MOTHER JONES BY E-MAIL

Books: Scrapbook of the Stateless

Arts: Acclaimed photojournalist Susan Meiselas revisited Kurdistan. Here's what she found.

May/June 2008 Issue


TOOLS

EmailE-mail article
PrintPrint article




BACKTALK

E-mail the editor





Google


In 1991, in the wake of the Gulf War, acclaimed photojournalist Susan Meiselas traveled to northern Iraq to document the uncovering of mass graves of Kurds gassed and shot by Saddam Hussein. Her visit inspired her to create Kurdistan, a 400-page visual journey through the often-neglected culture of the people spread across the mountains of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Packed, scrapbooklike, with old portraits, postcards, maps, and newspaper clippings, Kurdistan is an absorbing archive of the world's largest stateless ethnic group. A collectors' item, the book is now being reissued by the University of Chicago Press with a new 12-page postscript that updates the 1997 original. "The book went out of print right before the [Iraq] war, right when there was a renewed interest in the Kurds," says Meiselas. "I've been trying to get it back in print for four or five years." Meiselas returned to northern Iraq in April to distribute copies of the new edition. "I knew how the book was embraced by the exiled Kurdish community," she says, "but had no idea how well known it was in northern Iraq. So many people had heard of it; some had even seen it."

Photo: Mark Murrmann



 

Post a Comment

Your Name: 

Your Comment: 
 
Please press "Submit" only once to avoid double-posting.
All HTML formatting is removed from comments.
Read the Mother Jones community rules here.

Comments:

I remember when GH Bush promised the Kurds protection in exchange for their help when we were in the "Gulf War". I remember the film clips of them fleeing to the mountains for protection...crying and stretching their arms out. We abandoned them. Nothing new for the Bush clan.
Posted by:ClaudiaJune 9, 2008 12:00:16 PMRespond ^

Jail.org - Inmate Search
Criminal records, instant public records & people search & current court records. www.jail.org

U.S. Public Records Search
Search County & State Court Records, Criminal records, Vital and Adoption Records www.PublicRecordsInfo.com

Records.com - People Search
Public Records and Background Checks. Instantly Search Criminal Records, Addresses and Court Records www.Records.com

Court Records & County Records
Find Instant Public Records, Criminal Records as Well as County Property Records Search. www.PublicRecordsIndex.com

Real Viagra, Cialis Levitra Deal
Dare to compare our competitive prices. Free overnight delivery to new patients in the US. No catch 22!

Bob's Red Mill Organic Flaxseed Meal
In addition to its great nutty flavor, our flaxseed meal is high in fiber and packed with essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

PEACEFUL HOLIDAY GIFTS
Items featuring the 1958 peace symbol shirts, buttons, hoodys, signs, stickers, pins...more.
union made • detroit peacebuttons.info

End the genocide in Darfur
Every day, Darfuris face rape, murder, and starvation. Be a Voice for Darfur: tell Obama to end the suffering.
















How Long Will the Recession Last?

Pure Libertarianism

The Trade Deficit

Soft Power


More MoJo voices...



bookIN PRINT

CLICK HERE
for more great reading

headphones IN TUNE
New music every issue

CLICK TO LISTEN

Advertise Liberally

This article has been made possible by the Foundation for National Progress, the Investigative Fund of Mother Jones, and gifts from generous readers like you.

© 2008 The Foundation for National Progress

About Us   Support Us   Advertise   Ad Policy   Privacy Policy   Contact Us   Subscribe   RSS