Pilgrim Bell

These days matters of religion float more perceptibly in the air, and Akbar's poems ground the relationship between prayer and politics in the body and its wondrous desires. Akbar, an Iranian-American poet, often derives his lyrical power from his confrontational sense of humor, lambasting contemporary American imperialism alongside his family's complex immigrant experience. Akbar's poetry feels so essential because its immediacy is not simply topical. Each poem feels timeless and elemental, a true ringing bell for those tired of monolithic immigrant stories and art forms.