Al Mutanabbi Always Karen Baldner, USA
When intellectual property is destroyed my heart aches. In particular, if the destruction is pervasive and massive as the car bomb destruction of al-Mutanabbi street in 2007. However, there is something indelible about knowledge and culture under attack. Books may get destroyed but people remember in their hearts and minds what is said inside them.
My contribution to the “Al Mutanabbi Street Starts Here” project points to al-Mutanabbi himself. His poetry and wisdom have survived for centuries. For me his name and writing is becoming a platform for resurrection. In my book I allow his words to become increasingly more assertive against the backdrop of war propaganda and increasing sizes of pages. “Al Mutanabbi Always” is a beckoning of the indestructible forces of culture.
During the Nazi era my family’s publishing house inventory was burned and the business was lost except for the rescue of the author’s rights. After the war my grandfather was able to rebuild the enterprise and today it is thriving as one of the larger publishing houses in Germany. I feel a personal connection to destructive events against culture. Hence, to me there was a special call to participate in this project. What we are looking at may be even larger than the world of books and culture but the attempt at destroying human spirit and it’s ultimate ability to withstand, survive and thrive.