I am the Beggar of the World. Landays from Contemporary Afghanist

[Illustrated edition. Photographies: Seamus Murphy] The landay is a two-line folk poem invented and shared by Afghan women, an old form still very much alive. These present-day landays offer a peephole into the society of those who have taken great risks to write them. While poetry writing is now permitted in Kabul (it was banned previously by the Taliban), it is still frowned upon in rural areas; authors often refuse credit for their work. Love, oppression, war, and politics are the prime topics. Along with Seamus Murphy´s photographs, translator Griswold´s commentary decodes the messages, which are not always this clear: "Darling, come down to the river/ I´ve baked you bread and hidden it in my pitcher." Griswold recounts her difficulties collecting the landays and relates a horrific story of one suicide. Less grim is the fascinating mix of old and new: "Daughter, in America the river isn´t wet./ Young girls learn to fill their jugs on the Internet." VERDICT Following up on a "New York Times Magazine" article ("Why Afghan Women Risk Death To Write Poetry"), Griswold and Murphy, along with their heroic Afghani interpreter, Asma Safi, have documented an artistic movement that is at once delightful and courageous.