Experimental Ruminations by Ali Znaidi

Experimental Ruminations by Ali Znaidi
Fowlpox Press, 2012

Yesterday I received an email from a poet in Tunisia named Ali Znaidi submitting his poetry chapbook Experimental Ruminations to me for a possible review on this site. I hadn’t heard of him before, but I searched for some of his work online and found some real treasures. Here’s the opening of “Talk to Me, Apple,” published in The Missing Slate.

Talk to me apple

before a hungry

mouth devours you.

Talk to me apple

before the sun

dries your skin.

Talk to me apple

before a knife

peels you from

extreme to extreme.

I’m really looking forward to reading his chapbook Experimental Ruminations. Here’s a link where you can download the chapbook for free.

Znaidi’s poems are raw in the best sense of the word: they’re strong and undisguised. They are not exquisite artifacts, like fine china, kept behind glass for some special occasion. His poems resemble the chipped plates and bent forks we use everyday because, as Znaidi’s poetry often reminds us, everyday is the true special occasion.

Keep track of Ali’s forthcoming work by visiting his blog.

And here’s his page at UniVerse showcasing some more poems.