Elk River Arts & Lectures opens its fall series with a presentation by Iraqi poet, playwright and filmmaker Saif Alsaegh on Thursday, September 17, 2015. Originally from Iraq, Alsaegh has been studying and living in Montana, and recently released his first book of poetry, Iraqi Headaches, with Great Falls mico-publisher Noveau Nostalgia.
After a youth spent in Baghdad listening to rock music and reading Arabic, French and American writers, Alseagh travelled and studied around the world, in stints in Damascus, New York and California, while writing and performing poetry in both Arabic and English.
Alseagh’s plays have been performed at the universities of Great Falls and Oklahoma. The latest, “Too Beautiful,” tells the stories of “a playwright and a novelist who live a dark life. Both hallucinate, both talk to God, both hate cities and their dull sun. But both have a tiny bit of hope left in humanity.”
His work has appeared in Witness, The Great Falls Tribune, The Legendary and other venues. Iraqi Headaches explores Alseagh’s journey and his place in the world.
During his visit, Alsaegh will also work in the classroom with Park High students. The events are made possible in part by a grant from Humanites Montana and co-sponsored by the Murray Hotel.
Alseagh’s reading takes place at Elk River Books, 120 N. Main St. in downtown Livingston. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.
Elk River Arts & Lectures is a non-profit organization that seeks to bring writers to Livingston for free public readings, and also to provide opportunities for those writers to interact with local public school students. For more information, call 333-2330 or visit elkriverarts.org.
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