April10,2021

I've just heard that the great Iraqi poet, Saadi Youssef, is gravely ill. Saadi is one of the greatest living poets writing in Arabic and along with Adonis and Mahmoud Darwish, is considered one of the giants of Arabic poetry in the second half of the 20th century. His poetic practice drew on so many strains, from the folk songs of southern Iraq where grew up to the stark asceticism of al-Maari, and from the deep images of Li Po to the deep songs of Lorca. Saadi has published upwards of 30 volumes of poetry and and even larger number of translations of both poetry and fiction, from Walt Whitman to Ngugi wa Thiongo. I had the honor and the pleasure of introducing his work to English-language readers, and over years he's become a dear friend, a profound mentor, and a generous, joyous spirit.