On 9/11, the world changed before our eyes and as it did so, a
quiet unassuming poet and computer graphic artist based in Los
Angeles had begun to alter the landscape of international
poetry.
The art of Roger Humes, not only lies in his poetry or his art, but
in his very unique nature: he has done more to cross the divide
between the Christian and Arabic worlds through poetry than any
number of diplomatic missions. He is fearlessly impressed by the
Arabic poetic voice and his work is testament to that love and
dedication.
Over the past four years Roger Humes has created an extensive
online poetry anthology OTHER VOICES (
www.othervoicespoetry.org)
showcasing the finest poetic voices from across the West/East
divide.
OVI (Other Voices International) is committed to erasing national
boundaries, arbitrary distinctions of ethnicities, divisive
religions, disparate cultures, and brings us some of the world's
best poetry.
Many will perhaps never have heard of names such as Afshin
Babazadeh, Clara Hsu, Kemp, Mahnaz Badihian, Nafiss Nia, Robab
Moheb, Sam Vaseghi, Samsum Kashfi or Shirin Razavian. Other Voices
changes this for anyone who spends time browsing the 29
volumes.
Diversity, individuality and originality speak volumes in the name
of peaceful co existence and tolerance and is as much a celebration
of individual humanity as is iPeace.
The OV mission statement clearly describes the heart of the matter
that resonates in us all …
In our lives, where boundaries are more deeply defined by
radicalism and traditions of suspicion fear and hate than they have
ever been by actual geographical borders, we can no longer pretend
we are the Innocent. Out of the acts gracing and disgracing the
pages of history, September 11th has done more to change the world
and the way we all live in it - because life versus death elsewhere
can no longer be the basis of a belief of living in a safe world.
This monumental tragedy has left behind nothing that can be put
into words, but a simple sense of having seen that gut wrenching
event make thoughtless nations even more thoughtless and arrogant
…
The cataclysmic tragedy of 9/11 has endangered our daily lives, not
because of the reality of terrorism, but because of the political
culture it catalysed: a war against a notion of terrorism
justifying carte blanche military actions worldwide, expedited by a
complicit apparatus controlling the content and diffusion of
information. What is new is the speed at which and the extent to
which ordinary people have access to information. How the content
and context of this phenomenon is ideologically controlled,
irrespective of the source, is just one aspect of the manner in
which contemporary political and commercial interests propel
international politics, with little thought for its impact on the
lives of ordinary people. Apathy as well as ignorance still remains
the desired opium of the masses.
All but smothered by the din of instant gratification,
proliferating from millions of instantaneous universes, each
saturated with information, advertising and entertainment; it is
art, possibly more than any other human endeavour during the second
half of the twentieth century, that has lost its voice to the
modern rallying cry of a Universality not permitted an identity.
Even worse, it has ignored the potential soullessness of a society
that can justify the existence of the blameless torturer.
Beneath this political sky against which our suns dawn and set each
day, the exquisite multi-textured nature of the human spirit can no
longer afford to allow itself to be drowned by such sweeping
political sentiment.
The soul has become an endangered species and Art must regain its
voice to save humanity from extinction. To help you and I
rediscover some semblance of our humanity, these OTHER VOICES
INTERNATIONAL POETRY PROJECT writers creatively share the
adventures, desires and dreams of the human heart and spirit,
wherever it resides. Through this singular poetic voice we can
claim unity in our diversity and strive to live in honour of human
dignity.
June 2004
OTHER VOICES is listed in the World poetry directory of UNESCO…
He is currently also the International Poetry Editor for Harvest
International, an annual arts and literature magazine produced by
the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Of his own work, he says,
“ … in the end poetry it comes down to hard work; those hours alone
placing the scratches of our souls down on the enticing blank glare
of the page to capture the ever moving instant now.
It also reminds us that we should follow our hearts. If your poems
are honest and the best you can do, what else matters? All the rest
is either "icing on the cake" or vanity…”
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