn't believe the Palestinian is a person, does he?
I was annoyed of El-Kurd's behalf when Di Cintio refused to believe that an Israeli doctor tried to get his mother to abort him but not his twin sister as a demographic strategy. Instead of investigating or bringing up that Israel does experiments on prisoners and sells Palestinian organs with doctors' help, so it's possible, he just dismisses it and says, wow, look how much the sides mistrust each other.
The last annoyance I'll highlight is something he said to Atef Abu Saif asking about The Drone Eats With Me. Di Cintio wanted to know if it was a deliberate omission not to mention the Hamas rockets that "observers" (meaning the West and Di Cintio himself no doubt) say are the cause of the Israeli bombing, massacre, starvation, etc. Abu Saif responds to this siding with Israel and Western media in blaming Hamas rather than Israeli occupation, apartheid, genocide, 75 years of collective punishment by saving the book is a dairy, a human story about how that 2014 Israeli operation affected him and his family, which is a nice way of saying this isn't about Hamas, bud.
There are more examples of bias than this. I can't list them all. The Orientalism is a theme that runs through the book. It's his lens that he hasn't managed to break free from despite a healthy love of literature and genuine interest in -and empathy for- people. I think there are great discussions and details in his conversations with authors and is amazing how many he was able to meet and gather stories from. I would recommend this, but NOT for a history lesson at all (ignore his history completely and read Khalidi or someone) - only literature and human interest.
Let's start with the good aspects. Di Cintio was a writer in residence in Palestine at one time - you can tell he loves literature and includes Palestinian literature in that. He highlights gay authors and meets and talks to so many poets and writers I can't list them all. He was able to tell their stories and draw out details I'd never heard them say elsewhere. If nothing else, you'll get a ton of titles and authors (&movies) for your to-read list!
When he gets into the storytelling, there's the Khalidi library, theft of books during the Nakba.(&movie called thre Great Book Robbery), intricate smelly details of how books are smuggled out of prison, role of Tamer Institute for Community Education, stories of collecting info for All That Remains - book of erased Palestinian villages, I enjoyed descriptions of the places he goes inside 48, the West Bank and Gaza, he has a detailed description of a humiliating checkpoint, there's the story of Jamal Abu Qumsan and the Gallery Café where artists meet, Kashabi Theater Company, the story of a salon for women authors, meeting Anni Kanafani, Mohammed El-Kurd, Atef Abu Saif, Abbad Yahya, khulud khamis, Dalia Taha, Adila Laïdi, Salha Hamdeen, Anahid Mlikian, Suha Arraf, Asmaa Azaizeh, Mona Abu Sharekh, Asmaa al-Ghul, Mayy Nayef, Sumaiya al-Susi, Rana Mourtaja and more.
Di Cintio seems to be sympathetic to Palestinian pain and injustices, but when confronted with negative things about Israel, he can't seem to wrap his brain around it - he puts things Palestinians tell him they've experienced in quotes, it's all "he claims," "allegedly," and never allows a Palestinian permission to be angry or advocate for freedom by any means necessary. They must be unarmed and nonviolent in his opinion. He doesn't have such requirements for Israel or Israelis, like the Western country he comes from.
A few examples:
He said of the Israeli policy of blackmailing gay Palestinians to become informants that the person he spoke to suggested this was the case. He could've verified this with books, journalism and human rights organizations in 2018. It's a fact. He doesn't seem to be able to believe this about Israel, though.
He repeats some easy false history, the US/Canada summary, of the "conflict" as he calls it - Jews accepted partition, Palestinians rejected it. I hope he reads Khalidi's Hundred Years War or Ilan Pappé's work with Said or Khalidi. They can help him out of that with what actually happened.
In his meeting with Anni Kanafani, Di Cintio shares his view that Ghassan Kanafani was assassinated in retaliation for planning the Lod airport attack with the Red Army (he labels them terrorists). Anni corrected him that Israel's plan was to liquidate intellectuals. (You can see this in the recent 2023 Israeli assault too - they called Refaat Alareer, taunted him, then leveled his building. Anyone good at communicating the struggle to Americans/Westerners is a target. It's repeated with journalists, professors, doctors.) Di Cintio still struggles for pages as he looks at photos of Kanafani, whose work he loves, with the possibility that he also could've killed someone. First, his widow said his weapon was a pen and Israel knew he was dangerous with that weapon. Second, under the daily violence Israel inflicts on the captive population, if he did plan an attack or kill someone - that would not invalidate his literary genius or the fact that Palestinians deserve equality, a life, self-determination, freedom as much as he does, as much as Israelis do. If he did plan an attack or kill someone, it certainly wouldn't in any way justify Israel's actions, occupation, collective punishment, attacks on occupied people, disproportionate violence, being THE CAUSE of the entire situation, cycle, conflict, etc - 75 years of genocide. I got really annoyed with the author at that point - just on page 21!
He loves talking to the Israeli curator of stolen Palestinian books now absorbed into their collection and also in a separate room. They say it's destruction and conservation, demolition and salvage - as though there's beauty or confusion there, but why isn't Di Cintio as mad as I am, as mad as one might be if a Nazi with a museum full of Holocaust victims' belongs looted from their house or taken from them at concentration camps from jewelry to furniture to teeth and saying, wow, aren't you glad I was there to save all these artifacts? It's obscene! A shrine to the massive continued injustice. It's not conservation. It's gloating over mass murder and large scale theft.
One of his interview subjects said her relative suffered intestinal illness brought on by his Israeli captors treatment of him - he used the word "claimed" as though he doubts seriously Israel caused such a thing. He hasn't read up on Israeli prisons, clearly. In the sae conversation, he couldn't believe a militant Marxist could write a sweet sappy letter to his mother. He doesn't believe the Palestinian is a person, does he?
I was annoyed of El-Kurd's behalf when Di Cintio refused to believe that an Israeli doctor tried to get his mother to abort him but not his twin sister as a demographic strategy. Instead of investigating or bringing up that Israel does experiments on prisoners and sells Palestinian organs with doctors' help, so it's possible, he just dismisses it and says, wow, look how much the sides mistrust each other.
The last annoyance I'll highlight is something he said to Atef Abu Saif asking about The Drone Eats With Me. Di Cintio wanted to know if it was a deliberate omission not to mention the Hamas rockets that "observers" (meaning the West and Di Cintio himself no doubt) say are the cause of the Israeli bombing, massacre, starvation, etc. Abu Saif responds to this siding with Israel and Western media in blaming Hamas rather than Israeli occupation, apartheid, genocide, 75 years of collective punishment by saving the book is a dairy, a human story about how that 2014 Israeli operation affected him and his family, which is a nice way of saying this isn't about Hamas, bud.
There are more examples of bias than this. I can't list them all. The Orientalism is a theme that runs through the book. It's his lens that he hasn't managed to break free from despite a healthy love of literature and genuine interest in -and empathy for- people. I think there are great discussions and details in his conversations with authors and is amazing how many he was able to meet and gather stories from. I would recommend this, but NOT for a history lesson at all (ignore his history completely and read Khalidi or someone) - only literature and human interest.
The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book leaves one with a lot to think about. There's sense of waiting and anticipation that was created in the story itself that mirrors the refugees waiting to return. It's pretty amazing.
The disappearance of the "present absentees" story in the present is told through Alaa and his grandmother's lives in the past. It's a haunting story. And there's an afterward to help contextualize it for those who haven't read much on the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination.
The disappearance of the "present absentees" story in the present is told through Alaa and his grandmother's lives in the past. It's a haunting story. And there's an afterward to help contextualize it for those who haven't read much on the Palestinian struggle for justice and self-determination.
Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Perfect is in the title. Once one becomes convinced that there is a occupier and occupied- you've sorted through and rejected US propaganda that the Palestinians, the occupied, are The Enemy, you want to convince others. You beg and plead, talk about the women and children, offer books and movies with a Palestinian and Israeli working together, offer testimonies of former solders who are partially repentant. All this may have some persuasive value, but it needs to be examined further - how does it dehumanize Palestinians. We can and should advocate in a way that doesn't do further damage. I believe this book will be a big help on that front, especially if you are an introspective sort.
Confessions by Kanae Minato
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think the story was compelling enough that I kept reading, so I won't rate it low. I wanted to pull for someone in the book - anyone - but I really did not like any of the characters. It's a town of psychopaths who learn nothing from their experiences and refuse to grow.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Got this 4 leaf clover 7 day read on Libby while waiting in the very long line for the regular borrowing.
On the story, I liked the upbeat takes on protecting the environment and life generally. A sweet read.
On the story, I liked the upbeat takes on protecting the environment and life generally. A sweet read.
Palestine Inside Out: An Everyday Occupation by Saree Makdisi
informative
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This is from 2008 and in any other topic, it might be obsolete - the recommendation might be to read the more recent books. And we do need to read the most recent stuff.
But! This older book is still very valuable. The older ones usually give a lot more detail around the time of their publishing than a recent work might. Even if you just read the last chapter and coda, you could get a concise history of what everyone always views as the complicated conflict. I would say it's not so complicated as it is a lot of US/Israeli lies to debunk - there's a lot of ground to cover and racism to unpack if you use official US policy as your starting point. But the whole problem is Zionists looked at Argentina and Palestine, chose Palestine, were unhappy there were people already there and looked for ways to get rid of them (from before 1917 to the present).
I was initially intimidated by this one, so I put off reading it. There are a lot of numbers and sometimes numbers are harder to conceive of than the individual stories. Don't worry, there are individual accounts by Palestinians, soldiers, academics, and human rights officials. The brutality of the everyday violence of occupation is illustrated in brilliant detail.
This book sets the record straight. People (USians) always - get the origin of the conflict wrong; blame the Palestinians for losing in "war" in '48 instead of the ethnic cleansing it actually was; blame Arafat for not being a partner for peace despite talks; never addressing the injustices - occupation, apartheid, return of refugees; wrongly conflate Hamas and Hezbollah and wrongly ascribe their goal as Islamist instead of resistance to occupation; allow Israel to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians as policy but the second Palestinians kill one Israeli, statehood, refugees' return, freeing political prisoners, etc is ALL off the table + Israel is allowed to retaliate against the resistance to occupation, meaning it inflicts double violence and has the West's support.
I thought it was also interesting in that it addressed why the US population persists in quoting Israeli propaganda. Until about the time of the book, only scholarly articles and books by academics contained the necessary debunking. I think since that time, more accessible things have been written for the general public. I suppose you could credit social media too. It's a shame that the answers we needed to combat Zionist lies that still persist today were hidden in the ivory tower for so long.
But! This older book is still very valuable. The older ones usually give a lot more detail around the time of their publishing than a recent work might. Even if you just read the last chapter and coda, you could get a concise history of what everyone always views as the complicated conflict. I would say it's not so complicated as it is a lot of US/Israeli lies to debunk - there's a lot of ground to cover and racism to unpack if you use official US policy as your starting point. But the whole problem is Zionists looked at Argentina and Palestine, chose Palestine, were unhappy there were people already there and looked for ways to get rid of them (from before 1917 to the present).
I was initially intimidated by this one, so I put off reading it. There are a lot of numbers and sometimes numbers are harder to conceive of than the individual stories. Don't worry, there are individual accounts by Palestinians, soldiers, academics, and human rights officials. The brutality of the everyday violence of occupation is illustrated in brilliant detail.
This book sets the record straight. People (USians) always - get the origin of the conflict wrong; blame the Palestinians for losing in "war" in '48 instead of the ethnic cleansing it actually was; blame Arafat for not being a partner for peace despite talks; never addressing the injustices - occupation, apartheid, return of refugees; wrongly conflate Hamas and Hezbollah and wrongly ascribe their goal as Islamist instead of resistance to occupation; allow Israel to kill hundreds of thousands of civilians as policy but the second Palestinians kill one Israeli, statehood, refugees' return, freeing political prisoners, etc is ALL off the table + Israel is allowed to retaliate against the resistance to occupation, meaning it inflicts double violence and has the West's support.
I thought it was also interesting in that it addressed why the US population persists in quoting Israeli propaganda. Until about the time of the book, only scholarly articles and books by academics contained the necessary debunking. I think since that time, more accessible things have been written for the general public. I suppose you could credit social media too. It's a shame that the answers we needed to combat Zionist lies that still persist today were hidden in the ivory tower for so long.
From the Moon I Watched Her by Emily English Medley
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
This stands out as the only novel I've read set in or around the church of Christ. I hope it's not autobiographical at all. Maybe inspired by that Andrea Yates case c of c woman who drowned her kids. Whatever the case, good story, but not a light one at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual violence
Empty the Pews: Stories of Leaving the Church by Chrissy Stroop, Lauren O'Neal
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Stories of leaving the faith. So many of these make me think of stories from my experience. These folks make me want to write mine down.