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This is a limited edition linoleum block print inspired by a poem published in the book Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here. The title of the piece is pulled from the poem by Thomas Christensen. When I read that line, all I could think of was the fact that, during the Iraq War, neither American nor Al-Qaeda forces cared about the culture of the people whose land they were fighting on. Both sides wanted to impose their own ways and beliefs on the people and were destroying the Iraqi peoples’ history and culture.
In this piece both warring parties are on opposite sides of the street, taking a mirrored stance of arms raised against the people. In the middle you have a storefront with a local man and woman fighting against both sides with ink pens and books—their only means of defending and preserving their culture.
