Tal Nitzán is the author of five poetry books and one children’s book, and the editor of three poetry anthologies. Born in Jaffa of Argentine descent, she has resided in Buenos Aires, Bogotá, and New York. Here is an extract from the poem ‘Mountain High,’ which depicts the tall, oppressive buildings of Tel Aviv, where Nitzán is currently living:

I went up to the roof
one day in May
a day that spread upon the sky a sheet
the shade of mustard of an orange of an H-bomb
and the long arduous craving for rain
rose as a howl from the parking lots

Host Marcela Sulak also reads Nitzan’s poems ‘Canary,’ ‘Grace,’ and ‘A Cart with a Mare’ – the latter is set in the Gaza Strip and inspired by a Haaretz report by Amira Hass from May 2004.

Text:

Poetry International Rotterdam

Further Reading:

At the End of Sleep (Restless Books, 2014, e-book).
To the Inner Court (with artist Tsibi Geva, Even Hoshen Books 2015).

Music:

Anat Gutman feat. Tal Nitzán – Mountain High
Avshalom Cohen – A Cart With A Mare (Agala Im Sussa)

Producer: Laragh Widdess
Technical producer: Alex Benish