For those who are not familiar with Mumford, he is a New York artist who has travelled to Iraq a few times in the past year and published several "journal" entries detailing his exploits. I've been posting his stuff since I found it last fall. Here are all the installments to date:
- Baghdad Journal Part 1
- Baghdad Journal Part 2
- Baghdad Journal Part 3 (my commentary)
- Baghdad Journal Part 4
- Baghdad Journal Part 5
- Baghdad Journal Part 6 (my commentary)
- Baghdad Journal Part 7
- Baghdad Journal Part 8
- Baghdad Journal Part 9
- Baghdad Journal Part 10
- Baghdad Journal Part 11
- Baghdad Journal Part 12
- Baghdad Journal Part 13
- Baghdad Journal Part 14
- Baghdad Journal Part 15
At Hewar, I meet Qassim, who says he's waiting for some of "your countrymen." He's preparing one of his renowned grilled fish lunches. Soon the guests arrive: it's the Quakers with Bruce Cockburn, who eye me warily. I don't think Qassim realizes how much foreigners tend to avoid one another in their jealous rush to befriend Iraqis. Or maybe he does, and enjoys watching the snubs and one-upmanship. I take my leave, and relax in the teahouse, when the artists Ahmed al Safi and Haider Wadi show up. They seem like old friends now, and I'm happy to see them.Again, excellent reading. [Thanks must go again to Lexington Green from Chicago Boyz for introducing me to Mumford's writings last fall]
That evening Ahmed and the painter Esam Pasha come by the hotel for dinner. Esam gives me a great bear hug. It's terrific to see him again.
Updates: Several updates have been made, adding links to new columns in the series.
virgilx
I should thank you for pointing out these articles in the first place.
I don't read enough to qualify the quality, but the different perspective is terrific.
Thanks.
Mark
Yeah, definitely. I've been singing Mumford's praises for a while now because of this column...
How did you meet Esam?