Hasan Namir

Umbilical Cord is a book of free text verse by Iraqi Canadian author Hasan Namir. Namir writes about the joy that his newborn son has brought into his life, as well as his love for his husband and his strained relationship with his father, who disowned Namir when he first came out. I listened to the audiobook version of this book.

The poems are arranged in mostly chronological order to tell the story of his marriage, the agreement of his sister-in-law to become a surrogate for her brother and Hasan, the birth of their son Malek, and the joy that baby Malek has brought to the couple.

While an audiobook of free verse poetry may seem like it could be a struggle to listen to, Umbilical Cord is anything but. I found narrator Amir Haidar’s reading captivating, as he brought just the right emotional touch to the poems. The poetry itself is deeply personal, heartfelt and compelling.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in parenting, gay or otherwise.

One content warning - a couple of poems near the beginning of the book include frank sexual language.

Rating: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐… (altro)

In my life I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with queer, trans, and other-oriented youth, many of whom have had a difficult time at home or in school. I think this book would be a marvelous read for them. It reads like a YA book, a book aimed at young people who don't feel comfortable reading Literature with a capital L. It deals in a straightforward way with the worst things that can happen when a young person comes out to a family whose religion defines being gay as being a sinner. In just the first chapter a young man is shot for being gay; another character kills himself for being gay. These things happen in real life and this novel gets straight to the point. The novel also has added appeal for these young readers because it is set in Baghdad, and would allow young readers to learn something about a different culture as well as the universality of gay oppression. I'd like to see it on the LGBTQ shelf in every YA section in every library, where young readers would appreciate it on many levels, and where it could do some good.… (altro)

The longer I sit with this book, the more it's sinking in. I knew that I loved it when I finished, but the more I think about it, the more important a work it feels.

It's not a long book, but there's a lot to take in. There are so many themes that are well-explored, but without extraneous text. Religion and homosexuality are obvious themes, but more universally it tackles shame, vulnerability, misplaced trust, and the feeling of being an outsider. Despite being a culture with which I am not intimately familiar (and to which a great deal of my exposure is through the eyes of journalists), Namir made his protagonist's struggle so personal and relate-able. At the risk of sounding self-centered, it made this struggle feel more accessible.

This book is significant and timely. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read it.… (altro)